Some Little Rays of Sunshine

New birds are migrating into the area every day and I've been enjoying all the visitors to the little lilac bush right outside the window. Some will be sticking around for the summer and others will be passing through on their way to nesting grounds in the north.

 

So, even though the skies continue with their unrelenting gray, the goldfinches are flocking into the yard and shedding their winter feathers as they take full advantage of the bird feeders. I love their chatter in the trees. They sound like they're asking questions all the time because there's a tonal uplift at the end of their song. Tweet? Chirp? Cheep?

Getting to see the markings on these beauties is a real treat. I think I'll have to do more goldfinch carvings! I know, I've done a couple already, but just look at the graphic possibilities!

The lilac blossoms are starting to swell and the finches like to nibble on them. They keep poking their beaks in and either they're eating tiny bugs or there will be some mildly munched blooms when they finally open fully.

The girls are also putting on brighter feathers while the boys lose the motley gray and yellow mixture, adding their sunny yellow color to their bright conversations.

This fellow had some dramatic eyebrows.

There's just a tiny bit of gray left on the back of his head.

And they're starting to pair up for nesting season, even though that's a little way off for the goldfinches.

These two make a handsome couple, don't you think?

 

Just Around the River Bend

One of my favorite overlooks along the river trail can appear completely different from one day to the next.

 
I realized that I had taken pictures a couple days apart from almost the same vantage point.

Before long, there will be lots of green on the skeletal trees and undergrowth will cover the rusty leaf duff left over from the autumn. There will be wildflowers, too. I'm looking forward to it. :)
 

Trail Cam Tuesday

The night visitors are always fun to see captured on the trail cameras.  The first three pictues are from the camera my brother and I bring in from just outside the door to enjoy perusing with our morning caffeinated beverage.

 
We're always happy to see flying squirrels come in to clean up some of the bird food left over from the day crowd (there's always plenty left for nocturnal diners).

 
On this particular night, two were caught merrily munching.

 

If you look carefully, the second squirrel is still savoring seeds in the background. Happily, one of the little cuties got close enough to the camera to get a pretty good look.
 

This final picture is a bunny hopping along on the two-track near the entrance to the family property. I know it's not the best picture ever, but seeing it airborne just made me smile. There are lots of big spruce trees and other good places for bunnies to hide in that area, so it's fun to see them taking advantage of the good cover. There's also a pair of small clover/oats patches planted just for their enjoyment. Those snack bars should be starting to sprout before too long. If it ever warms up, that is.... 
 

Eager...

During a  morning walk along one of the river trails Baloo and I used to frequent, I discovered something that would have fascinated that inquisitive fellow. I could almost hear him sniffing everything thoroughly to discover things I couldn't even begin to imagine.

First, I noticed a tree down across the trail that looked as if it had been thoroughly gnawed. Almost all of the bark had been removed and most of the branches, as well.

I took a fork in the trail that almost immediately led to this structure built into the river bank. Many of the branches from that downed tree are almost certainly woven into this snug little lodge.

There's even a handy slide for slipping quickly and quietly into the water.

It's a pretty modest structure for a beaver, but the river's brisk current probably wouldn't allow for too much building before it would wash the eager architect's efforts downstream. Especially when spring thunderstorms cause the river to rise a foot or two and really roll along. 

Baloo would have loved putting his clever nose all over the area. I'm sure he would have breathed in volumes of information and had amazing post-walk dreams.

 

Morning Mourning Doves

Sometimes, Old Man Winter is reluctant to yield to Old Mother West Wind causing short-lived snows to blow in during early spring, in spite of buds swelling and birds paring up and singing their territorial arias.

We had one of these spring squalls not long ago and, when I looked out the window at the snow piling up in the back yard, I noticed a pair of mourning doves sheltering under the table on my deck, staying out of the heavy, wet snow. 

 

They seemed quite content and unperturbed by my presence on the other side of the window and let me take pictures of them, merely watching me in return. 

 
They perched there quite a while, preening and staying dry.

One of them even drowsed for a bit as the other fluffed and puffed its feathers.

 
Eventually, they decided it was time for lunch and flew over to wait in line for the bird feeders.

One of them even posed on the deer sculpture yard art in the back garden while waiting its turn at the buffet. Very picturesque. 

Oh, and extra credit to anyone who recognizes the literary character references in the first paragraph. :)

 

Pussyfooting Around

It's always fun to see who has been wandering around in the night. This time, the trail cameras caught some bobcats pussyfooting on the family property. We occasionally see bobcats when we're out working on things, but they're usually moving too rapidly to do more than stop and admire them as they zip by. That's why it's so nice to get a few pictures of them going about their nightly business.

Of course, that nightly business is prowling. There's something both beautiful and eerie about this predator padding around looking for a meal. On this occasion, it walked very close to the camera, so it's a surprisingly good nighttime image.

This one is pacing right toward a different trail cam shortly before dawn.

I tried to blow the relevant portion of the picture up a bit to see if I could coax more detail out of it. It's a little pixelated, but still pretty dramatic. Quite an intense expression, don't you think?  I'm not sure I'd like that piercing gaze fixed on me, especially not if I were a bunny. Yikes!

Boxes and Blues

My brother and I cleaned out and fixed a bunch of bluebird boxes and put up a few new ones. 

We were almost immediately rewarded with the arrival of this beautiful fellow.

He took up his post on top of one of the bluebird houses and claimed it for his very own.

We were delighted with our success and we have plans to put up about eight more boxes as soon as the frost is out of the ground and we can pound in some more stakes to hang them on.

Jubilant Juniper Juncos

While we've been enjoying some lovely spring weather the last few days, there was a snowstorm not so very long ago that blanketed everything.

 
I patted the snow flat to make a platform and sprinkled some sunflower hearts on top of the snow covering the juniper bushes. The juncos flew in to take advantage of their meal.

 

I know it won't be much longer before they all melt into the brush and brambles to nest and raise their young during the warmer months. Until then, they're very welcome visitors.

 

 
It was an extra treat to get to take a few pictures of these shy birds. Well, there had to be something nice about the otherwise unwelcome snow. The juncos are cuties!

 

...There Be Dragons...

Walking in early spring can often be a challenge. Quite frequently, the trails have melted and iced over to become slick and dangerous, even with extra grippers attached to my boots.  Not too long ago, I had to find places to walk that wouldn't result in falls and fractures!

 

Mussel shells pile up along the shoreline and provide excellent traction, as well as interesting patterns to enjoy. 

The ducks and I both took advantage of the trackless snow near a boat launch where it was still easy to waddle along. 

But, you say, I promised dragons. Well, really only one. Sort of.  I braved an icy trail to get to my favorite marsh.

Can you see the dragon? The long tail waving sinuously out of the ice at the center left of the picture above?  The head just to the right of the middle?

Here's a close-up of the head rearing up out of the frozen expanse.  I just couldn't resist the perfectly round eye and the snout. It just tickled my imagination.

Yes, it's still April and I'm still a fool. :)

Happy Easter!

The first snowdrops have emerged from the frosty ground!

Seeing the rebirth and awakening from a long winter this time of year is always a joy!

Then, of course, this charming cottontail came hippity hopping down the bunny trail to honor the day and enjoy some cracked corn. Quite fitting. :)

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

Draw a Bird Day

Once again, it is Draw a Bird Day! If you haven't read the story of Dorie Cooper and the origin of this day, it's well worth the effort (https://www.dabday.com/). I like to celebrate the anniversary of her birthday and this year I have chosen the plucky chickadee to honor a plucky little girl.

Don't worry! Your picture doesn't need to be perfect! Just pick up a pencil and draw a bird. Who knows? You may even come up with something to carve along the way. I'm thinking of carving this pert fellow (carving improves almost everything!). :-)

Top o' the Morning

Walking out in Baloo's big field one chilly morning, I saw quite a few birds using the treetops to announce their claim on various territories.
 

 
This cardinal made use of the top branches of a big, grape vine covered autumn olive bush.

 
The red-winged blackbird chose the very tip of a young tree that also had some grapevines trying to overtake it.

 
The poplar was popular with the robin.

 

The pileated woodpecker found a dead oak branch to announce his ownership of a different section at the edge of the field.

Then, he flew off to perch on another corner of his territory to delineate his domain.

 

More Back Yard Birding

Well, I'm cheating a little, since the first picture is actually from the front yard, but I suspect you'll let me get away with it this time....

 
I was able to catch this little junco hiding in the crab apple tree. I know they're sort of plain, gray birds, but seeing them always makes me smile. I miss them when they leave for the summer.

 
Returning to the back yard, madam cardinal shares the feeder very nicely (you can see the finch on the lowest bowl, if you look carefully).

After the finch flew off, a chickadee came to take a sunflower heart from the top bowl as madam continued with her leisurely repast. The chickadees tend to prefer to take a seed and fly off to either eat or hide it before coming back for another.

The downy woodpecker, on the other hand, likes to sit in one of the feeders and take up the whole thing for the duration of his meal.

Then, when the sharp-shinned hawk showed up at the restaurant, everybody flew for the exits to find somewhere to hide for a while. Apparently, they didn't want to serve the fellow lunch.

Smart birds.