Birds: week of February 15, 2015

     A white-throat[ed] sparrow flew in with some chickadees and nuthatches several days ago after a storm. It ate some black oiled sunflower seeds from the clinging feeder [but sitting on the tray] for a long time. I spotted one [same one or different one who is to say] today who spent much less time at the same feeder but then flew off to the pine trees.

     Our chickadees have indeed become a mixed flock this winter to include a few nuthatches and many juncos. The house sparrows that hang in our short pine and along the extended branch [read: untrimmed] of our mock cherry tree continue to do so. They have been a bit quieter since the snow storms started, not really fighting each other for places on the feeders as they usually do. We've a pair of cardinals who have been coming to the mock cherry steadily on a daily basis. Today I saw the male over at one of the suet feeders negotiating a place with a female downy [woodpecker] and one junco. The three birds seemed to have been taking turns as it worked out. A collection of mourning doves continue to hang on the deck rail as well as in the yards feeding on whatever spills from the feeders. They also tend to hang on various branches for half-hour naps. The blue jays, crows, and red-winged blackbirds are always in the neighborhood. We've had a couple crows choosing to hang out in branches above the yard quietly observing. Kestrels continue in abundance of late. I usually see at least one a day which is more than this time last year. They don't come to the feeders. I see them circling around or parked in the top branches of a tree. I did see several crows chasing a hawk away from some nearby woods. My imagination told me the crows were angry. The crows were scolding as they flew after the hawk. The hawk flew away and I haven't seen it since. The hawk was impossible for me to identify as it was a couple of standard city blocks away from me in distance.

     I can tell when the storms are coming because the birds feed frantically in greater numbers the day before each storm comes in. Today has been exceptionally cold with wind chills to 30 below or more and hardly a bird in sight. Can't say I blame them. I barely venture out in this weather myself.

     The squirrels do not stay away in the cold. I've seen our standard grays, a few reds, and some red gray crosses. Several of them hand in the choke cherry when confronted with the old dog and then jump up to branches of the oak tree behind us. Two of them run for the deck rail and then plunge over the snow to then climb the aspen and then fling themselves over the fence that way. Yeah, there still is the one daredevil around who goes to ground immediately when confronted with the dog and then runs under the fence. I think that one just likes the chase.

     In the woods nearby, there was a sudden increase in deer prints. It looked to me like many deer came through rather than just a few. The deer tend to hang below one of the trails but these prints were right where we walk into the woods and were "many" rather than four or five sets.

     I've also seen rabbit prints in the yard but no actual rabbit themselves [yet] this year. There usually are several who may be living under a bush near the front feeder but I haven't seen them yet. They are the common cottontails. I did also see a set of snowshoe prints.

sapphoq n furry friends

Winter Blahs!

     I got the winter blahs this year but [so far] at least not the winter blues [seasonal affective disorder] which for me requires the use of a special light in the mornings. I don't know why I haven't been afflicted by S.A.D. this winter [so far]. Maybe it is because I've been spending more time outdoors or maybe it's because physical exercise has now become a habit for me. I know one thing for damn sure-- this [temporary?] improvement is not due to my eating habits or my non-improving insomnia. 

     Hey. Even if the blues come back, I'm good with that. I'm happy not to be experiencing them right now. And I know what to do if they should impinge upon my little world this winter.

     The birds around me have been anything but blah. I've observed mixed flocks of chickadees plus in the backyard feeders along with some woodpeckers. The juncos continue to eat from the platform feeders and the crazy little titmice continue to occupy the tree and sing vigorously. The Canada geese are still flying overhead, heading south. I've observed several families of mallards at local creeks, including one family that was swimming in close proximity to a blue heron.  There have also been various hawks-- mainly kestrels-- hanging on tree branches stalking out dinner.

     The weather has been a bit trying. I don't object to snow. I don't care for freezing rain. So far we've had very little snow and way too much freezing rain this winter. The temperatures cycling twenty degrees or more on an almost daily basis is annoying to me but there is nothing much I can do about the weather here short of moving. 

     Here it is December and we have no snow base on the ground at all. Unless I want to pay to x-c ski or snowshoe through "groomed" trails with fake snow [and no, I don't], I will continue to have to use my boot or sneaker clad feet to ambulate through the woods. The dog wags her tail and makes excitement noises when it is snowing but she doesn't seem overly bothered by the lack of the fluffy stuff outside. She also hates ice and in that we are united.

sapphoq n friends

The Juncos Are Back!

     Several days ago, some juncos flew in with the resident chickadees and titmice. I was very happy to see them. I do miss them when they are gone for the summer. I guess the juncos 'round here didn't read the bird info about their species that says they are ground feeders.

     They have color variation according to geography and a sweet little call which can be viewed at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/dark-eyed_junco/id


     I advocate keeping cats indoors. They like to eat birds. They can get hit by cars, have fights with other cats and maybe a few dogs, and sicken quicker from the stuff outside.  My cats are indoor cats. The two year old "kitten" makes noises at the crows outside while sitting on his window perch. He is not interested in the smaller birds.

     

     In my younger days, in my ignorance I allowed my cats to be indoor/outdoor cats. The cat hauling home a half-grown rabbit twice her size and bringing the live mouse inside to kill it finished me.

     I also advocate not allowing dogs to run loose unsupervised. Dogs can get hit by cars, attack deer and start eating them while still alive, and eat garbage. Some dogs will harass cats and people. A few will fight and bite. There is no excuse for a dog biting a human being, especially a child. Once you've heard a child scream in terror while being attacked by a loose dog, you will never forget it. I haven't.

     In some areas, a dog is allowed to be off-lead if he or she is under voice control. I take the time to obedience-train my dogs. I have called dogs off of deer, canada geese, and once a moose. A dog that is found running a deer can be shot on sight. I agree with this law. I saw a film showing dogs running a deer down and then starting to tear at her flesh while she was still alive.

     My dog is not allowed to roam around the neighborhood making a nuisance of herself and relieving herself on other people's property. The world is not your dog's toilet bowl. Just saying. 

     The dog is older now. I've caught her on the deck of the fenced in yard sleepily watching the birds in the tree eat from feeders and hop around.

sapphoq n friends says: Hey I felt like posting some pics. Right-click to save to your computer if you want them. No hot-linking. Thanks.