Yard Birds

Immature White-crowned Sparrow

What a morning! It froze even harder last night, with ice all over the cars when I went out.

White-crowned Sparrow

There was a buck on the lawn, maybe thirty feet from where I walk the dogs. It was still dark, but the yard light showed him calmly rising from his bed, having a nice, leisurely stretch, and then standing there watching me and Mack until I stepped in his direction.

The elusive Field Sparrow...looked for one all year, saw two this week

Then he took off. Brassy lad though....

White-throated Sparrow

So many birds in the yard this morning I didn't know where to look first. Sparrows and American Robins are migrating through like crazy and there is a large flock of mostly immature Cedar Waxwings gobbling everything they can find.

Ditto

It made the morning walk a lot of fun, with 22 species being counted and at least two others being almost counted. I know I heard a Red-breasted Nuthatch, but I only saw in flight and in a hurry so I won't count it. And there were grackles, but I only got a fleeting

glimpse. 

Dark-eyed Junco

Enjoy the sunshine!

Ditto

Morning Bus with Grandma

"When is the bus going to come, Grandma?"

"Pretty soon, honey. We had to come down a little early because grandma is kind of slow, but it will get here."

Grandma, there's a crocodile in the ditch. It's a big one."

Don't worry honey, "i'll call Tine."

What's he gonna do?"

"Well, first he'll toast it and then when it's all crunchy he will eat it."

"Ooh, good....Grandma, there's bees...."

"Tine will get them too. He likes em. Nice and crispy.

Oh, look, here comes your bus!"

First Frost Last Night

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Just a small one, but a few things got singed. Cold morning for birding too, but there are still Yellow-rumped Warblers around.

Sometimes they look back at me
Song Sparrow

Odd little birds. It is no problem to see them as they fly straight to me as soon as I go into the field where they are feeding. A little harder to get photos though as warblers almost never sit still.

White-crowned Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Anyhow....brrrrrrr........

If the Woolly Bear Sees his Shadow

Can snow be far behind?

My kind of "snow"

Such a Drama Queen

The night sky that is. Technically it's actually morning, but it's still as dark as a closet with the light off...but because it is for a change clear you can see the stars.

Orion, which used to be my favorite constellation until I found out he only shows up in winter, is strutting his stuff right outside the back door. Big arrogant buffoon, you just can't miss him.

Ursa Major is doing a headstand near the eastern horizon, no mean feat for a bear that size.

The Twins, Cassiopeia, and most of the other known conglomerations of stars are bright as eagle's eyes as well.

Still, it's cold enough to make you want to hurry the doggos as they go about their morning business. Frost tomorrow night so I really have to drag the last watermelon inside and grab the rest of the house plants. Only a half a dozen or so left...I hope....

Meanwhile, I'm just waiting for the sun to come up. After birding in the rain way too many times recently (did you hear that storm last night???) I am looking forward to heading out without an umbrella handle stuffed in an uncomfortable spot, (I learned this from a World Girl Birder post and it works-hands free and all- but I feel like a sleazy lady of the evening with a brolly instead of a wad of cash) and without rain fogging up all the glass involved in  seeing birds.

Wish me luck. lol

Bad News in the Dairy Industry

These two old ladies....

Been researching for this week's Farm Side and the numbers are even uglier than I imagined.

Dairy farm losses:

Ohio

Wisconsin

Michigan

It's estimated that nearly a third of America's dairy farms have left the industry in the past decade.

According to this article 93% have left the business since I graduated from high school in 1970. 

Some suggest a supply management system may help. Others aren't too trusting of those who might be in charge of the managing.

All I know is that these are hard times for the majority of dairy farmers, with distressing impacts on rural communities everywhere. 

......are all that's left of our herd, which once numbered over 100
including heifers and calves.

Once Upon a Time

We were town kids with no idea of country when we went to stay at that farm house up in Fort Plain one day. I have no memory of circumstances, but it was an interesting new experience for us. We played outdoors all day it seems, wild games of kids with sharp imaginations.

Called in for lunch we stood astounded. There on the table was a great white orb that seemed as large as some of the old trucks we had been playing on.

When informed that we could have a slice with our dinner we were skeptical.

But hungry. Wild kids are always hungry.

Soon the savory scent of butter frying in a hot iron skillet filled the house, smelling golden, brown, and salty and good. That was just how the puffball tasted too, after a bit of sauteing in same. We liked it. Aunt Peggy sure could cook.

I've eaten a good many puffballs down the years, generally cooked by myself or my late mother-in-law, who was also known as Peggy. They sometimes grew by the heifer silo or up on the hill in a hidden bit of field.

But that first one was a good long time ago. I was at least eight, as Mappy was born, but not much more than that.....

Aunt Peg raised a batch of delightful cousins for me, and was beloved by them and their kids and their kids' kids and everyone on the Montgomery side of the family too...all the generations.

She was a wonderful woman, so very sweet to all she met, upstanding and hardworking in the church, just plain good in the most basic sense of the word.

We lost her last night. Hearts are sick and sore all over the area spanned by her family and friends. Condolences to her children, grand, and great grandchildren, to my mother, her only sister, to Larry, my uncle, and all of the family who love them and loved her. I know everyone she met has memories of her love as I do and will cherish them forever.

3 Minutes of Sunshine

The faint sun makes the laundry steam

The Things you See...Rainy Week Edition

Amishman moving a hay elevator mounted on steel wheels.
not great for the rural roads, alas

Cottonwood leaves...leaving....

Nice guy, waiting

Bald Eagle right over the barn

So wet that crocodiles are coming right into the kitchen
And eating kibble!!!

Almost Missed the Bus

But not quite!

Rainy Day Turkeys

Visitors arrived while I was taking pictures of the rain this afternoon......That thumping noise under the traffic sounds is rain on the tin roof of the porch. We have had a trifle more than we needed so far...

The Places you'll Go

This Great Blue Heron and another were skirmishing in a field nearby

To this little wide spot in the road on Brand Road where we park in the swamp

And enjoy Winterberry Holly with leaves still on!
This plant will shine like a beacon in the grey and white of winter
Until the birds eat all the berries that is...

Brand/Rankin Grove Road

Here are a couple of places we visit quite often, partly in search of good county birds, and partly because they are beautiful, peaceful spots full of interesting plants and wild animals. 

A Belted Kingfisher at another wide spot in another road...Goldman Road
We call this place Lykers Pond on eBird lists

One side of the "pond"

This beaver house was built over a couple of weeks this summer and gets bigger
and more elaborate every time we stop

Quite a Brew Ha Ha

Research for the Farm Side was downright fun this week. I enjoyed several cups of the product discussed while doing the writing.

In fact I am enjoying one right now.

History

Take Ten Steps

And in general

I knew almost nothing of this important crop before looking up articles about it, but I sure enjoyed the learning process. As far as that goes, I also enjoyed the drinking process.

Here's one I will probably use for next week.

Preview

By the way, mom came home yesterday! Thanks for your good thoughts and prayers.

A Comfort of Warblers

A Lincoln's Sparrow, today's flying blessing

Things are still not at their best around here, alas. More issues keep popping up with mom, delaying her return home and worrying us all mightily. I know that worry accomplishes nothing but I have yet to find a way to stop doing it.

Then there was that terrible accident this past weekend. If you see the news, you've seen the story. Seriously, I watched the press conferences on the Daily Mail website, which will give you an idea of how far the story has reached. Our kids lost classmates and everyone who lives in the area knows someone who was affected. It is about as sad as it gets, an enormous tragedy. You simply do not know how blessed you are until things you hadn't planned on start happening.

So, as is I am sure the case with anyone with such situations on their mind, I've been pretty down. I still go birding every day because it's what I do, but my heart is not in it.

Last night I went out far later than is sensible, as early as the dark is coming and as dismal as it was yesterday. Just getting out of the house, you know. Didn't see more than a bird or two and nothing special at all until I got up behind the cow barn where we park the hay wagons should it ever be dry enough to make hay.

Birds started chirping at me. Loud....urgent. Okay, I guess I'll take a look even though it's almost dark. A lick of movement here, a little flicker there, and then I found them. There were three Yellow-rumped Warblers, two Blackpoll Warblers, and a single Blue-headed Vireo feeding in the box elders there. Not a great haul by any means, but not bad birds either.

What they were to me was a few minutes blessed respite from fear and worry....a comfort indeed.

Waiting

For the sun to come up. These short days are hard on some of us folks.

And harder still, a whole lot harder, is waiting for news on my mom, who is still in the hospital.

Prayers would be much appreciated from anyone so inclined. Some of you seem pretty powerful in that respect and we need all the help we can get. If you know my mom in real life, or from her downright frisky online presence, you will know that she is pretty special.

Thank you in advance.