The Sparrow

Willow Flycatcher

With hay season in full swing there are almost no opportunities to get out and bird. I make a list or two from home each day and that is about it.....

Fledgling American Crow begging from a parent. There were four! Parents were
downright beleaguered. 

Not that we are bored or anything. Major breakdown with the baler yesterday. That's gonna leave a mark...on the checkbook that is.

Now you see her

Now you don't

Plus watching Peggy in her little pool, working our way through some Dick and Jane books Becky and I found for her, and enjoying the "Barbie Beach" which is the little border of sand along the herb garden that holds down the landscape fabric. Plus house cleaning with Becky.

This is kind of a doldrums season for birds anyhow. Not much migration going on...and everybody is nesting or feeding fledglings and they are quiet and secretive. That will change in about a week when the mulberries get ripe, but I digress.

Common Grackle fledgling begging from parent

Poor poor pitiful me

Let's just say birding has been on the back burner here at Northview and I am feeling the withdrawal.

That being said it has been fun and interesting to watch the results of a little birdie we came across on the 31st of May. I may have mentioned it, as it is fairly rare, a Clay-colored Sparrow. I heard it buzz-buzzing when I got out of the car up on Dingman Rd. near Fort Plain. That's a good road for Short-eared Owls in winter and pretty decent for grassland species year round. We had a fine time birding it that day, plus meeting the owner of a small homestead we have admired in passing. 

Turns out the singing CCSP was a big deal I guess...

Aqueduct henge, still not much water in the rivers

Because birders from all over have been coming to see and hear it. Almost every day a list or two is posted to the county eBird making note of it. Some days several people come by to count it. One visitor even labeled the location where the bird is being seen "Clay-colored Sparrow Stakeout" and it has been mentioned several times on the regional bird club email service.

Kinda fun in the absence of actual personal birding.

So far no one has gotten a photo of the little fellow, so I guess we might pursue that if we get to go chasing anytime soon. Meanwhile, it rained last night so along with the baler being really badly borked there will be no haying over this weekend. Hope the boss can find a part a little cheaper than he has so far.

And other than that...bring on the mulberries! And the birds that eat them.

A snoozing doozy, sunning snapping turtle

It's not the Party

It's the journey that matters.

35 years ago on this day I talked my brother into milking the cows for me at my job on a large dairy farm. He had gotten me the job in the first place when he went into the military and they needed someone to take his place, so he knew the ropes...first girl at the job btw, but it worked out all right.

He was the only one we told...besides two very dear friends who also knew what was up. Had to let him in on the deal to get him to milk as he wasn't home much in those days.

Went to a JP with our friends, and stood in his living room saying words that moved me nearly to tears. There was such a rightness. There were even unplanned flowers as our friends brought us some. They were nice.

Then they took us out for Chinese. I had never tasted it before, but it was the beginning of a long and enjoyable relationship. Too salty for me now and I miss it.

The nearly perfect (introvert-style) wedding was followed by that journey I mentioned.

There were kids and cows and amazing dogs and involvement in all sorts of organizations.

There was good and bad and heartbreak and joy. 

It was the most amazing trip I have ever taken, like a spin on the world's highest, fastest roller coaster, with lots of good food and fun along the way.

I sure am glad I didn't miss the party. 

Happy Anniversary boss, it's been quite a life.

Working Moms

We were birding a favorite swamp when this
Belgian foal came thundering up the road,
already heavy with the strength and power soon to come
He was pretty cute from my POV although I am not sure
his mom shared my opinion

Working mom driving the skid steer up to the field for stray bales

Doesn't she look thrilled to have her picture taken?

And working dads and kids too!

Been outdoors every spare minute lately, so I haven't been on here much. Can't let a day in June pass unexploited, as they are the best the year has to offer. Found orange mint down in Middleburg the other day, which was a really big deal. Mine all froze out and it is super hard to get.

Anyhow, enjoy these days. They won't last and every second must be savored. Take care.

Expert friends, can you help me ID this plant? Thanks!

The Boys are Back in Town

They never saw me sitting on the porch taking pics of them, but were driven to run away by the relentless flies. The long lawn is an endless window on the wild world. In the past few weeks there have been woodchucks, myriad bunnies, and an opossum trotting across. Sometimes there are both colors of foxes too, and deer right often. These are the first bucks in velvet I have seen this year although the boss says he has seen plenty of does with fawns.

He started mowing hay over the weekend and baled yesterday. Nice green hay and big fat bales. With the rain today that will be in abeyance for a bit. Good day for a nap.

When you Want to Fly

But have no wings....

And the neighbor's lawn mower hits scary things....

It must have been Magic

First, as I was watering plants at around 4:30...hey, it's almost light out then...a Yellow-billed Cuckoo sounded off in the yard. Awesome to have had both potential species of cuckoo right in the yard this year. Liz and I heard a Black-billed last week. Nabbed a short recording too.

Then when the boss got up he took me up to a swamp on Pavlus Road that never lets me down. I was enjoying the many local birds when a female Eastern Bluebird landed in a tree right next to the little parking place. She was gorgeous and I snapped some photos.

What do you think dear?
Does this twig go with the curtains?

Just as I turned away the male appeared and I realized that they were working on a nest in a dead tree just a few feet from where we park the car.

I am hoping they continue there and that I catch a glimpse of their brood if they have one.

The Missus

With a last winnow of a Wilson's Snipe we headed for another favorite pond. Alas that one is posted now, and the nice man who gave us permission to bird there has passed away. Thus we parked out on the verge of the road and peered in from there.

Forgot to put this guy in first time around...Common Gallinule

It is always a magical spot, but when not one but two Common Gallinules swam out of the cattails and paraded by I was spellbound.

Not to mention really happy as I hadn't seen one yet this year.

There are regular turtles with only one head at Lyker's too
Lots of them

And the day went on like that. We managed to get six nice tomatoes yesterday and I was out planting two of them when the Purple Finches brought the kids in to the feeder. It seems pretty special to have them breed right down by the driveway.

Perhaps the high point of the day though was the two-headed turtle at Lyker's Pond. You see something like that and it makes you reflect on the magic of nature.....

Photo below.....

Out There

Common Yellowthroat

In the murmuring dark.

My farmer's soul can't sleep past four. If I get up the dog gets up and must be aired right smart.

Off in the distance just one robin is singing.

Or is it? So far, so soft, just not quite silent.

The yard light wakes the locals, the chorus is on. By first light there'll be a dozen, by sunup many more..... the Indigo Bunting that must nest in the yard, although we've never spotted the structure itself. There are fledglings though, every single year, fooling me with ringing chirps that surprise from the shrubbery all summer day long.

Warblers, Yellow, "Sweet, sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet," Yellow-throated, "Witchity, witchity, witchity," little bandits of the bushes. I love their bold tameness and their bright, yet secret colors.

And American Redstart, who also says, "Sweet, sweet swee..." but it's a sharper, thready sound, almost too mechanical a whistle.

Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wren, done with first nesting and back to summer song, sometimes a Wood Thrush, usually well off to the north, but one day right out by the wood stove, and wasn't that a morning! 

Sun will bring the Bobolinks, and their techno crazy melodies. Check out a spectrogram of the places their songs go. Wow!

Field Sparrow, first time they have ever summered near the house. Such a gorgeous silver waterfall of sweet, sweet, liquid sound all day. 

By breakfast it will be a job to pick out all the singers and squawkers and squealers, but in the last true darkness, it's just the robin and me out there, light waking sleepers sharing our joy, twin seekers of the light.

Purple Finch

Crossroads

...seem to come and go..... (do listen)

Update: this perfect poem was shared by a Facebook friend....and I do mean perfect.

Caution

As farmers finish spring tillage and planting work and segue into the hay harvest, it is wise to use caution on rural roads. 

Most farm machinery travels 25 mph or less, and around here, some of it travels a LOT less. However, a little patience and caution will get you where you are going pretty quickly.

So look out please, most of them are feeding the world and we all love to eat.....however a few are just having a hecka good time.

Thanks

June is Dairy Month

Great advice, should school as we know it ever return

I always loved writing the June is Dairy Month and July is Ice Cream Month columns back in the day. It seemed as if they wrote themselves in fact. When you love dairy farming, dairy farmers, and dairy products is is easy and fun to talk...or write...about them.

These days however, times are tougher than they have ever been on our nation's dairy farms. Farmers are facing unprecedented low prices, transport problems, and leadership doubts. Consolidation in markets, coops buying processors, dumping milk, decimated milk checks...It's a wonder we can still get cheese on our pizza.

Our local source for milk, Stewart's, has been sold out a number of times even though they source their own milk from dedicated farmers. With folks home with their kids demand is high, which in theory should result in higher farm gate prices. There are dozens of excuses why it hasn't. 

Still, I am happy to salute the men, women, and children, who rise early and work late, caring for God's creatures, producing nature's most perfect food, and stewarding land for now and for the future. Let's raise a glass...of fresh, delicious whole milk of course.... to their hard work and wholesome product.

Milk-it does EVERYbody good!

***And if you want to own your own cow here's your chance. 

Wild Flowers

Blue-winged Warbler

Some earth bound and some with wings to fly.....

River Walk

Spotted Sandpiper

Song Sparrow with a big Mayfly

Not long after sunrise, the best time of day.

Saucy

Pink Lady apple...purchased last November 16th. Still usable if a little rough

Last year's apples taking up room in the crisper drawer. Space needed.

Had a thought. Could you mix rhubarb, which is in season with apples, which are well past theirs but still perfectly good, to make some kind of sauce?

Google says you can and so I did.

Applesauce with a kick...kinda zingy and good. Whatever we don't enjoy with pork chops for supper tonight I'll freeze.

And now the crisper drawer is free for summer fruits and vegetables.

Yay!