Sunshine and Birds

Today is the first day of sunshine in what seems like a very long time. And there’s no doubt that Spring is in the air. Right at this moment, I’ve noticed more birdsong than I’ve heard in a long time. Tufted titmice, blue jays, doves, and downy woodpecker drumming.
Rob continues to take some really cool [...]

Out the Window

I knew they would be coming through around 3:30 yesterday afternoon, so this time I was ready for them. My windowsill book tripod was ready, the camera was ready, and I occupied Boomer with cookies and toys so he wouldn’t see them. Seeing deer elicits much very loud barking, which the deer obviously don’t appreciate.
The [...]

Pileated Plunder

Just when I thought I’d have nothing to say this morning, I caught a glimpse of red movement in the back yard. And there he was, a stunning pileated woodpecker, hard at work on the stump.
The photo isn’t the best, but then again, these birds are notoriously difficult to photograph without a blind, so I [...]

Afternoon Visitors

Working at my desk this afternoon, just a couple of hours before sunset, and a bit of movement out the window caught my eye.
It’s not a great picture. The camera just happen to be within reach, but the window has a screen on it and so that muddies the shot.
But there she/he is, one of [...]

Morning Surprise

This morning, a single red-winged blackbird was feeding with the morning doves on the ground outside my bedroom window.
I noticed him right away, but since I didn’t have my glasses on, I had to get the binoculars to confirm. Yup. Red-winged blackbird.
It’s the first one I’ve seen since the fall, though they are one of [...]

Visitors

I noticed a few more visitors to the feeders today. Over the last few days, the birds have done more hunkering down against the cold winds, but today, they were out and about, enjoying the sunshine.
Red-bellied woodpeckers, the usual titmice, chickadees, juncos, sparrows, and cardinals – just more of them. Also noticed today that the [...]

Snow Birds

We finally got some snow.  It started out as a weird, dry sleet that didn’t stick to anything, but bounced off the roof and accumulated slowly on the ground.  It wasn’t really sleet, wasn’t really freezing rain, wasn’t really snow.  Later it did turn to snow, and now we have about 8 inches of it [...]

Subtle Changes

Have you noticed the subtle changes taking place?  Sure, it’s 18 degrees out there and we’re supposed to get the first good snowstorm of the season – but there are subtle signs of spring about.  The tufted titmice are singing.  Not a lot, but every so often, the first bits of song can be heard, [...]

Homestead

I often wonder what my life would have been like if I’d grown up under different circumstances, or in a different place.  Would I love the city (I don’t now!) or have this natural affinity for all things Nature?
I owe much of who I am to my parents and my family.  My father passed in [...]

Blue Mountains Revisited

I couldn’t help myself – it snowed last night, so naturally I had to go “Jeep’n” this morning.  I had my doubts at first because it looked cloudy – but then the sun broke over the ridge across the road, and that was that.

I decided on the Layton-Old Mine Road loop, which is a little [...]