Sunday Serenity

eggs of a speckle
cardinal eggs...hopefully uninterrupted

My parents have wonderful folks that help them with the heavy labor in their garden because, well, at 90 and 93, it's just not physically possible for them to do everything anymore. (Hell, I'm 61 and couldn't begin to do all that, tho they both seemed to be able to do ALL THAT at my age...) Yesterday, their helper had been clearing off the non-producing bean trellis when she stopped, came in the house and asked what she should do about the suddenly discovered bird's nest, complete with eggs, that was nestled in the trellis. Mom quickly told her to cease and desist, which pleased the gal very much, as she said: "O goody! I'll have to find some pulled foliage to protect the nest from the sun! So...nature wins out over a neat garden. A mighty good choice! (We eventually found dad and he heartily agreed that the nest should stay.) 

Just hope mama redbird won't abandoned it!

Clearing out debris

Sometimes leads to a surprise

Hey mama, come back!

~~~

xoabb

A Very Full House!

Barn Swallow Babies

Son Bly and his wife Angie took a tour bus up through New York state, and at one point visited this brick structure. As Bly said, "I don't see how all those babies stay in that nest without someone falling out!" Those barn swallow babies certainly look like they're about ready to fly the nest to me!

a very full house!
mama swallow must be ripe
to see her babes fly!

~~~
xoabb
expect anything!

GO 'WAY!

This is MY home!
photo taken 4/19/12
Columbia, MO


 This is my home,
So please just travel on thru
I plan to set up house here
And raise my babies blue

Do hope you find as nice a place
(Tho I don't think you will)
So if yours is not as good a home
Come back - visit me (from afar) - get your fill!

~~~

xoabb
expect bird wonderfulness!

Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin'...

Along...

I long to find the
Perfect robin's egg to keep,
Abandoned...of course

~~~

xoabb

Sunday Serenity

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

~ Wendell Berry

~~~

xoabb

Just Sleeping...

No, ducky is not dead, but just sleeping.

Fell to sleep, then fell straight back...

It's hard work breaking out of that egg!

Go see the hatching here!

~~~

xoabb

Fuschia Finds a Friend

I do believe we have at least 3 and possibly 4 wren families raising their young around the perimeter of our home this year. This is odd because wrens are usually quite territorial - to the point that they will go into rival nests and poke holes in those eggs - but we seem to have peace in the neighborhood...so far.
I'd been seeing activity in the fuschia hanging basket for a few days, but really didn't think anything about it. Startled I was this morning when I took it down to water it. Mama Wren came hurtling out of her nest and then sat on a tree branch fussing at me LOUDLY! I kept the basket down just long enough to snap this less that good photo, and then quickly put it back as I knew Mama Wren was going to start dive-bombing me at any moment! I've had past experience with that. Just sayin'.

(Can't wait for the babies to hatch!)

Wrens! Warrior Birds!

xoabb
expecting baby wrens in just a few weeks!

Sunday Serenity

Cardinal Within the Storm

~~~

xoabb
expect anything!

Here We Go!

Every night my turkeys launch themselves to bed into the limbs of the tall trees. How this is warm and comfortable I cannot possibly imagine. Well, at the very least, I guess they're safe from the coyotes. And the wolves, if Miss LaLa is to be believed...hmmm...

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

A Chorus Line

Never have I seen a bunch of seagulls, (who all happen to look like they're the same kind), lined up so perfectly? It's "A Chorus Line" of seagulls with an ~Autumnal New England Sky~ in the background, just above our Long Island Sound. Just short of perfection!

~

"And now, ladies and gentlemen,
For your listening pleasure,
The solo performance of the night..."
(first gull on lower right - duh??)

"Kiss today goodbye,
The sweetness and the sorrow.
Wish me luck, the same to youuuuuuuu.
But I can't regret
What I did for love, what I did fooorrrrrr looooove."

(gull above was photographically captured holding
the note on that last musical syllable - looooooove.)
~just sayin'~
~~~

xoabb
expect anything!

~

Sky Watch Friday
Do join us!

Turkey in the Tree

My turkey's have finally returned to their tree home...
And I couldn't possibly be happier!
I've missed them so...

Another winter season begins.

~~~

xoabb
expect anything!

Always More Than First Meets the Eye...

Safe-looking

But what do I see among the lilies??

Stella sees and flushes the suspect out...

Thanks to Stella, my birds are once more safe

From big bad Trey-You.

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

Unexpected Carnage

Landing w/dinner in talon.

Yesterday around 5pm I was standing by Julie's kitchen window when I saw a rather large flapping of wings coming toward me that was headed just above the roof line. It also looked like there was something dangling below those wings...and more than just a pair of bird legs. I went out the front door, looked up at the roof, and there he was. A red-tail hawk. With his dinner. I really didn't need to see his dinner. I know, I know - it's natural, that old circle thing, but I really didn't need to see it and be reminded it was a living creature just minutes ago. (I'm a wimp.)

Though this is the best photo I was able to shoot, it's still rather poor as I was too far away from Mr. Red-Tail. (Do yourself a favor and visit Stacy's blogs to see beautiful photos of hawks and other birds of prey, among other things.)

What a magnificent creature Red-Tail is!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

Unbelievably Uppity!

It has been brought to my attention that anytime I take a photo with my trusty little Pentax (w/no view finder, you always look at the screen), my pinky is always sticking up. Sometimes the next two closest fingers join pinky. This has ruined more than one shot, as by the time I crop the photo, the composition is pretty much a goner. Above was taken at the community garden - three fingers uppity!

On this particular day, GB (hubby) and I were ~bonding~ over the unbelievably effective lint cleaning gizmo my dad sent me. (You put it on the end of your electric drill and "spin" it up and down the lint vent pipe thingy - canNOT think of it's name.) I was so embarrassed by the mound of lint that thing remove, I cropped almost all of it out. Let's just say we're lucky our house didn't burn down... Three fingers uppity again!

Just one little uppity finger this time. Guess the other two got tired out. (Another lint shot.)

Even when shooting the turtle's nest, there go those fingers up in the air! This one's about a one and a half uppity. And now, read on for the second part of this post.

~

Unknown, Unidentifiable...at least to me:

I need some help. This bird (sorry for the bad quality - shooting through kitchen windows does that) was attacking my kitchen window and when he/she finally stopped to take a breather, I found I was looking at a bird I couldn't identify. Any idea anyone? I'd love to know.

Here's another angle. I never saw him/her again after that day. I was hoping there was a nest being built in the tree by the window, but no such luck.

I saw this lovely flowering plant in Riverside Park the day Lauren and I went in to see Daryl and Kate. None of the four of us had a clue what it was, but it was growing everywhere and, as you can see, quite beautiful. What about this, any idea what it is?

Here it is again from a different light and angle. That Riverside Park was one of the most lovely, peaceful parks I've seen. Well, except for the crazed in-line skaters coming down the steep (paved) pathway - I thought for sure one of us was going to get run over!

There you have it and as Kate writes each day

Until tomorrow, my friends...

(I'm borrowing that just for today because of the letter it begins with.)

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

ABC Wednesday - We're up to U!

Do join us!

My World Tuesday

Monday through Friday I travel down the road that skirts the Saugatuck River. No matter what the season, there's always something happening on my river (yep, I've claimed ownership). Because it's a river with tides, it's even more changing than inland rivers. 

If I didn't live on my adored pond, this is where I'd want to live. Perfection having that dock to walk down and be able to feed the birds of the river! 

Other activities are taking place, too. Crewing from The Saugatuck Rowing Club, is always happening in the no-snow months both when I drive to work, and when I'm going home. I understand they have a river crew class for women of a ~certain age~ that's really really good exercise. I've successfully avoided that class thus far. (And I expect this state of affairs to continue into the future.)

Oh, and someone's fishin'! Wonder if he caught his dinner...

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

~

That's My World!

Do Join Us!

2nd Post Today - Another Indigo View

Blue Bunting

Gold Finch
Red Cardinal

Beauteous!
(To see more, go here.)

~~~

xoabb
hoping for a return visit!

Look Who Finally Stopped By!

See that little blue spot?

(might need to embiggen the photo.)

28 years living in this home of ours

and this is the very first time we've

been visited by an indigo bunting!

 

Needless to say, I'm beyond thrilled!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

The War Has Restarted With...Well...This...

I saw this beautiful yellow baby in my cherry tree....

And I knew...

My gold finches were coming home...

To me...and not to you, MPM! 

It's where they knew all along they belonged...

Yes right here, at TSannie's home.

(the niger is very very fresh here)

Last year's war...a thing of the past,

Of course, which I handily won!

Now on to this year!

Can you see the 22, and let me spell that out in case you can't see those numbers clearly, TWENTY TWO, gold finches in that photo (plus that one errant sparrow)? I'm feeling very very good about my chance at a decisive victory in our ongoing Gold Finch War! I just don't think you stand a chance, MPM! Your gold finch babies have all flown the coop and they've come my way. Obviously the food is, well, better. Weep, my friend, just weep! 

News video below! (I hear it's being picked up by the AP!)

George Lucas I am not. 

Apologies offered far and wide!

P. S. Because of the video we shot, it has become apparent that the spoken word, "MAYHEM"  scares the cr*p out of gold finches...just scan to the end of the above video for evidence.

~

Never say MAYHEM in the presence of Gold Finches.

~~~

xoabb

expecting gold finches galore to stay!

Good to Go! So Where Are You,

My little hummer friends?

No, I didn't add food coloring to the nectar. Just got lazy and bought ready-made nectar for now. The feeder's been hung for three hours now. And no hummers have come to sip yet. Don't those naughty hummers know I thrive on instant gratification??

That niger seed feeder on the left is from my bird-blogging friend Helen's on-line store, Backyard Boutique. It is the only feeder that has proven to be really and truly squirrel-proof. Every other feeder I've had this past season, even the one advertised as squirrel proof (read about it here) has been a food paradise for them. And those scallywag squirrels not only ate the suet out of two suet feeders, they actually stole them! Can't find them anywhere! I replaced the first one. After the second disappeared I officially declared the squirrels the victors of the season long War Over the Feeders and gave up. Sorry birds. I tried my best!

Please click on Helen's name to visit to her blog. 

Click on Backyard Boutique to visit to her wonderful store.

~~~

xoabb

expecting hummingbirds any minute now!

P. S. Had three hugely successful cooking flings yesterday...recipes to come!

A Rufous Aside

I've had several folks question if possibly I got the identification of my towhee photo wrong when I identified it as an Eastern Towhee instead of a Rufous-sided Towhee. Maybe...maybe not. According to my usually trusty National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds (© 1994) there is only one towhee with similar markings and coloring to the one in my photo and that's the Rufous-sided Towhee. 

However, upon further investigation I found several sites that attest the Towhee is now considered to have two species (click on the names to see photos of each):

"Rufous-sided Towhee" - old name, is now split into two species:

Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus and

Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus

(I've pulled this info from Wikipedia, (mainly because I love this site so much), 

but if you google either of the above birds, you'll find much information on both.) 

Hmm...maybe we should do what my 2 year old niece does 

and just call all our feathered friends: "Ooo...Pretty Birdie!".

~~~

xoabb

expect new knowledge just about any time!