Wild Bird Wednesday

Chickadees!!

Last week when it was reeeeely cold..... I was out there trying for a chickadee pic or two.  They used to be a bit less jumpy when the weather was warm..I'm sure they were.

I started out a long way off...hahhaha... .. but, this was too funny not to show it... if you look close, you can see a little guy in the Hawthorn tree...but, look down to the left... another one just zooming away from the feeder to the tree...or maybe further out at the speed he is going... hahahaha...it makes me laugh every time I look at it...

Eventually I had to get much closer to attempt any worthwhile shots...so I began sneaking up on them.  They scolded me .. and boycotted the feeder for a bit.  But, I "dee dee dee'd" right back at them and, tried to coax them ... they probably thought I was nuts...but, they did begin to go back and forth from lilac or Hawthorn to the feeder... keeping a watchful eye on me all the while.  I know they would get used to me if I was out there all the time, but in the winter?...I don't think so.... it's too cold to stand around outside talking to them.  I'll have to pick and choose the days.

It started to snow a bit ... my fingers were getting darn cold.  I need some thin gloves or I'll dig out Mr. BV's mitts with the flip tops so I can flip them on and off when the need arises... now where are those mitts?? .....

I begged them to land in the Hawthorn so I could get some pretty red berries in the pictures.... they didn't listen... instead they hung out on dead lilac bush branches...

And.... I know there is one guy out there who will appreciate this one....... they were always facing the wrong way.

Let's face it....that is a cute butt!!

Finally!  It all came together.  The berries ....the facing in the proper direction.... the soft little feathers blowing in the breeze..... wooohoooooo ......

Remember to click on the pics to "BIGGIFY" these cute little guys....

If you want to see more bird photos or to add one of your own... just click on the bird below and go to the Wild Bird Wednesday site...

Wild Bird Wednesday

I've been hoping for a chance at a Blue Jay but had never seen one.  Finally in mid October.  The only one I had seen in the yard ... ever.  There was still greenery..so wanted to get him/her on here before I launch into wintery photos.... not that I have many of those....yet.  I was out there for awhile today and my fingers were getting pretty numb.  It was -15C with a gusting wind to about 40kph for a portion of the day.  Thankfully there was some sun.

This was as close or as lucky as I got  ... ... my first look at a jay ...through the window.  I loved the whole thing even though it is through the screening ..... so kept it.  It reminds me of a vintage photo.

Then one day I was trying to sneak up on the American Goldfinch sitting on the feeder and saw a blur ... thought it seemed pretty blue and looked away from the camera... but saw nothing.  Okay.  Back to looking at the goldfinch... he was either really patient or really tired.  He just sat there and I got several great photos of him.  Thank you Mr. Finch.

When he flew over to the lilac bushes I looked up ...and then  ...what the?>? .... there was movement really close to me.  I looked down at the birdie bath... which was right beside me and there it was.  The Blue Jay!!  Sheeesh ..... quickly tried to focus much closer to me than I had ever anticipated  ... trying to move as quickly but as stealthily as possible.  He must have thought I was a lawn ornament or something....because he looked right at me and didn't even try to move away.

These are the two I managed to get before he flew off.

Click on the images to "biggify" him...

What beautiful colours....!!  they don't even look real to me..... the bit of greenish gold in front of his body is a leaf on the Korean Lilac ... which was directly between us.

I'm pretty excited to have seen him.  Especially so up close and personal.

Please take a trip over to Wild Bird Wednesday sometime and look at all the other amazing birds from all over the world.  Why not add one of your own?  Anybody can play ....

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Winter has arrived

I hope it's not here to stay for the duration of the wintery months.... like, until spring...which in this part of the world could be, erm... May.....

We usually have plenty of sun though... and, we also usually have lovely warm spells called Chinooks... but, last year it was pretty much from Hallowe'en til .. oh, yeh...... May ....  darn it.  .........I hope this year is not like last year.

My Christmas cactus has bloomed; when is American Thanksgiving?   must be soon.... seeing as it usually blooms about then... so I changed its' name to that instead of Christmas cactus.  It might be finished blooming by next week this year...what the heck? ...

Those are new little ornies I found already.... it's kind of a tradition to buy a few new little things for the tree each year... and, to give away some of the other ones I've enjoyed for years....

The snow began to fall late Saturday night....

By morning the top of the patio wall was chest deep on sparrows... they don't look particularly pleased do they?
                                                                               





                                                                                 





They had a look at the bird bath.... hmmmm... the snow was beginning fill it as well... the water is frozen solid of course..... no bathing today guys!

I'm not sure they believed me.

They went away and didn't even bother looking at the feeder for seeds.  Hmmm.... weird.

I thought they would be hanging around all day til it was empty and then...beg for more.

The snow continued throughout the whole day yesterday .....

Cupid disappeared ...............

Definitely no bathing today guys........ but, did you notice the thermostatically heated bird water I put out? ...it's over in the patio .... come on back..........!!!  Not for swimming mind you...but, how 'bout a drink? ....

Awww... come on............ I paid good money for that thing....

Wild Bird Wednesday

I almost feel guilty.

My birdie feeder is such fun... and, it is collecting quite a few visitors... mostly sparrows...but, hey I love all the little guys.

But ... the other day, a larger, brown form swooped in; touched the feeder briefly with a foot and then..landed on my cupid's head on the bird bath.  Yikes!!  I've created a hunting ground for hawks!!

I quickly went to the window and was going to open it and shoo it away...but, Mister BumbleVee said ...don't scare it away.... get a picture !!  I grabbed the camera, which was on the table ... fumbled with the venetian blind in the window and managed to get one.... luckily he was totally intent on staring at the sparrows in the shrub.

I don't know what it is ... but, it isn't very large.... and, it's beautiful.

All the little guys disappeared into the middle of a Korean Lilac bush... and, even though there are no leaves left on it... the tiny branches protected them....no way that guy would fight his way into that bush.

Mr. BV was right.  I did get a great photo.

I don't know what it is .... maybe a Kestrel? .... a Merlin?..... ....   anybody??????  Help me out here please...there is still more tail down behind cupid's wing...which has a bit of snow on it.... sadly I didn't get a glimpse of the tail..... which could probably tell us a lot......

Click on the pics to enlarge ....see him/her up close .......

And, here is a shot of the bird bath with the cupid in full view and sparrows near it for a size comparison..

If you would like to join in or just have a look at lots of other birds .... go to Wild Bird Wednesday to check them out.

Terrariums cont'd.....

A few people asked me some questions regarding terrariums... and, I looked online... plenty of info out there for sure ... here is a nice man showing how to build one...  and, as I mentioned before I wish I could find some little ferns like that!

http://youtu.be/P76eFEwilEU


I do have a pink plant just like that one he planted!  Now....I want moss!

Who remembers terrariums?

Well, actually... even though I first heard of them eons ago (back in the hippie days).... I don't think they ever really lost popularity ... either that, or they have made a big comeback.

I've had this one for .... oh, man....I can't remember how long.  It dried out, the plants died and the dirt was rock hard...the thing was sooooo dusty...... but, I loved it then and carted it around with me for years.  Every move; it survived ... glass top and all.  I wish I had a photo of it in its "throw out" state.  Mr. BV tried to toss it more than once... and, who could blame him.

But, I salvaged it from near the garbage can and have been saying for the past 3 years that I was going to clean it up and re-plant it.  Never got around to it.

This summer I saw it yet again....sitting there all dusty in the garden shed.  That did it.

I needed a new date palm anyway seeing as my BIG guy of many years had shrivelled and died.  I blame in on the big renovation... because we had to move it in and out of the house; to the garage etc...it got pretty wind blown and roughed up and neglected.  No wonder it died.

Anyway... long story a bit shorter .... at the shop where I found palms on sale...there were so many tiny plants for a dollar.... I couldn't leave them to die there ....or be tossed out...they looked in a bad way....

I came home, got the terrarium out of the shed... washed and buffed it... put in some lovely new soil, a few little plants, some special rocks.. put in a bit of water and closed the lid.

Et voilà !!

Wild Bird Wednesday

Yesterday this little birdie came to the feeder.  I sprinted out as soon as I noticed him/her.  A tiny tyke, smaller than a chickadee... and, seemed to be all alone.

Please, click the photos to 'embiggen' and, get a closer look look at him....

He didn't much care for the sparrows when they tried to outmuscle him on the perches even if was half their size.  He opened his little wings and gave them what for....  (I didn't hear what he said, but he meant business )...  He didn't seem to mind the nuthatch or the chickadees.  If they showed up, he just went about his business.

Mostly, he waited 'til the feeder perches were vacant ... got onto one and was quite enjoying sitting there in the cool sunny day.. picking through the sunflower seeds and bits... and, usually, it seemed... the sparrows kind of left him to it for a few minutes.  Then, if several of them would go for it at the same time, he flitted up into the Hawthorne tree..... where he waited and would go down again when they had pigged out and left.

He didn't seem as nervous as the sparrows either...they all left in a big flurry when I went out and there he sat.... looking at me...  quietly munching seeds, wondering what the big deal was.  Of course, I tried for that one step closer to the feeder and off he went into the tree.... and, then...nobody showed up til I left and went in the house.  Bummer...I was hoping for a real close up... but, had to resort to a bit of cropping.

Here is one of his back side to show the markings....

From my only bird book...I think he might be an American Goldfinch although I don't know if we get many around here.  Looking at him from a distance I didn't think he had a finch type beak...but, now ...looking closer ..perhaps that is what he is.  If my birding bloggy buddies "in the know" can let me know, I'd be a happy bird watcher.....

Isn't he a little cutie? ... He is so tiny even though it is hard to tell in a photo.

Please take a minute or two to check out other birds over at Wild Bird Wednesday.... there are soooooo many......

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It's dry, crispy and orange.....

It's autumn for sure now.

Orange is not really my favourite colour ....  especially when it is corrupted with darker splotches and colourations.  Sigh.  Oh, well....it is that time of year.

We have a variety of leaves in the yard...not many from our own few columnar aspens ... and, plenty blown in from front, back and sides.... all the neighbours have the trees ... the wind is their friend.  They all wait long enough so that they rarely have to rake.

One out of four is aspen.

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I'm ticked.  Somehow I caught a cold.  Must have been about 17 cold germs marched in abreast in a weak moment or something..  and...I got it!  Dammit.  I hardly ever get a cold so I'm not a good patient .... as a matter of fact I have no patience at all. !!!

I felt a scratchy throat on Thursday and by Friday my head felt like a giant puffball.  I couldn't breathe through my nostrils at all.  Not much sleep that night... which of course, doesn't help anything.  Then, coughing all day Saturday til I felt my ribs were in grave danger ...luckily I've been working out regularly for the past few months and I'm sure there was more strength there than usual.  I was even doing oblique crunches ... getting to where I could get my upper body off the floor pretty well... not perfect yet and now set back a few weeks I'm sure.

It may be short lived as I feel more human already today... but, I ain't going to rush things....I know how quickly a person can set themselves back if they overdo too soon after a down and out session.

Looking at blogs still doesn't interest me... but, I'll get around to it .........soon.......... maybe.............

Wild Bird Wednesday

I got a nuthatch!  Well, actually, I got some pics of a couple of different nuthatches!  And, I'm pretty excited... because they are as elusive ..maybe more so... than the chickadees.

Maybe it is male and female ..maybe there are different colourations... I'm not sure.  Tomorrow ... I'll look up some birdie info on them... but, for now I just wanted to brag about them coming to check out my new feeder.

UPdate... I'm thinking the first guy is a Red Breasted Nuthatch... and, the lower one might be a White Breasted Nuthatch .. there... I think I've got it figured out.

They only seem to come around if other birds are there ...especially lots of sparrows.  Maybe they like them to act as guard birds or something... warning about danger by flying off in a hurry if there is danger... and, seeing as I have plenty of sparrows around..it is noisy when they "flurry"....

The little nuthatches are so cute.  Hanging off the side of the feeder..getting a seed and then off they fly to enjoy it.  Much like the chickadees.  They don't hang around and nibble their snacks like the sparrows do.

The sparrows are pigs... they jump on and off the little perches ... sitting and nibbling for a bit .. flying off for a drink...or to hop around on the ground and clean up little things that fell off when they were in their eating frenzy.  In and out of the tree and the shrub and onto the feeder again... til they eat me out of house and home and then...sit on the patio wall looking at me through the window.  Well, I feel like they are looking at me....

I bought a big bag of seeds today... $43.00 ... yikes!  And, I looked at a winter bird water bowl... with a heater in it so they can have open water in the frigid weather.  $104.00 .... sigh...... having fun with birds can start to add up.

Click on the pics to make 'em bigger and get close up and personal with a nuthatch... or two ... aren't they cute?

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On Golden Pond

This is not a very clear photo of the beautiful little guy..... but, it just had to be taken... ... after all, it was a chickadee..and they can disappear pretty quickly sometimes.  This guy seemed to be content to just sit there though....too bad I wasn't a bit more careful this time.

I have a lot of shots of disappearing bums, flapping wings, or, nothing at all in the frame when it comes to birds...

So, I had to show it to you.

The setting sun was reflecting off the windows across the street... and it looked so great on the water....

Wild Bird Wednesday

I've shown you a Northern Flicker before...but, this is different.

Last week I bought a birdie feeder.  It's called a Squirrel Buster.  It has a mechanism that prevents squirrels from getting the seeds.  They weigh more than any of the birds I want to see on my feeder.

The factory setting is about 2.5 ounces to 4 ounces or something like that.  I'll have to read up on it again.  It's difficult to determine exactly how much I turned the screw to increase the weight allowed before it closes down now... ..although, I do have a gram scale and will eventually test how much I now have it set for...

For the first few days I left it at factory setting.  This happened.

( Click on any photo to "biggify" )

The poor guy (or maybe now that I look closely at my own photo..this is not a guy)...I'm not totally sure. Anyway.. she/he gave it his best athletic chin up performance and the feeder closed down ... darn it.  I still want Flickers and Jays to be able to get some seeds... so I will have to figure out weights ..

He did immediately look around on the ground under it and got some for sure.... they are messy little guys, those chickadees and sparrows... and...a nuthatch and a Mr. Chirpy (that would be a house finch for those that didn't see my other post)...  so far that is what I've seen hanging around.  He also hung around for ants and other little tasty bits in the dirt in the garden.

The next day he came again... but, I looked closer, and, well, it isn't the same one.  Anyway... this time he didn't bother with the feeder... but, hopped right onto the edge of the bird bath.

I think somebody's Mummy forgot to tell this poor guy that he isn't a sparrow.  He tried to talk with them... but, they weren't having any of it.  In they jumped and splashed water all over him... how rude...

He tried to fend off the major splashes... ... but, they just kept at it..

Finally it got to be too much...

He cannonballed 'em.... hahhahah...they got outta there!! That guy on the right looks like a flying lobster!

But, they disappeared and then he was all alone.  He just sat there looking around....
One of them hid out under the bath...

Hey, where did you guys go??...

He played quietly for a bit...then sat there some more...in the middle of the bath... all alone....
Finally, one little sparrow showed up and they had a chat...

Then, a second came and the Flicker hopped out to give them room......
 In they both went.

And, then..... a whole flock of them started hopping in and out of the water ... I think he felt a bit overwhelmed .. he flew off and left them to their own wild splashing...

By the time they finished...I had to add more water!

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Wild Bird Wednesday

.... and, ........I don't have anything exotic or unusual this week.  Nope.  Just some run-of-the-mill, everyday, house sparrows.

But....I have to say...they are a pretty interesting and cute bunch of guys ...and gals too I guess.  I love their antics.

Seeing as I am not a bird watching connoisseur ....I haven't a clue really about gender, etc..  But, there are various colourations, and maybe even a few different types... who knows?  Not me... but, you might.... so, let me know if you have specific information.

Meantime... to see them larger ..."biggify" by clicking on the pics....

Checking for danger before having a bath......

Oooooh ....it's cold....... and, ....kinda deep...........it's already up to my feathers..... !!

Alright then... perhaps a face wash at the very least......


Hey!  who's that interrupting my fun? ......

What the? .... where did THEY all come from?........

Brother........

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