Spite Fight

Last week a mid-sized hawk blew into this exact cottonwood tree hollering like mad, then flew before I could get a decent look. 

This morning it was like deja vu all over again, except this time the bird stopped for a photo op. It was after a hundred or Red-winged Blackbirds that were busily hunting bugs up there. 

It missed by a mile and sat there glaring at me for a minute before swooping off across the river, pausing only to dive bomb a passing Ring-billed Gull, screaming all the while.

I actually don't think this is the same bird I saw last week. That one had a very distinctive call that I had never heard before. I believe it was a Red-shouldered Hawk. Sure would have been nice if it had stopped so I could be sure.

Anyhow, this one is a Cooper's Hawk, not a likely candidate for attacking something as big as a gull, but it sure was ticked off. There were probably a thousand or more Red-winged Blackbirds available in nearby trees and the cornfield, so it seems silly that it was so spiteful. 

Just in Case

I shamelessly stole this from Liz's Facebook page
Photo credit is hers

You get the local paper and read the Farm Side this Friday, the photo above is what kicked it off for me. I had been struggling to find an anchor for the annual Fonda Fair column, and this was it. Shazam! 

Lamb in the living room

Here is the original story of the little lamb with Peggy. My heart just skipped when I saw this shot of the two of them, wandering over at the Ag 2000 barn, no halter, no lead rope, just love to tie them together.

That kid has worked all summer with that little lamb that had such a rough start and it shows. I have many doubts that there will be any ribbons involved in this adventure, but who needs them anyhow when there is so much fun to be had?

Farm kid, right at the heart

And you know what they say about apples? Liz was six when this photo of her unloading her first show heifer, Sonora, at the fair, made the front page of the paper. Meanwhile, back to the keyboard. Deadline looms....

A few years later...

I'm Melting

We have experienced some new to us highway repair technology here on 5S the past couple of weeks. It is pretty cool.

Or, er, actually really hot.

Seems they melt the existing, but cracked and bumpy, pavement, remill it, and put it back down.

So far the new surface is a LOT smoother than the old, plus it is quick and efficient, and appears to be cheaper than the usual method of putting down new.

Large scale recycling right before our eyes. Hot in Place Recycling that is. Besides all the other advantages that the system seems to offer, traffic also can move past much easier than in traditional resurfacing wherein so darned many dump trucks are coming and going. Good deal.

Haunted New York

It's not just ghosts. It's cool, foggy mornings as the sun comes up...each day a little farther south on the eastern horizon behind the hedgerow with the neighbors.

It's the first tomatoes ripening on the vine, racing the blight to make it to the table.

Fall migration staring in earnest with dozens of assorted warblers down at Yankee Hill. 

It's grabbing a flannel shirt now and then and being glad of it.

And scratching "Peggy" in the volunteer pumpkin next to the driveway, and hoping she doesn't spot it until it's big. 

Yeah, it's not just ghosts...we are being haunted by Fall and it's coming fast and spooky.

Bambi and Bambino

Hmmmm....smells like water, but I am just not sure...

Oooh, it IS water!

Be careful now, junior.....

Come to frolic on the long lawn and drink from the bird bath.

Luck of the Draw

A very tame Green Heron peeking at me between some blades of grass,
which certainly did not enhance the photos.

We think mebbe we saw an immature Saw-Whet Owl last night. We were out on a little drive and spotted it atop a telephone pole out near Flat Creek. 

I thought it was a Kestrel at first, but  it didn't look quite right.

As we approached it flew right in front of the car and I exclaimed, "What the heck IS that thing?"

The boss replied that it was an owl (old eagle eyes himself) and as it passed  I saw that it was kind of rusty below and dark brown above, just like the juvies on this page. It was a pretty good distance from any appropriate habitat though.

I didn't count it, but I hope we see it again if we go back that way. The only one I have ever seen before I discovered dead on the road when I was out riding Magnum many moons ago. 

It would be a nice bird to see. We are finding a number of really nice birds that are probably just what I think they are, but I like to be quite confident before I count an unusual bird, and by this time of year we have seen most of the easy ones.

Surprise find of the day up on the old Beechnut sign in Canajoharie.
We visit often trying in vain to see those two Black Vultures that hang out there
A Peregrine Falcon

Next up Tornado Warnings

I was doing a survey for a power company panel to which I belong. It's an interesting endeavor and I'm glad I joined.

Suddenly the cell phone beside me screamed with a tornado warning.

We take those seriously around here, having had at least two of them start on our upper fields, or the next door neighbor's fields, and go on to wreak havoc east of us. 

Everybody put on shoes. Liz made sure we could easily get to the cellar door. The boss moved the car to the east side of the house, away from the big trees, and brought Finn indoors. We put camp chairs in the kitchen handy if we had to take shelter.

Then we waited and watched. It was kinda scary. First the little flock of chickadees that calls the place home went wild, gathering in a circle you could throw a bushel basket over, and screaming DEE DEE DEE in unison.

A Northern Cardinal began a series of alarm chirps that went on and on. 

Crows spun overhead. A Chimney Swift swirled so high against the clouds we could barely see him. 

Said clouds piled higher and higher until they reached the from the zenith to the horizon. Truly the highest thunderheads I have ever seen.

The doe and fawn raced off the hill and dived into the woods by the road.

We watched some more.

Small circles of rotation started under the main clouds and then dissipated after a bit. 

Then it seemed to cut north of the river where it made a lot of messes. Trees down and a lot of water all over. 

That was not the worst of it though. We just got news that the old Empire Hotel in Sharon Springs collapsed. If we are Facebook friends you can see photos of the wreckage on my page. This is how it looked before it fell...a real loss to the community, which has been working hard to revitalize its downtown for years.

The past few weeks have been among the stormiest I can remember....I am ready for some more stable, and hopefully less humid, weather any time now. It's just raining now, but the river was high and rolling brown before the storm. I would hate to see it now.

Holy Lightning Batman

How I looked when it hit

Woke up too early thinking something was wrong with my eyes. They were closed but bright white lights were flashing.

Opened them and oh my word, continuous cloud-to-cloud lightning was brightening the sky so much that I threw stark shadows on the stairs when I was going down.

An hour later, I was bent over, latching up the bottom of the outside kennel, when BOOM-BANG-FLASH, lightning struck behind me.

It's a wonder I didn't jump right over that six-foot kennel fence and join Finn in his doghouse, where he had promptly adjourned. 

Dunno what it hit, but it was way too close. Maybe the neighbor's spruces down at the bottom of the driveway. Thought it was the house at first, but thank the Lord it wasn't.

I don't think I can recall another week as stormy as this one has been. Closed roads and downed trees are a daily occurrence. Not much hay is being made anywhere, unless as baleage or chopped and ensiled.

The corn doesn't seem to mind though. Where it was planted with good fortune there are some mighty fine ears forming.

Hang in there folks....this has to stop some time.

When your horse is in the shop and you have to get to the sawmill

Angels

There is this pond we visit up in the western part of the county. It has never let me down a single time for interesting birds, although I haven't seen a new species in county since June.

Today was no exception. When we arrived there was something white in one of the big dead trees out in the pond. Great Egret! Wow, the third one we have seen in the past week locally.

Then another came flapping across the sky to join it.

A third powered up out of the swamp a moment later and when I looked up there were FOUR circling over the giant pine trees. In the bright sunshine against the blue, blue sky, they looked like angels, floated down from Heaven to check things out.

They headed off to the south followed by an immature Bald Eagle, three Common Ravens quothing like mad, and a Red-tailed Hawk.

Next the Common Gallinule we've been seeing since June showed up. There were birds singing in the trees whose songs I do not know.....

All in all it was pretty darned cool. Here's my eBird checklist from there.

Sun Bird

Acrobatic
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

The Other New York

Tis the season of hot, nasty humid days, followed by nights of heavy fog and mornings of misty scarves shrouding the river. It is a love hate thing with me. It isn't winter and that is a blessing, but I just don't do well in hot, soggy weather.

Every year when winter lingers into what should be spring I wonder how the heck could I ever be ready for fall to roll around. And then the dew point rises and the air gets soupy, and I remember.....I miss oxygen....

Orange

Happy Birthday, Jade