Winter Finch Irruption

 I have been watching for Evening Grosbeaks. They used to be almost pesky BITD, with hordes descending on the feeders and emptying them in an instant.

Then they vanished. Years would go by and we would not see a single one. Before yesterday it had been two years since we saw any and a long drought of them before that.

This year a big irruption, that is many birds flying south to find food because the cone and bud crops were poor in the far, far North, was predicted.

They did not lie. I have never seen or heard so many Red-breasted Nuthatches (not finches but similarly irruptive) as I have this year. The woods are full of them.

And the Pine Siskins are back. In some places they are back in tremendous numbers, as in thousands reported at Cape May. The most I have seen was a flock of maybe 90 in Maine. That was  amazing enough for me, and now they are coming to the feeders pretty regularly.

Purple Finches actually nest in our spruce trees and bring the fledglings to the feeders before they disperse, but now there are a lot of non-local visitors as well. 

Nevertheless, it was hard to see dozens of photos of EVGR on Facebook and not have them here. I really wanted some. Then yesterday the boss spoke to me as I was tying my shoes, "What are these?"

I had heard noisy finch calls from the feeder right in front of the kitchen windows, but I thought they were Pine Siskins. Nope. At least 25 EVGR, probably over 30, were racing in and out to gobble seeds. There are still a few around today.

I has a happy. 

More Maine

 

Halloween is Here

 

And Harry is attempting to turn Lupin back into a professor. Hope you have a great day and a safe evening!

That Website we love to Hate

 

You know the one I mean, where everyone socializes and reads the news and plays the games...

Yeah, as you are naturally aware they changed the look of the site not long ago. In a word it stinks, and no, that is not the word I would use if I were less polite.

So someone invented a nifty browser plug-in that kept the old look. It was great and I used it gleefully.

And yet the site that shall not be named spent time and effort to make that plug in fail. Yeah, forced people who hate what they did to use the new look whether they want to or not.

Personally I think they actually want to drive people away rather than let them discuss certain news events and stories comfortably. Especially those horrible Boomers.....kids have moved along to other things already. But those Boomers are bitter clingers....

Think about it.....The site owners have enough money. They don't need more. But they do need to push their agenda any way they can. And, yes, I can get you a tinfoil hat just like mine if you need one....just ask.

Meanwhile the folks who wrote the plug-in are working on making it work again.

And despite being a political beast I have been spending a LOT more time outdoors getting the gardens ready for winter and watching for Evening Grosbeaks. Irruption year ya know. I highly recommend the great outdoors as a source of mitigation of modern life.

October Big Day

 

A Maine Great Egret

So today is the fall version of Big Day for birders. The idea is to go out and see how many birds you can count in a day. I don't usually do too well on these sort of things, as they always seem to fall when we are busy with real life.

Cute little Black Guillemot

And after having such a Big Weekend last week it is probably going to be a bit anticlimactic. We were taken to Maine by kids and grandkids, had a great time, and of course there was birding. 46 lovely Maine species, including two lifers, Common Eider and Black Guillemot. There were also lighthouses, landmarks, Moose Questing, good food and a lot of fun....so thanks for everything plus the turkeys.....

Maine Double-crested Cormorant

Anyhow, I will get out as much as I can today, hopefully starting soon, and see what can be found around our acreage. The place is shaggy and unkempt, which is just how the birds like it. About the only ones that like manicured lawns are the robins and starlings. Sparrows are passing through just now and we usually see some nice ones.

The highlight of the past week after returning home btw was a Ruddy Duck up on the pond by the home of a certain popular race car driver we know. Big deal for me, as I have been looking for one in county for several years.

NY Song Sparrow

Even if today is not a Big one for you, I hope you have a great one! Meanwhile, I am listening for the first cardinal to start chirping on the front lawn feeder. He is usually first bird these days...

A Solid Five

 

Amish colt on the side of the road

On the lawn chair scale....

That storm last week I mean. We have this heavy metal lawn chair that some neighbors gave us. You can't really sit in it but it serves grandly to hold the laundry basket while I hang out or take down clothes.

In a "normal" wind event it is tipped over backwards into the flower bed next to the house often scattering clothespins willy nilly. But it doesn't go far...

Yesterday I went out to hang some laundry and could not find it. Just gone. Finally I saw it, upside down in another flower bed several yards away, in the opposite direction. It took quite a gale to pick that chair up and fling it that far. One of my  kitty andirons also took flight and broke alas. They are heavy cast iron and have never even fallen off the log upon which they reside. What a super storm that was...

There have been other storms with sadder consequences. We lost two beloved aunts over the past couple of weeks, tearing the fabric of the family in so many ways. My heart is hurting for my cousins and my dear uncle who have to go on without them. Sad times....

Beach Bandit

 

Sauntering up to the pic-a-nic

Hmm.....coast looks clear....well, except for that fat little clown with the camera....but she doesn't look too dangerous to me.....

Wow, nice selection for a vegungull like me. Gertrude was not too happy the last time I came home from shopping with a beakful of herring....feathers flew if you know what I mean. Happy wife, harmonious nest and all.

Ah, yes, perfect.....

Gertrude, honey, look what I found....

Beach Finds

 

Scapula of a what?

What altogether?

Beach Dogs

 

For Alan and Amber. This is Jack (with the ball) and his little "sister" Hannah. They made me think of Cam and Thor.

Maine is Amazing

 

The Little Ones were Terrified

 

The storm yesterday was almost unprecedented for its sudden violence and pointless brevity....it only lasted a very short time but in that time it did horrendous harm.

There was plenty of warning via news media, but the sky and air were ful of lies. It was calm and nice all day.

However, the boss had planned to put the car up on the top lawn when he came home from getting Becky from work. But then Liz went and picked her up. We were talking about the coming storm when it hit.

It was like the very devil. The cottonwood that is my wind speed measure was whipping and lashing in circles, tethered to the ground only by its roots. Why it didn't come loose and fly up into the sky is beyond me. I said to the boss, "You'd better go move the car."

He was out in a flash, but no more than had he gone out the door, when the storm kicked it up a notch. BAM. A big notch.

"The tree came down," Liz hollered as she looked out the kitchen window.

"Get out of this room," I urged. "Go, go now."

Poor Peggy was frightened and crying. We put her in the center of the house while we ran around like chickens with our heads missing.

Then, "Where's dad? OMG he's out in this and we can't see the car."

"No, there it is, he got it up on top, but where is he?"

Nowhere to be seen.

Then he came in. He said the tips of the top branches brushed the back of the car as he raced up to the top lawn.

As soon as the weather ratcheted it down to blue skies and butter-wouldn't-melt brisk breezes he went out and sawed and pushed with the skid steer for two and a half hours. It barely made a dent in the mess, but at least we can get out of the house now.

There are two more trees over the driveway that will have to come down today too...just box elders, but another big job.

As bad as it was we were fortunate. The tree was touching the roof for at least six feet before the storm but the wind lifted it right off without taking the roof with it. We still have a husband, father, and grandpa of whom we are quite fond...that was a real close one. I am still reliving the what ifs.

Others were less lucky. Facebook is full of photos of damage with power still out in some areas. However, the most moving one was of two little ones we know. Their home farm got nailed pretty hard and the family was racing to clean up and repair.....They looked just as frightened and sad as poor Peggy was.

Hope you are all okay today, and sorry about the damage and messes everyone is facing. That was a bad one. 

Today's Special

 

Was a short visit to Yankee Hill Lock. First we saw a Common Loon. Not really rare, but a nice bird to spot.

Later the boss, with his amazing eagle eyes, spotted a Ruby-throated Hummingbird clinging to a small branch. Now, they have been showing up at the cannas almost every day at home, but I guess it is late for them, so I got one of those little yellow boxes on eBird that I had to fill out to report it. It did looking kinda cold.

Best though was a pair of Merlins. I spotted one high in a snag and happily noted same.

Then having turned to cross the road I heard a great din. There was hawk like screaming, a world of chattering and a big lot of commotion. I saw a crow zooming right toward me.

Under it was another bird, or should I say two of them..... one of the Merlins had taken what experts say is probably a Downy Woodpecker. 

The crow veered away when it spotted me, but the Merlin landed right in front of me with its still fluttering prey.

Pretty exciting. Felt sorry for the woodpecker though.