Beau March 11th, 2008
The season is changing fast… and what’s a “harbinger” anyway?! All I know is that we went from freezing at night to a beautiful warm afternoon today, and it just feels like spring is coming. I think the plants and critters are feeling it too.
We planted this dwarf apple tree about 18 months ago- it’s about 3-4 years old. Last year’s blossoms were snapped by the late spring freeze, but maybe we’ll see an apple this year? The tree is still young, but we’ll see! The apple trees we planted last year have all been chewed by deer at night. I need to put up some kind of fence because they just chew the buds, leaves and shoots as fast as they grow.
The Red-winged Blackbird is a very common bird, but we only see a couple of them in the area. This one is looking for a handout near the feeders.
While working outside I heard what sounded like the high nasal whistling sounds of White-fronted Geese and finally saw them very high up. Last year I watched a small flock fly in over the treetops and land on the pond- I had never seen them up close before with their yellow legs! These could also be Snow Geese which have become too abundant across many regions of North America.
The Pussy Willow tree is blooming early with it’s fuzzy “catkins”.
And here’s one of the Pileated Woodpecker holes in a large Oak tree. There were many other smaller holes near the base of the tree, but the depth of this one is amazing. Hard to appreciate the size of the hole- I need to use something for reference next time, but this one’s about the size of a half-dollar. I’m curious about what insects are in the tree that the woodpecker is after.
I can say that there were a ton of paper wasps around this tree last year, near a woodpile I was stacking. When I got too close to the area with the tractor the wasps would buzz all around. Ever try to run away from a wasp on a tractor? Just not going to happen if they’re really angry. But I never knew where they were coming from, so maybe it’s inside this tree? I woudn’t have noticed the holes/cavities near the base if the woodpecker had not been tearing it up this year. Hmmm… It’s kind of close to the barn so I’m tempted to seal it up with expanding foam.
About an hour before sunset we were amazed to see a hot air balloon cruising across the treetops! The young boy ran around waving and yelling “Hi!” Not sure they heard us, but it was fun to watch! Made me wonder what people in rural America must have thought when airplanes began flying around the countryside in the days of the barnstormers. I would have really loved that…
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Beau March 9th, 2008
A cool weekend but the days are longer with more sunshine now! The forecast looks great and we can see the coming of spring in full now. The spring peepers are out almost every night, and I’ve seen Redwing Blackbirds back in the area. A great mass of Turkey Vultures were flying above the fields the other day, a sight I haven’t seen since early December.
This year we’ve gone through about 70 pounds of mixed bird seed at the feeders, and an additional 15 pounds of thistle seed for the finches. I’ve also put out suet for the woodpeckers and nuthatches. Yesterday a large Pileated Woodpecker was probing for insects among the top of the oak trees. These guys are very powerful and can shred the bark off a tree in a short time. I’ve seen a lot of woodpecker damage on various trees, but I like to think they are taking care of many harmful insects that would otherwise kill or damage the tree. They are beautiful birds however, and I enjoy seeing them. I call this one Woody:
Whatever happened to the “Woody the Woodpecker” show? I think of it when I see these guys, and remember enjoying watching it as a young boy.
If this guy came to the bird feeder he would probably tear it apart!
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Beau March 5th, 2008
After an amazingly warm weekend, we were hit by 5+ inches of snow. Made for an interesting day, especially watching the animals.
Many birds hung around the feeders through the storm, especially the litttle Juncos.
The snowfall covered the barn quickly.
A flock of Robins perched around the trees, looking out of place with the ground covered in snow.
And I learned something new about Robins. Several of them flew in and out of this Juniper tree eating the juniper berries. Who knew?
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Beau February 19th, 2008
Our feathered friends have been wandering the pond a few times the past week… they are probably looking for a place to nest. I went for a stroll with the pup and the geese decided to spend the morning elsewhere. The Lab looked at me… “Can I get one of those?!” He looked wistfully at them as they flew away. It was about 9 degrees this morning- Brrrr!
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Beau January 25th, 2008
A sunny week with really cold nights… but when you wake up around 10 degrees F, and then the high is close to 30 degrees you actually start to feel warm. Isn’t it amazing how the sun makes all the difference? And it provides an opportunity (and motivation) to get some more things done outdoors. We’ve been going through the firewood pretty quickly the past few weeks. The tractor helps immensely with carrying loads of wood closer to the house. The year before we got it I was pushing wheel barrows back and forth forever it seemed. The tractor helps make the trip from behind the barn to around the house where I stack it near the doors outside, and then it’s not such a far reach in the middle of the night, or early morning! This year we’re using about three bucket loads every two weeks, but that will drop off quickly after a few more weeks I suspect. It really helps warm the house and cut down on the electricity bill however.
The birds have been eating an incredible amount of seed at the feeder. I put up some suet for the woodpeckers. Here a female Red-bellied Woodpecker uses her stiff tail feathers to help prop herself up for a quick meal. The male’s heads are entirely capped in red as opposed to the top patch in gray for the females.
I’m starting to feel ready for spring again. Funny how the seasons can do that… just enough time and enjoyment to look forward to the next season. In a few weeks it will be time to plant seed starts indoors, and order from the catalogs. We may try a different garden approach this year, as we’ll be gone on vacation visiting relatives for a few weeks. Last year we started too late and missed the early growing season… time to plan ahead a little better!
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Beau January 18th, 2008
A beautiful sunny, cold day today and some colder weather coming. I think it’s going to be around 7 degrees F/ -14 Celsius tonight. Time to bring the dogs into the garage and let them sleep a little warmer. And the birds are really stocking up on the food. When a storm is approaching there’s always a lot more activity at the bird feeder… but sometimes a big bully comes a long and ruins it for everybody. Usually it’s the cats prowling for some unwary bird…
But this Purple (Common) Grackle hung around the feeder for a few hours guarding his new-found hoard of birdseed. I didn’t see him eat very much- he just tossed it around, looking for the bigger pieces. The other birds kept their distance while he thrashed about. I suppose calling him a bully is being a bit anthropomorphic, but like Jays they can steal eggs and eat the other critters!
There’s always something to notice while walking the property. Is there anything more green than Carpet Moss in the forest in winter? It just has that deep vibrant, lush feel to it that you can get lost in. Everything else is so brown it really stands out. I’d love to have a mossy terrace just covered by it!
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Beau January 10th, 2008
Back to normal winter cold, but yesterday was full of surprises. Mostly involving trying to get things done around the house, and too many errands. A few groups of Canada Geese have been hanging around the pond early in the morning… I don’t know when they fly in, but it must be before dawn. I enjoy looking at them from afar, but as I wrote last year I’m not a big fan of having them on the pond. So I’ll walk around the pond with the dog and they fly off usually. I was surprised to see them eating acorns though. So much water ran off the slopes that many little acorns were floating among the grass at the water’s edge, and the geese were gobbling them up as they paddled around.
I was driving past a neighbor’s property down the hill, and out in the middle of the pasture was a Bald Eagle! We don’t see them around here very often, but it was dining on some carrion- probably a deer. The Bald Eagle is a majestic bird, but many people don’t think of it as a scavenger, which it is as much as a carnivore. Although they normally eat fish, they are opportunists as much as any other species of wildlife and will eat whatever is available.
I took some long distance pictures with the telephoto lens, and after picking up the young boy off the bus, I drove down the hill to show him the eagle- and now there was an immature Bald Eagle (no white head/tail) feeding at the same site. I guess the family was traveling together! It flew off after I stopped the truck a couple hundred yards away.
I’ll never forget some 20+ years ago while I worked as a wildlife research assistant, I watched two immature Bald Eagles flying together for an hour, spinning, flipping, circling each other, briefly locking talons, flying away and coming back to each other time after time…. seemed like they were exhibiting spring mating behavior, or just practicing maybe. Just beautiful to watch though.
At the end of the day we were treated to a beautiful sunset. The light turned orange and pink, and rippled across the sky and clouds. Last month the sunset was much further to the west-northwest, and now is moving slowly back south. I’m all for that as the northern hemisphere begins its slow journey to warm up again!
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Beau January 5th, 2008
A warm dawn of almost 50 degrees today, and a little rain last night. We have more rain on the way after the people of California are trying to dig out of the winter storms. But hopefully the sun will peek through the clouds today so we can enjoy working outside a little more. Yeah!
Our feathered friends continue enjoying free handouts of birdseed. I enjoy seeing them hop around, and flutter all about. And it’s amazing how much they can eat. The Golfinches go through the thistle feeder in a week, and all kinds of other birds eat about 5 pounds of mixed seed each week. Here’s a male Northern Cardinal peeking in the window as he looks for more sunflower seeds. Here in Missouri we just call them Redbirds… after the St. Louis Cardinals of course! It’s nice to see such color and life on gray winter days with clouds all around. Last year I wrote about the Cardinal in the House when I picked up a stunned Cardinal after he smashed into a window, and brought him inside for a day to warm up. They look cute, but they’re tough little dudes!
The other day we saw some strange clouds blowing low across the sky. I’m always amazed at different images in nature. For all that we notice, there’s probably so much more that we miss.
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Beau January 2nd, 2008
The year has begun and it is cold! Awoke to 10 degrees F this morning, yet with bright sunshine. Somehow even the cold isn’t too bad when the sun is shining. And the house stays warmer too! Strangely enough, in a few days we’re supposed to have unseasonably warm weather- over 50 degrees F. I’m all for that, as I still have leaves that need picked up and many other outdoor chores. Replenishing the wood pile is more enjoyable when it’s not so cold either.
It’s time again to start the engines of the various machines in the barn as well. I have found that if I start all the vehicles, tractors, mowers, etc about once a month, that they do much better in the spring. Inevitably, if I leave one alone all winter, it’s that much harder to get started the following year. Missouri recently mandated 10% ethanol in all gasoline fuels, and I’m not sure how that will affect the storage of fuel in the tanks of all the engines. But to be on the safe side I usually add fuel stabilizer
to help preserve the fuel. Seems to work pretty well.
So for now it’s time to work on some chores and professional goals, and see about sticking to a few of those new year’s resolutions. A list that includes goals for health, exercise, and losing a little weight… well, maybe more than a little! But I’m pretty determined this year :)
Our feathered Goldfinch friends are all puffed up in the cold, and enjoying some morning thistle seed. I only see them on the colder days… where do they go?
Yesterday there wasn’t any ice on the pond, and the wind was blowing tremendously. But overnight the wind calmed, and the pond froze quickly in such cold weather.
I love how the weather, light and temperatures can change the environment so much. A couple days ago there was a combination of thin ice and reflected sunlight on the water. As the ice melted, the wind pushed it up to the corner of the pond, where it finally succumbed to warmer temperatures.
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Beau December 22nd, 2007
A respite of warmer weather yesterday and today before the temperature drops again, and maybe snow tonight. I’m hoping to get out on the tractor and “vacuum” a few more leaves. I keep a feeder near the house for the birds, and I can tell the weather will be colder or warmer simply by how many birds attend to the feeder each day. Especially within 12 hours of a winter storm, the little Junco’s flock all around the feeder. It must be tough to sit huddled through the cold nights in a tree!
Speaking of birds, we had a special visitor the other day- what I believe was a Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) based on size, but possibly a Sharp-shinned Hawk. It can be difficult to tell the difference. It flew into a tall Oak near the house- watching the birds on the feeder of course, and sat for about 10 minutes. The Cooper’s Hawk is a member of the Accipiter family- a specialized group of birds of prey that hunt other birds. The Cooper’s Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks live in forested areas primarily, and can be secretive. I’ve only seen them a half-dozen times before, typically while hiking or hunting deep in the forest. Here at Fox Haven I typically see them chasing the birds that gather because of the feeder. I don’t know why, but I’ve always identified with these birds. I worked as a volunteer at the World Bird Sanctuary when I was younger, and we would have to actually raise small quail in order to feed the Accipiters that were undergoing rehabilitation. It sounds harsh, but for some birds it was the only method to enable them to eat and survive. Some of the Accipiters have bordered on threatened status in various parts of the country. Because the Accipiters catch their prey “on the wing” we would “fly” the quail through a hole in the enclosure, and the Cooper’s or Sharp-shinned Hawks would swoop down and catch them. It was fascinating, if not somewhat difficult to watch, but very necessary. Ultimately, we would rehabilitate a sick or injured raptor and then release it back to the wild if possible.
With the warming weather this week, the ice on the pond has been melting. At night the ice freezes again, and then melts during the day. I like how the water pools on the surface of the ice to show the reflections of the trees.
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