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