Hummingbirds

I thought the hummingbirds would never arrive.  They finally showed up on June 27th.  I wan't sure what kind as the female was the first to arrive.  All I could really see was her green back.  Heck that could have been any thing.

Finally on June 29 the male rested in the tree outside the front door and I was able to tell it was a Rufous Hummingbird.  Took a picture, but I didn't have enough lens to get much more than a figure in a tree.

Ah, now I'm on a mission . . . get a close up of a hummingbird.  LOL, not so easy.  Little buggers are fast and small.  Put camera on tripod, give up ability to quickly get the bird in the frame.  Don't put camera on tripod and risk shake and blur.  Then there's the problem of the camera wanting to think for you.  If you don't set it up just right, it will focus on some thing you really don't want it to, like the tree behind the hummingbird.  For this shot I made the mistake of using the "action" setting.  It is suppose to "anticipate" motion and set a high enough speed.  What I didn't realize was that the focus shifts as you move.  So, I tried to set the focus on the feeder, then move to the bird.  The hummer was too small for the sensor, so the camera shifted the focus to the trees.  Yikes, NOT what I wanted.

Hmm, I know there is a setting that will give me decent speed and allow me to set the focus before moving and snapping.  Let's try "P".  Automatic exposure, adjustable settings.  Ah, sounds good.  Try it, then move on if that doesn't work.  Hey, I'm 60 plus years old, you don't expect me to actually understand this stuff do you?  I did that 40 years ago with film and dark rooms.  Yeah, really.

So, I sit and sit and wait and wait.  Miss a couple shots.  Hmm, there's this thing called "burst" shooting.  Lets try that.  Ah, ha!  Got him.  Now I'm happy, really happy!

The next day, I'm sitting inside and notice that they are checking out the flowers.  How cool would that be, a picture with a flower instead of the feeder?  So, I get the camera, find a place that isn't too conspicuous and wait.  And wait.  I'm ready for the flower, he goes for the feeder and continues to go to the feeder.  Apparently the flower just didn't taste as good.  Glad the stuff in the feeders has vitamins and minerals cause they are scarfing it down.

Shift focus to feeder.  The female has been very wary about my being out there.  I would really like to get her so people can see the difference.  I'm trying to hide, but she knows I'm there.  Finally, she makes an approach.  I'm ready, she sees me, she's gone.  BUT, I got a piece of her, well actually all of her except her tail.  Not bad.

Oh, yeah, you know I'm gonna get her.  I shift to the other feeder where I can hide better.  I wait and wait and my legs go to sleep.  Ah, one of them flew by.  I'm ready.



Yeah, I got her!

Okay, I'm content and happy.  I can die now.  But, if I don't, my new mission is the Quail family.  There has been a Coopers Hawk taking out Doves and probably the Quail too.  So, they are REALLY skittish.  I watched them pass through and they must have 20 babies with them.  Hardly worth the Hawks time, though mom and dad might be.  Gonna try to catch the family.  In some ways that may be harder than the hummers because they are on the ground and quick as all get out.  We'll see!

Oh, in case any one is interested, I did all this with my Sony HX100V.  I love this camera.  I almost never have to adjust exposure or anything.  It has a Carl Zeis lens and it takes fabulous pictures.  May not be professional quality but pretty darn good amateur photos.

Later . . .

Moving on to Summer

Well summer is here.  It's been a rather unsettled spring.  Mostly cold with a few days, here and there that have been warm and comfortable.  Have to admit that I've gotten just a bit tired of being cold, I'm ready for warmth, but, around here, summer means HOT.  Ah, well.

So, the most exciting news of the last month is that I've finally found the Osprey nest on the upper Deschutes.  This pair had a nest right on the bank 3 years ago, but it fell to the ground during the following winter.  I've searched for their new nest for 2 years now with out success.  I knew they were still there because I saw them regularly.

I was riding my Arabian mare fixing a geocache that I own on the river when I first spotted an Osprey nest near the cache.  I watched for a while but saw no activity.  Still, I'll keep an eye on it.  Then a mile down the road after letting my mare get a drink, I saw a second nest and this one was active with an Osprey making a lot of noise concerning my proximity.

I must have walked with in 100 feet of that nest 2 dozen times in the last two years searching for it.  The new perspective from on top of the horse combined with an awful lot of noise from the Osprey made it impossible to NOT find.  Not sure if the horse was bothering her or she just was feeling like making a lot of noise on this particular evening.

I got a couple camera shots of her.  I was a second late on both.  The first she was flying off and away from the nest.  One second earlier and I would have had a great shot.  Still, it's a good picture.  The second, she's landing on the nest.  One second earlier and I would have had her in the air, reaching for the nest.  Instead, you see the nest and have to look hard to see her wing still in the air as she is folding it after landing.  Ah, the fun of photographing wildlife!  Every once in a while your timing is perfect and you do get the perfect shot though.  Just not on this day.  LOL.

At any rate, she had either just laid or was about to lay eggs.  I saw two young Osprey playing on the river not far from the nest.  Suspect they were last years young.  I also saw one other adult, probably dad.  Still not sure about that other nest, will have to continue checking on it.

Well, I'd better get to work.  Later.

May Snow Storm

Well, it's been an interesting May 25th.  It snowed all morning.  No biggie, it is central Oregon at 4300 foot elevation, so, not all that unusual.  Still, it's been mostly a cool spring and I'm ready for some heat.

May 25, 2012 Snow storm

Because of the snow, the birds were slow to come out to feed.  Don't blame them.  they started to come out around noon.

There's been quite a procession of birds since then.  Started with Chipping Sparrows, then Mt. Chickadees, Mourning Dove, Calif. Quail, Robins, Junco's and so forth.

Then around 4pm, the bird I've been waiting for all spring stopped for a quick look.  The male Western Tanager in full regalia.  Oh, he was sooo bright. Didn't get a photo of him today, but I will soon.

Yellow-pine Chipmunk

Then two of the reasons I really should not be putting food out during the spring and summer showed why.   I had put a few sunflower seeds out for the Junco's and Chickadees.  I've removed the suet and only put out a little at a time to keep the squirrels and chipmunks at bey.  Yeah, like that works!

The first to stop by was a female Yellow-pine Chipmunk.  She filled those cheek sacks to overflowing.  When I sent the dog out to chase her off, she went under the car.  Oh, great, I just got the damage from last year fixed.

Yellow-pin Chipmunk

Yes, they are cute, but they dig burrows every where and do a LOT of damage.  Never had problems when the cats were around, but with them gone, there is an explosion, and that's even if I don't feed the birds.  The horses drop grain, hay seed . . . they think they have found heaven.  With the dogs, I can't put poison out and while Jack the Jack Russell Terrier is persistent, he's not really all that good at hunting them.  Sigh.

So, next to show up was a Western Grey Squirrel.  I don't mind them all that much, except that they will eat you out of house and home given half a chance.  I've managed to set up most of my bird feeders so they can't get to the seed.  But the one where the winter suet goes is easy pickin's for them.  That's where I'll put a handful of seed now and again.

Western Grey Squirrel

They do have a pretty awesome tail.  I think this one is a female.  They had stopped coming in to this feeder because I had removed the suet.  But two days ago, I started putting a few peanuts out for the Jays and sunflower seeds for the little guys.  Two days.  Yeah, doesn't take long for word to get out.

Western Grey Squirrel

In two photos she is standing up and you can see her neck.  It looks like she has an injury.  In the one photo, it's clearly red.  A few minutes after taking this photo, another Grey came in and appeared to chase her off.  I say appeared because they could have been playing.  I've seen them come in and play before, but this time wasn't clear which.  Any way, one of them came back a half hour later.

Well, darn, I'm going to have to stop feeding in close at any rate.  I do so enjoy the birds.

Western Grey Squirrel

After posting this, after the sun set, I went out to find clear skies and a waxing crescent moon.  Wasn't sure if my camera would take a decent photo, but decided to try.  It's okay, worth ending the post with any way.

Goldeneye, Second Color and Sunshine

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted.  Well, winter is dead time.  Hunker down and survive the ice.  The last few years the winters have been warm.  It snows, the temperature goes up, the snow melts, freezing nights and ice, lots of ice.  I went down and knocked myself out a couple years ago.  Woke up with the dogs all sitting there looking at me.  It's the only thing I don't like about living here.


So, spring is early this year.  First good hot weekend.  Cleaning the horse paddocks, raking the needles.  Any one tells you that evergreen trees are no work, you tell them they don't know nuthin!  Twice a year you have to rake those buggers up.


Spring bird migration is in full swing.  Twenty four birds on this years list so far.  Most colorful were a flock of Evening Grosbeak.  They're still here.  The Yellow Rumped Warbler was here only one day and moved on.  They were here several days last year.  Cowbird showed up today.  They're pretty but have to feel sorry for the family that they switch eggs with.  Well, not switch, they dump their eggs and lay their own.  The last two years a pair of Oregon Junco's raised the Cowbird baby.  Felt so bad for the Junco, being harassed by a chick half again as big as it.  Ah, well, that's nature.

Added a new bird to my list, a Barrow's Goldeneye.  I've seen the Common Goldeneye from time to time but thought this one couple looked different.  They wouldn't come in close enough for me to be sure, but when I got the picture on the computer, I was sure, a pair of Barrow's Goldeneye.

   
The flowers have been slow to come up.  A single yellow crocus  came up a month ago and is long gone. Found "second" color a couple days ago.  Not sure what it is, but it's pretty.

Third color just came up, hasn't opened up yet.  It looks like a really small red tulip. 

I have several Peony plants.  They seem to really like the hot dry climate.  One comes up about 3 weeks before the others.  It's red and produces seeds which friends have been successful in planting and growing.  The others are all pink and don't produce seeds.  The red one has broken ground and is growing so fast.  Will have flowers before you know it.


So glad it's warm and the snow is mostly gone.  Start hiking, riding, geocaching and spending time outside.  Maybe I'll lose some of these winter pounds now.  Sigh.  


Evening Grosbeak

First color 

Fall Migration

Nights have been dipping down below freezing, fall winds are blowing, leaves and needles are falling to the ground and old friends drop by for a quick visit to the feeders before continuing their trip south towards warmer winter temperatures and a few winter residents are returning to settle in for the winter.  Yes, autumn is here.

A pair of Townsends Solitaires spent about a week on their way to the high desert junipers to the east.  Apparently they are one of the few birds that can survive the winter eating juniper berries.  The summer flock of Pine Siskin moved on and a week later another flock moved in for a few days. The Nuthatch have returned and I've seen a few woodpeckers scoping out possible winter digs.

Yesterday morning I watched the usual parade of subdivision walkers walk by the house.  Several times a week they do their 3 mile walk through the roads of the subdivision.  Last night, just before dusk, I drove 12 miles, walked down to a slew and watch Pelicans, Herons, Egrets and a Bald Eagle.  On my way home I couldn't help but think "yeah, and what did you see on your walk this morning?  A Toyota, a couple Ford pick ups and a UPS truck!"  Ah, well, to each their own.

I go up to the slew off and on during migration because there are occasions when the slew is packed with birds.  Two weeks ago there was a large flock of Pelicans.  Last night there were only 3 stragglers left and they left before dark.  There was a family of Osprey a couple week ago and while I heard them, I didn't see them last night.  The Bald Eagle was a new addition, I suspect that he has moved in to spend the winter.  I'll have to take one of the horses to our upper Deschutes ride as the Bald Eagles will be moving in there for the winter as well.  Got a great photo last year.

Need to get the sweat shirts out, just a bit chilly in the morning.

Autumn Ride

I managed to get away yesterday afternoon for a short ride on my older Arabian gelding.  He's not the smoothest ride, but I like to ride him anyway because he's got a good head.  I never have to worry about him doing some thing stupid, he's just plain solid.

Taro is starting to show his age.  At 20, he's the equivalent of 60 horse years.  That makes him the same age as me.  He was excited to get out yesterday.  Moved out with his big walk, ears forward, checking out the surroundings.  It was a nice ride.

I can rely on Taro to go places the others will argue with me about.  Whether it's pushing through brush, downed trees, creeks, lakes, Taro will try.  So we did a little exploring on Wright Butte.  I was sure that there should be a road on the back side that would connect to another road I occasionally ride.  We found it.

We took this photo of the South Sister along the way.  It was a nice ride, though, I'm not wearing that pair of jeans again.  Ouch!

America, Land of The ...???

Ideas garnering the greatest applause from the audience at most recent R. "debates" -

Rick Perry executions - "Kill them, kill them all - innocent? - no such thing! - kill them, kill them all!!"  Yeah,  America the great, land of the free (as long as you're one of us, white, male, christian)

The uninsured - "Let them die, it's their fault!  Lazy bastards should have know that all the jobs would go over seas and they'd be unemployed with no chance of getting a job that has insurance or pays enough to afford insurance.  It's their fault, let the bastards die!!"  Yeah, America the great, land of the free (as long as you're one of us - white, male, christian AND wealthy)

Ah, the "me" generation garnered the "me, me, me and only me" generation.

WOW, proud to American - NOT!!!

Whitefish to Oldenberg Lake

Nancy and I finally got up to Whitefish Horse Camp for a day of riding.  It's a nice little campground, 19 spaces, at the south end of Crescent Lake.  The day parking has been eliminated, so you have to take a camp spot, which means you have to check the reservation web site before heading up there in order to make sure you can get a spot.  The host was great, didn't charge us even though we offered.

There are several trails out of camp leading into various wilderness areas.  Some of the trails are drop dead beautiful and some, well, nice, but . . .

We have both talked to people that have ridden out of Whitefish but neither of us had, so we didn't know which were the "good" rides.  Last year we rode a loop that included Fawn and Stag Lakes.  It was a really pretty ride that we both said we would do again.

This time we did the Metolius Windigo trail out of White fish as far as Oldenberg Lake.  The trail continues on to Windigo Pass where it runs into the PCT and ends.  It is a ride we both said was way more work than it was worth.  Don't get me wrong, it was pretty enough, just, well, not beautiful.  Living in the Cascades you do in fact run across drop dead beautiful.  Trails that run through old growth timber, lots of wildlife, beautiful lakes.  This trail however went through what we call a "match stick" forest.  Tall thin Jack Pines, some living and just as many dead and laying on the ground looking like some one tossed out a bunch of match sticks.  We went past several small lakes and they were pretty enough, just that the match stick forest kind of detracted from them.

We had considered continuing on to Nip and Tuck lakes.  I liked the names and thought it would be cool to say we had been there.  By the time we got to Oldenberg though, we really didn't care much, you could see it was more of the same.  So, we ate lunch at Oldenberg.  We sat and talked for an hour.  As we were getting up to go, Nancy said, "well, I suppose we should take a picture of the lake so we can prove we were here." LOL.  We both did take pictures as you can see.

I rode Taro, my white Arabian gelding and ponied April, my little MFT/Arab mare.  I had planned on riding April back.  I spent all of my time the last two years working with her brother.  She has hardly been touched in those two years.  I took her recently to a trail course with lots of obstacles and horses.  I hand walked her through and she did great and I though I needed to get her back out and working.  She was a good girl, but clearly not ready for me to ride down the mountain.  Nancy asked me as we were getting up to go if I was going to ride her and I asked her if I look like I was crazy.  She just laughed.  These 60 + year old bones just aren't fast and agile enough to deal with the kids any more.  Really though, she did great, next year I'll have her going as soon as the snow melts.  She is the last though, NO MORE BABIES!!  Wish we had a covered arena here that we could use winters.

On the way down we took the horses into one of the little lakes to get a drink.

Well, Nancy and I said we would go back up to Whitefish next year and try another trail.  Some riders told us the ride to Summit Lake was gorgeous.  They also said it was a 9 hour ride.  That would mean we would need to actually camp over night, so, we'll see.

Metolius-Windigo Trail South

(click on photo's to see full size)

Nancy and I attempted to follow the Metolius Windigo Trail from Ranger Butte near Davis Lake to Whitefish Horse Camp on Crescent Lake.  Well, the first 2 1/2 miles to Odell Bridge were clear and easy to follow.

It didn't go quite as planned.  The trail was blocked after Odell Bridge, so we had to cross the creek and take the Lava Odell Road to Hwy58 near Odell Lake.  Notice that is Odell Lake and we were headed to Crescent Lake and Whitefish.

If you plan on trail riding the Cascades, you plan on surprises.  The forest service no longer has the funds to maintain trails, so, with a couple years of downfall and the occasional fire, following old trails can be a challenge.  They had built this brand new bridge over Odell Creek, so we thought they may have cleared the trail after it.  I'm pretty sure that we were the first horses over that bridge.  Yeah, well, they had started to clear, but didn't get far.  Hopefully some bike or horse group will adopt and clear the trail soon.  At least this section allows chain saws, so should be quicker than the wilderness sections that don't allow chain saws.

The trail maps show the trail going through the middle of a gravel pit.  It doesn't, it passes just east of the pit.  They are doing some logging where the trail passes over, so you have to look a bit to see where the trail continues, but it's not hard to find.  You can sort of see it to the right of the dozer in the picture.  Not that the dozer will be there forever, but the trail is fairly obvious with just a bit of searching.

After the gravel pit we went through a fairly scenic section until we got to the brand new bridge.  After crossing the bridge, you have to watch for the trail on the left of the road.  Easy to miss.  If you do miss the turn, you come to a closed gate.  There are several roads near the gate that lead to and around McCool Butte.  We backtracked from the gate and found the proper trail, but they had only cleared around 1/4 mile of it.  Nancy and I tried to push through, but putting the horses legs at risk going over the downfall just wasn't an option.  It didn't help that a tree jumped out and whacked Nancy a good one in the face either.  Broke her glasses and scraped her face up a bit, but she's a trooper and we just backtracked, crossed back over the bridge and caught the Lava Odell Road.  We figured that was the most direct and safest route.  We discussed attempting to go around McCool Butte, but that was a maze and decided not a good idea even though it would have kept us on the correct side of Odell Creek.

After re-crossing the bridge and getting on Lava Odell Rd., we went through one of the prettiest old growth forests.  Maybe a couple miles worth of gorgeous old pine and fir trees, a multi generational forest.  It was SO pretty and smelled like heaven.  Made the detour worth while.  The road is passable for vehicles but we didn't come across any, we had the whole road to ourselves.  It really was a nice ride, side by side, pushing our horses up into a nice little foxtrot from time to time.

But low and behold, we eventually got to Hwy 58 and the banks of Odell Creek again.  We maybe could have crossed the creek there, but, we both felt it was only marginally safe and not worth the risk.  So, the map suggested that we might be able to cross 58 and find a road on the south side.  Yeah, no, didn't work.

Thank goodness Linda was doing the shuttle for us.  She found a nice spot on Crescent Lake and practiced her casting while we rode.  It sound as though she and Mischief had a quiet pleasant day along the lake.  So, stuck up the road near Odell Lake,  we called her and she picked us up.

We didn't make it to Whitefish, but we had a wonderful ride none the less.  I've embeded the GPS track below.  This particular one starts 1/2 mile into the ride.  Don't ask!  My other gps track has the  30 mile ride home included and I had a terrible time uploading it to Garmin.  I was sure I turned off the tracking at the end of the ride, but there was the track all the way back to LaPine and none of my waypoints.  Sigh.  Definitely a learning curve involved in getting the info from the gps to the computer the way you want it.  I'll get in time!  If you want to see the fun we had near the bridge, zoom in and you can see our attempts to get around the downfall.





Added after some playing on the computer is a jpeg with the leg from parking to Odell Creek Bridge including waypoints.

Getting Old Really is a Pain

I have always been active, walk, hike, x-c ski, snow shoe, bike.  You wouldn't know it to look at me.  I'm a fat old woman.  No getting around it.  I've spent most of my life in the 145 to 155 lb. range.  At 5'6" that's a bit much, but as one trainer told me, that's clearly where my body wanted to be.

This winter I put 10 pounds on.  Sigh.  At 165 pounds, my knees are rebelling.  I have an arthritic right knee that really gives me trouble.  I didn't get the exercise that I usually do, it was just one of those winters, I didn't get out to x-c ski or snow shoe and it was every thing I could do to take care of the horses.  According to weight watchers and others, the 1200 to 1500 calories I eat should keep me where I'm at or lose weight.  Yeah, right.

I had a hysterectomy in 2002 and it's true, all I have to do is walk past food and I put weight on.  Combine that with the natural ramping down of the metabolic system as one gets older and one just doesn't stand a chance.  Instead of a 3 mile hike a day, have to do 6 miles just to stay even.  Eating around 900 calories makes a dent, slowly, but really, I just CAN'T do that for long.  Can't, won't, doesn't much matter.

I usually take the dogs with me when I hike.  They love it when I go some place they can be off leash.  Sarah Labrador and Bay Li Rat Terrier can run forever, but Jack R Terrier is showing his age just like me.  Jack is a rescue, so I don't know how old he is.  I was told he was about the same age as Bay Li, but I'm doubting that now.  Poor guy, he loves to go, runs hard checking out the wildlife for about a mile, then he just wilts.

Yesterday I had planned on a 6 mile walk along the river.  The dogs had a grand time for about a mile, then I noticed that Jack was walking and stopping behind me.  Sarah and Bay Li continued to run like a couple banshee's but poor Jack just couldn't.  I went another half mile and turned around.  The 3 miles did the poor boy in.

I guess I'll have to leave him home from now on.  That means one dog at a time goes with me.  Probably best any way.  All three can be a bit much when they get excited.  Jack will just have to be content with chasing the squirrels.

Geez, I wonder when I'll only be able to chase the squirrels.

Warmth, Finally

Well, we've had a few nice days.  Definitely warming up.  It's been a bit wetter than normal, so, now that it's warming up as well, things are growing FAST.  I don't have any pasture for the horses, but their hay leaves behind seeds and so there is grass popping up where ever I've fed.  I've let the two older horses out to graze it so it won't get too long.  Worried about late summer and fall when all this vegetation dries out.  We could have a heck of a fire season.

A steady steam of birds.  The quail are staying longer, but they are still skittish.  A female Western Tanager has come in to feed or drink for years but her male partner has always been leery, never coming closer than the empty lot next door.   Well, he's finally started to come in to feed.  LOL.  He comes in, takes two or three bites then is gone.  I don't even have time to reach for the camera much less take a picture.  Yesterday, though, I did get a couple quick photos through the window before he took off.  He's looking at the female, just outside camera range.  They sure are pretty.

I saw a Cooper's Hawk the other day.  That probably explains some of the injured birds that I've seen.  A Dove came in last week with one eye gone.  She was obviously in great pain, though still able to eat and fly.  I haven't seen her since.  Then there was a Grosbeak that came in that had a back injury.  Haven't seen him since either.  Ah, well, that's nature.

Memorial Day Weekend

Well, it continues to be a cool spring.  Hail, snow, rain, wind and a bit of sunshine for the Memorial Day Weekend.

A new bird today, though I had seen it down the road, a Tricolored Blackbird.  That's two different species that aren't suppose to be in this area.  The Black Backed Woodpecker and now the TC Blackbird.  I'm sure I have id'ed them correctly.

The major residents this year are the Chipping Sparrow along with the Pine Siskin's.  Big flocks of both of those.  Didn't have the Sparrow last year, had huge flocks of the Siskin though.  The Doves, Quail, Jays, Robins, Mt. Chickadees and Juncos are all well represented at the feeder.  Others come and go, a few at a time.

I have been going out doing some Geo-Caching the last few weeks.  Decided to break my "consecutive number of days" total.  Well, I only had a 4 day streak, so shouldn't be too hard to double that!  Made 8 days in a row today.

I did verify that staying off of the lava flows around here is a really good idea with arthritic knees and ankles!  Well, I had to try.  Don't mind hiking the buttes, but I'll just have to give up on rocks.  It's amazing, every year I can do just a bit less than the year before.

Can sure tell the valley people are over here "vacationing".  Motor cycles tearing up the backroads and some one is target shooting a few houses away.  The wind and cold is keeping them out of the water, so they need to tear something up. Sigh.

I remember back in the 70's we had a year with out a summer.  It feels like we maybe headed to another one of those.  In fact, it snowed on July 4th that year.

Geez, I sure could use a bit of sunshine!

Is it Spring Yet?

This has not been the most pleasant of springs this year.  The sun will come out for one day, then snow or rain for 2 or 3 days.  After 5 months of the white stuff, I'm starting to find it just a bit depressing.  Gotta get over it!  Usually by this time of year I have several hundred miles of hiking/walking under my belt.  This year, I just can't make my self go.

It has been a good year to watch the birds migrate though.  Apparently word is out that I no longer have a cat and that I've put food out for them.  Last Saturday I counted 24 different species of birds passing through, including this beautiful pair of Goldfinches.  The fellow in the middle is a Pine Siskin.

I have never thought of Robins as a particularly handsome bird, but, there is one male coming in that is absolutely handsome.  His colors are just awesome.  He's a little chubby and I some times wonder how he can fly, but he is just beautiful.

A pair of Black Headed Grosbeaks spent a week here.  I thought they might stay, but I haven't seen them in several days.  The flock of White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows moved on when the Pine Siskin's arrived.  In fact, they prompted quite a change in the birds coming in.  The nuthatches are still here, but not nearly in the numbers that they were.  Chipping Sparrows have stayed in spite of the Siskins as have the Mountain Chickadee and Oregon Junco.  There is one pair of Golden Rumped Warblers that has stayed.

All of the woodpeckers that had spent the winter moved on, though I did see the Flickers come in last week for a quick snack.  Most unusual was a Black Backed Woodpecker that I got a good look at.  I'd never seen one before and when I looked at the one guidebook, it said no, this wasn't part of their territory.  There was no mistaking that gold spot on it's head and the solid black back though.  So, I got my OLD TRUSTY Peterson Field Guide out.  Sure enough, they do summer in this area, though I haven't seen it again.

I was starting to wonder if the Quail would be coming.  They have shown up, but they are a bit more elusive than last year.  I have a flock of Mourning Doves that considers this their feeding ground and I notice that the Quail are careful to not infringe on their feeding time.  Since the Doves spend a lot of time here, I only see glimpses of the Quail.

I have a pair of Stellars Jay's that have raised their young near by for  several years.  They are still here, in fact they're out there right now eating.  Oh, then there are the Brown Headed Cowbirds.  Last year they had a Junco raise their youngster.  I felt so bad for that little Junco with that big Cowbird constantly begging.  It will be interesting to see who they got to raise their kid this year.  I saw quite a commotion up high in my large Pondi a week ago.  The Cowbirds were determined to get in to an area and several other birds, including the Grosbeak, were trying to keep them out.  At the time, it looked as though the Grosbeak were going to nest.  It was a few days later that they left.

So, in spite of the snow and rain, the birds have been a bright spot this spring.

Sun, Sun, Where'd the Sun Go?

I had no more thought "wonder where the Quail are?" and darn if they didn't show up.  One thing is for sure, they have been well fed where ever they've been.  I look out there and see these really plump, healthy, gorgeous birds and all I can think is how good they'd taste.

All of the birds showing up are well fed.  There is one male Robin that is so fat that I don't know how he flies.  I've never thought of Robins as a particularly pretty bird, but this dude is down right handsome, if a little plump.  His colors are so vivid.  There's a leaner, younger male coming in as well.  His color isn't quite as vivid as the other, but close.

The Pine Siskin's have shown up.  They are a pretty little bird, but they come in such large numbers and their call is so shrill, that I really wouldn't have hurt feelings if they left.  There is a yard about a mile down the road that they appear to like.  As you drive by their place all you can hear is this cacophony of shrill bird calls, no mistaking that call.

Haven't seen any signs of ground squirrels, but I do have tree squirrels.  Jack loves to go after them.  Poor boy is nearly blind, but if he catches sight of their movement, boy does he zero in.  If I'm in the house and see the squirrels getting too comfortable and considering coming across the driveway, I'll say "squirrel, squirrel, who wants to get a squirrel?", open the door and the chase is on.  No chance they catch them, but it keeps them away from the house.

Well, except for that little red squirrel that was on top of the house yesterday.  It came in from the horse paddock.  Not good.  Hmmm, I'm watching one right now doing a tight rope walk out to the feeders.  I have pipes on the rope, so that if they get to close and step on the pipe, it will swivel and toss them to the ground.  Ah, he stopped before stepping on it. Probably has tried it before.

Darned rodents are why I have hesitated to put feeders out.  I don't understand why people actually put squirrel feeders out.  Do that not know that rodents not only do huge amounts of damage but that they carry all sorts of nasty diseases?  I mean, they are cute and fun to watch, but, wow, they love to chew on things.  I see they have dug up the electrical wire from the solar panel to the gate again.  They did so much damage last year that I finally had to give up.  I cut it short and reburied it, but it's sticking straight up in the air about 6 inches this morning.

Not sure where the sun went.  Sure getting tired of it hiding!

Bird and Squirrel Watching

The last couple of weeks have been chilly.  Snow storms and wind.  The sun finally came out yesterday, but it wasn't warm.  None the less, Sarah Labrador likes to go out to soak up what sun there is.  Well, she does have a nice double coat to keep that wind at bey.  The Terriers go out for a while, but come in long before Sarah.

Birds galore.  Not having cats in the neighborhood does make a difference!  I have birds that aren't suppose to be here.  Several Golden Crowned Sparrow's seem to have decided to stay.  According to the field guides, they don't breed this far south.  They do run with White Crowned Sparrow's which do breed in this area and there are several of those as well.  Another Sparrow I shouldn't have is the Savanah Sparrow.  There is one, maybe two running with the other sparrow's.  They are suppose to like the grasslands, not conifer forests.  At any rate, they look as though they plan on staying for a while.

The California Quail haven't come back yet this year.  I had a good sized flock last year.  I do have a lot of Mourning Doves.  Maybe they don't co-habitate as they are both ground feeders.  Lot's of Juncos, Nuthatches, Robins and Stellar's Jays.  The Jays usually move on but there are couple sticking around.  The woodpeckers aren't coming in as often as they did in the winter, but stop by now and then.

Last year there was one poor little Junco that raised a Cowbird.  I saw the first Cowbird this morning.  Well, some one will be raising a kid that's not theirs.

Lots of tree squirrels this year as well.  The Western Gray Squirrel are big and bold.  I've been sending the dogs out to keep them on the other side of the driveway, away from the house.  Typical Gray, they get complacent, thinking there is no way the dumb dog can get them.  One lost some tail fur yesterday, thinking that Sarah couldn't catch him.

Labradors aren't as dumb as they appear.  When I was a kid, we had a male Lab.  He'd chase the squirrels and they got so confident that they would walk right by him as he slept.  Didn't work out too well for one squirrel.  I was watching at the time and that dog just waited, then as fast as lightening he was up and had that squirrel in his jaws.  The other squirrels didn't test him any further.  The one yesterday though, I'll bet it'll be back.

Have some Red Squirrels coming in as well.  They are a little bit more shy than the Gray.  Haven't seen any ground squirrels yet.  I put poison out for the ones in my septic field and they ate it, so hopefully they won't come back.  They do sooooo much damage.  That was the one thing I loved about having the cats, no ground squirrels.  But, no birds either.

If the ground squirrels come back, I may have to get a cat.  I'd hate to lose the birds, but I can't afford the damage the squirrels do.  Well, we'll see, I'll enjoy the birds for now.