Watching The Birds

[Tuesday]

Wanted to share a story about birds.

 

(This happened last summmer) In our summer cottage, we have a shed where we storage our woods. When someone went in, they found a birds nest with a couple of eggs and a few hatched birds. We didn't want to bother them, but since all the wood we use to heat up the sauna was there, we had to go there many times a day. 

At some point someone noticed that the hatched birds weren't moving anymore. The mother and father bird still went to the shed, but we thought they were only mourning the dead birds. 

I decided to go take a look and when i got there, the birds were again motionless. But one of them shivered! As joyous as that moment was, i decided to leave and give the mother and father bird chance to come and feed the birds. 

 

[Marblehead]

Looking out the window a little earlier I noticed that the hummingbirds are back so I cleaned and filled the feeder.

 

The cardinals arrived back about two weeks ago.

 

 

[Marblehead]

Working out in the gardens this morning, sitting, taking a break, and up flies a hummer headed right toward my face.  It stopped about two feet from my face, hovered for a second then took off to the feeder.  Kinda' made me feel like it was thanking me for the sugar-water.

 

[blue eyed snake]

storks are back, spring has arrived,

lambs are dancing in the meadow and tadpoles in my fishbowl

 

[manitou]

On 4/12/2018 at 9:12 PM, Marblehead said:

Working out in the gardens this morning, sitting, taking a break, and up flies a hummer headed right toward my face.  It stopped about two feet from my face, hovered for a second then took off to the feeder.  Kinda' made me feel like it was thanking me for the sugar-water.

 

 

 

I'll bet he was checking out your beard for possible nesting material...

[Marblehead]

Well, I worked a little in the front gardens this morning but wasn't having enough fun so I quite.  However, while taking one of my breaks a visitor I have never seen before flew up to partake at the gifts at the feeder.

 

A true Bluebird!  A first for me.

 

This is the variety:

 

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=F%2bdZ2WG2&id=865D0048A70C6E9FC205DEF3943626A085502FAD&thid=OIP.F-dZ2WG24SVnG2M4hamOIwHaFB&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2f0%2f03%2fMountain_Bluebird.jpg&exph=525&expw=775&q=bluebirds+information&simid=608025126346230157&selectedIndex=0&ipm=vs&ajaxhist=0

[manitou]

3 hours ago, Marblehead said:

Well, I worked a little in the front gardens this morning but wasn't having enough fun so I quite.  However, while taking one of my breaks a visitor I have never seen before flew up to partake at the gifts at the feeder.

 

A true Bluebird!  A first for me.

 

This is the variety:

 

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=F%2bdZ2WG2&id=865D0048A70C6E9FC205DEF3943626A085502FAD&thid=OIP.F-dZ2WG24SVnG2M4hamOIwHaFB&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2f0%2f03%2fMountain_Bluebird.jpg&exph=525&expw=775&q=bluebirds+information&simid=608025126346230157&selectedIndex=0&ipm=vs&ajaxhist=0

 

 

According to your picture, it was a mountain bluebird?  a little out of its range??

[Marblehead]

3 hours ago, manitou said:

 

 

According to your picture, it was a mountain bluebird?  a little out of its range??

Yes, that's what really caught my attention.  After seeing it and coming back into the house I got on the internet to find out what it was.  That's as close as I could get.  It for sure wasn't one of my normal Bluejays I get every year.  It really didn't even have the body/feather features of the jays.

 

[Kar3n]

I've seen 2 blue birds here is AZ. They are lovely little creatures.

[manitou]

15 hours ago, Marblehead said:

Yes, that's what really caught my attention.  After seeing it and coming back into the house I got on the internet to find out what it was.  That's as close as I could get.  It for sure wasn't one of my normal Bluejays I get every year.  It really didn't even have the body/feather features of the jays.

 

 

 

Maybe a juvenile Eastern?

[Marblehead]

1 minute ago, manitou said:

 

 

Maybe a juvenile Eastern?

Who knows?  But I will know before too long if it was just passing through like many other birds do or if it has a mate and establishing a home turf.

 

Of course, I hope it stays as it is a beautiful bird.

 

[manitou]

3 minutes ago, Marblehead said:

Who knows?  But I will know before too long if it was just passing through like many other birds do or if it has a mate and establishing a home turf.

 

Of course, I hope it stays as it is a beautiful bird.

 

 

 

Check out male Indigo bunting.  The range is right.  The male is all blue, but may have a thicker bill than the bluebird.

[Marblehead]

48 minutes ago, manitou said:

 

 

Check out male Indigo bunting.  The range is right.  The male is all blue, but may have a thicker bill than the bluebird.

Yeah, that might have been it.  I do recall that the underbelly was also blue whereas the Bluebird has an underbelly merging to white.

 

If I see it again I will try to get a better look.

[manitou]

2 hours ago, Marblehead said:

Yeah, that might have been it.  I do recall that the underbelly was also blue whereas the Bluebird has an underbelly merging to white.

 

If I see it again I will try to get a better look.

 

 

The beak would be a dead giveaway.

[Marblehead]

1 hour ago, manitou said:

 

 

The beak would be a dead giveaway.

I have a hard time getting to the beak as I get engrossed with the feathers and body structure.  (And the skinny legs.)

 

[Daemon]

☮️

Edited October 5, 2018 by Daemon

[Marblehead]

Looks like a Sage Grouse, male, trying to attract a mate.

[Daemon]

That's a relief. I was worried that it might be another Taoist "sage" grousing.

 

Peace,

 

☮️

[Marblehead]

Well, yesterday twice my Bluebird came by and each time when I reached down to get my binoculars and looked back up it was gone.

 

But yeah, I probably should call it a Indigo Bunting so it does take offense.

 

[Kar3n]

There is a lot of activity this morning, more than usual. The weather here is warming quickly, we broke a record yesterday at 106, so I suspect they are eating early and will hunkering down during the day.

 

Saw a pair of love birds this morning. I went in to get my camera and they were gone when I got back outside. It was nice to see them again, it has been a while.

[manitou]

On ‎5‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 11:48 AM, Kar3n said:

 

 

Saw a pair of love birds this morning. I went in to get my camera and they were gone when I got back outside. It was nice to see them again, it has been a while.

 

 

Yeah, you've got to be quick with them.  they get into arguments pretty easily and then they split up immediately....

[Kar3n]

3 minutes ago, manitou said:

 

 

Yeah, you've got to be quick with them.  they get into arguments pretty easily and then they split up immediately....

There is a "flock" of them that like the olive trees in the park in my neighborhood. I have been trying to catch them on film, but every time I see them I do not have my camera.

 

One day I will catch them.

[Marblehead]

I had a raven visit this morning.  That was a first as far as I know.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2018 by Marblehead

[Stosh]

Finally saw the big blue chicken , she was yanking up cattails and dicing crunchy bits for the youngun. 

Like the pompano, I was starting to think it was one of those things like a mirage or unicorn that only existed in the minds of the beholder.

She aint ABA but there they were in all natures glory.....  woohooo

[Stosh]

Today, found a cream colored woodpecker ,she looked like red bellied washed in bleach. Odd but Very pretty..