The watchers

With a flurry of wings and spread tail, a blue jay adjusts its position on the feeder that holds the black-oil sunflower seeds. Greedy, it stuffs as many as it can in the pouch behind its beak, and then flies off.

A blue jay called me shortly after dawn this morning as I was out taking pictures of the rising sun. I believe it was reminding me that I had yet to put the feeders out.

Wherever I've lived, jays seem to be quickly aware when there is a sympathetic human around and when food may be available. They have constantly harassed me with screams if I've forgotten to fill a feeder or haven't been quick enough to get feeders removed in the evening to prevent marauding racoons, out in the morning - particularly those cold snowy winter mornings when birds are most often looking for suet.

I love their raucous alerts.

Where I lived before this, they would hang around when I went outside to try to photograph them. But here they are more exposed and fly off if there is movement behind the screen door in the sun room as one fellow euphemistically calls the entrance to my current home. This morning I tried again with the camera after seeing several jays - two in the feeder, one on nearby chairs I'd removed from the deck so the roofers could get to their work this morning, and several on the ground and nearby cedars waiting their turn at filling their gullets.

All this bird activity makes me chuckle. The chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches pay no attention to the jays except they do fly in when the robber-birds start screaming that foods on the table so to speak.

Such a blessing to be able to enjoy Mother Nature's gifts - of all kinds.

Breakfast time or is it day-long brunch?

As I look out to the deck this morning to see what visitors are nearby, this female hairy woodpecker completely ignores me as she buries a seed in the bark.

The tree - a Siberian elm that I allowed to grow from its hedge form to replace an American elm, is obviously dying. It will go in the spring. It's roots have invaded my septic system for one thing, but more important the birds have been using it as storage and have hastened its decline.


However breakfast time seems to be now brunch - birds don't come out of that semi-hibernative state they go into overnight when it's cold. It's closer to 9:30 when the birds hit the feeders, rather than dawn. And I've been so fortunate to see so many around despite the rainy/snowy weather.

My first post on my return to writing this blog was about wishing for snow - well it came true. That night it surprised me with about an inch of wet snow. Then last night more snow, just a touch, but a bit of white to promise a white Christmas. Yesterday it rained and snowed most of the day, but I counted more than 30 American goldfinches either on the deck or in the trees and shrubs nearby. Regular visitors throughout the day are the three pairs of hairy woodpeckers, the many bluejays - I think there are at least four in residence in the blue spruce, and several nuthatches. Downie woodpeckers chased each other on the wall of the drive shed yesterday, seeking more spots to put seeds I assume. They've drilled holes in the north side and I suspect that the south is about to get its turn.

With five feeders out, they are all well attended. Several house sparrows - I counted 25 and gave up as they flitted around - have made homes in the cedar hedge in front and the junipers. Bliss delights in chasing them from tree to shrub to bush and back to tree - it's a game that the birds seem to get as well. Chickadees wait for him to show up underneath their tree and lead him a merry chase.

There have been white crowned sparrows, juncos and American tree sparrows, a family of red-bellied woodpeckers who come in separately, and to my utter delight - a beautiful bright red male cardinal.

Sometimes brunch runs all day long - but by 3:30 or so, all except one or three of the myriad chickadees have gone to find a warm place to sleep. Truly a bird-watcher/lover's paradise. I am so blessed. Hope you enjoy something special today.

The female hairy woodpecker buries another seed, and a blue jay watches from the feeder in the archway. You can easily see that the suet blocks in the little red holder are being devoured. And the birds have taken most of the sunflower seeds on the rail. Enjoy your day!

Daily visitors

Year round I leave out one or two small sunflower seed feeders and a niger seed feeder. There are some birds that continue to visit regularly.

This female downy woodpecker is one of the daily visitors. There seem to be two pairs of downies that come. This one is hiding a seed in a crevice in the bark of the Siberian elm tree that holds the feeder.

Others come only while their young still are following around begging to be fed, blue jays and grackles in particular.

One of the reasons I keep the feeders up, though there is usually lots of natural food available for all the birds in summer, is that I get such amusement from the antics of the babies. It strikes me as very funny watching the huge baby blue jays - bigger and fatter than their beleaguered parents, following around, wings fluttering, bleating pitifully. Grackles seem to be even longer in their maturation...it was well into August when I watched one optimistic baby follow its parent who hopped up to a larger feeder, brought down a seed, gave it to the baby and then moved off. The baby cried out, dropping the seed and flew after its parent.

Goodness I thought - that's patience. Even though grackles in a horde, don't endear themselves to me... this little one-act play really caught my fancy and made me laugh. There are so many little things like that every day to watch and enjoy in nature... even watching this industrious woodpecker was fun. She took several seeds and stuck them in cracks in the bark. Now I wonder if she'll remember where they are in a blizzard?

Chow time

Most of this winter the weather has been spring-like.
       Many of my fellow bird watchers in this area have complained that few birds were visiting their feeders. They have been disappointed until recently.
    Two feet of snow over the past couple of weekends even if it disappears during the week, has sent many birds to my feeders at least. Free lunch! The little birds - as I call the finches, sparrows, chickadees and nuthatches that frequent my feeders - wait patiently in the trees for their turns at the feeders, or having already dropped down to get a seed, munch with satisfaction.
And the jays wait for nothing - they just push their way in. There are now at least a dozen that hang about, from six in the summer.

They love the easy access of the feeder and the snow doesn't bother them in the least.

But, they certainly don't like me hanging about or opening doors and take off  in a huff, screaming "thief thief." 

And one lone America tree sparrow ignores the jay's warning and continues to enjoy its meal. Such a treat to see all this type of activity every day.

And the snow ends, the day draws to a close and all seems right in the Valley - hope you have happy times that are right for you in and around your home.

Early mornings in the Valley

The sun's rays just begin to caress the tops of the hills and set the skies aflame. Snow glued to the branches will drip away slowly as the day progresses, but our mornings start long before that.

We've already been out  -when the sky was just beginning to lighten - putting the bird feeders in place for the day. Raccoon marauders love the black oiled sun flower seeds as much as the birds do, and prowl the perimeter of the property when it gets dark, then darting in to cadge a meal. It drives the dogs insane and their barking makes me similarly crazy. So into the back of the car with the feeders at night and out in the morning.

As we get ready for a walk, instead of carousing as they usually do, the dogs sit nicely for me while I try to get a picture. Spirit, ever attentive being a black lab, and worried or wondering why I want him to sit and not play the way I usually do, stares into the camera lens with his nearly black eyes. Bliss, bored and somewhat resentful that he's not playing glances at the birds nearby on the ground. I'm sure he's wondering if he can catch one, or thinking how good the game is going to be when I release them from their sit.

One of the games that Bliss plays is with the birds. There are several very smart little chickadees that come to the feeders, grab a seed and then make for a nearby bush or tree. The game is that Bliss runs to the foot of a tree, looks up into the branches until he sees one, then begins to prance and bark. The chickadees make for another tree. He chases after, spots them or it, and begins to bark again. This game of tag or hide and seek is a favourite when Bliss is waiting for me to fill the little toboggan with wood for the fire, or fill the feeders, sweep the walk, shovel snow, clean snow off the car, any one of a number of little outdoor chores before a walk or a ride in the car.

And the little birds wait too - high in the branches of one of the elms that line the edge of the property. They gather in a huge flock which seems to be growing. In this photo I count about 60. It seems, as they swirl and float from tree to deck to feeder to tree to bush and back, that there are hundreds.

There are feeders on all sides of the house. Filled mostly with suet and black oil sunflower seeds, but also niger seed not particularly a favourite in winter because they are so small, but they empty all too quickly and need daily replenishing.

And finally the bigger birds take their turn. The mourning doves, one of the many that dwell in the spruce tree on the west side of the church, was brazen enough this day to continue its search for seed on the deck. More often they leave and flee for the safety of the trees across the road at the tiniest movement in the house or nearby. The blue jays - the gang of thieves I call them - boisterous, raucous and full of joie de vivre, tackle all the feeders, jay-size and finch size, it matters not. If there's seed, they're sure to be nearby.

All in all the bird family that frequents this property is a pretty large number, and they show up early in the morning, returning every two or three hours for another nosh. There are American tree sparrows, white-breasted nuthatches (sadly no rosy breasted ones that I've seen this year), chickadees, house sparrows, American goldfinches, house finches, purple finches, at least half a dozen blue jays and maybe more, pairs of downie, hairy and red-belly woodpeckers, many soft cooing mourning doves, dark-eyed juncoes and once in a while hawks come to call. My neighbour says there is a goshawk hanging around. The sharp-shinned is a regular visitor and grabbed one of a pair of starlings the other day - in breeding plumage already and with red legs - that was all that was left - a pair of wings still attached to the collar bone and two red legs, claws curled in the snow amidst a lot of feathers. Sad but part of nature.

The pair of ravens that dwell in the small valley across the road behind a neighbour's home, call to me regularly in the morning as they head out across the fields. Their distinctive throaty call lets me know all is right with the world this day.

And today since the sun is shining, and it's calm and full of the sound of wings and occasional bird calls, I know all's right with the world this morning as well. Hope it is in your neck of the woods.
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And my apologies for not posting every day as I have in the past. These last few months have been busier and often it's more difficult to get access to the internet to write. Bear with me. I think of it every day as it's such a delight, and the people who comment are always so kind and have the most interesting blogs for me to follow as well. I'm sure I'll get back to regular posting soon. Enjoy your day everyone.

Getting along

About a week ago we had nearly a foot of heavy wet snow. There were lots of birds at my feeders - especially the woodpeckers who love the suet that goes out, whatever kind I buy or make.

Usually when a large hairy woodpecker lands on the feeder all the other birds flee to a nearby twig or branch to wait it out as they can be irritable. However this day, the blue jay landed... it's obvious the woodpecker was somewhat affronted by the bigger bird landing on his feeder. But the blue jay ignored him and calmly continued searching out sunflower seeds ignoring its usual treat: the suet.

I watched for a bit out the window, marvelling at how in almost all species there are days when everyone seems to get along and not pick a fight, and other days when you better watch where you step and what you say.

It seems to me that this particular day of harmony is a good one for me to remember when I get cranky...the woodpecker seemed to take a deep breath, and then continued pecking at his treat. The blue jay the same and they left together allowing the little birds to land and snack.

Some days it's good for me to take a deep breath and carry on.

Some days I wish everyone in the world would take a deep breath and stop fighting over the feeders. That seems like a pipe dream today - but maybe one day?

In the meantime I'm going to enjoy watching the birds at my feeders, the dogs as they play in what little snow there is, and all the other creatures I get to see in this lovely countryside. Hope you get a chance to enjoy things as well, and that there's no fighting at your feeders.

Frosty morning

There are about six blue jays who visit my deck railing each morning - at least when the weather isn't blowing or snowing or pouring down rain. They come to stuff their gullets with seeds then make off to some tree, nook or cranny to hide their treasure. I always wonder whether they'll find them when they need them?

But blue jays are smart birds, cheeky, loud and boisterous. They are the ones who let me know if I've forgotten to put seeds out or that they've eaten them all and would I please replenish the tray?

They are also the ones who alert the rest of the bird world to the presence of hawks. A Cooper's and a sharp-shinned hawk both patrol the feeders with regularity. Sometimes a huge redtail will buzz through like a huge Stealth Bomber compared to the size of the other marauders. But this year the number of hawks appears to have dwindled. And this morning the frost is very heavy so the birds will be plentiful all day.

The ice on the pond is thick except for where the bubbler is keeping a hole open. The fish gather underneath the  little air distribution cube, to obtain the necessary oxygen I suppose. They are terribly slow moving now and often appear to be asleep, going into a state of hibernation when the snow gets deep and covers the pond. But even then the bubbler continues to make a hole for gases to escape. Today  I must fill the pond again and remove the plants to a spot by the composter to be covered with leaves.


Here are some other pretty patterns created by Nature's frosty paintbrush this morning:

Have a glorious day!

Blue jay feast

The blue jays are often the first ones at the feeders these days. Most particularly they fancy the easy to get seeds on the rail and I see four to six of them lined up storing seeds in their gullet and flying off to hide them somewhere.

I believe they are from a family of blue jays that nested in the blue spruce that is highlighted by the early morning sun behind the feeder. It hangs over the drive shed and is the nursery for many young families of birds - finches - gold, purple and house, chickadees and hummingbirds most particularly. But the jays have been living there too - though not recently.

Until about two weeks ago the youngest jays were still fluttering their wings and mewing at the adults to feed them. Comical to see those big fat babies badgering their bedraggled and much thinner parents, begging as if they are starving. Parents often start giving them short shrift as they get bigger and fatter, insisting that they learn to take care of themselves. But there is often one, that won't leave the nest. Sort of like some human youngsters we all hear about, don't you think?

The natural world does include us with all our foibles. It's fun to compare and I often chuckle about how easy it is to forget we are Nature's creature's too.

Enjoy this beautiful day as we run up to Hallowe'en - one of the several pagan festivals that has been adopted by other religions and transformed to meet their codes. Will you be celebrating Hallowe'en this year? The blue jays will certainly be looking for treats - but then every day is a day to look for treats for them.