Further Fat Feeder Feasting

Here are more satisfied suet snackers to start your day. I took lots of pictures and may post a few more later on, but here are some of my favorites.

 
This frontal shot of the blue jay made me smile. It looks like it's daring any of the other birds to come and challenge ownership of the suet box.

Madame cardinal was a surprising visitor to the suet feeder. She has enjoyed peanut butter in the past, but never shown any interest in the various kinds of suet with which I have tried tempting the birds.

Shortly after madame made her debut at the fat feeder, monsieur also decided it was a grand idea. It's really been fun watching the cardinals take advantage of the suet.

I have been surprised that none of the other woodpeckers have shown up to snack, though. There are hairy, pileated and red-bellied woodpeckers in my neighborhood, so I'll just keep hoping they notice the banquet laid out for them (there are five different fat feeders of different kinds in my back yard, so it really could be a smorgasbord for them) and come to the feast.

So, with that (and monsieur cardinal) I will fly off to take care of other things for the day.

Soo-ee, Soo-ee, Suet!

The pigs with wings in my back yard have finally decided the suet feeders are attractive sources of nourishment. 

This is only noteworthy because, until this year, the birds have left the suet alone in favor of the sunflower seeds and peanut butter feeder logs. A surprising number of birds have been partaking. The chickadees, of course, began the feasting. They're always the most curious about anything new that appears in their domain.

Then, madam downy woodpecker started making good use of the available high energy food source. I didn't see any male woodpeckers for a fairly long time. 

But monsieur finally came to see what madam had discovered. He's been pretty regular since then.

And, of course the scrappy starlings took full advantage. Happily, there aren't very many of them in the area right now, so I'm not going to complain too much. The spots are interesting, after all. :)

There are more characters in the cast, but you'll have to come back to see who else has been feasting on fat. There were a couple of surprising actors in the mix. 

Fur Bird

The juncos and other ground feeders have been enjoying a spot on the deck that is cleared of snow and kept supplied with cracked corn and sunflower hearts.  One evening, this little cutie climbed over the great mound created by all the snow removal and onto the deck to feast on what the birds had left behind when they went to roost for the night.

It was shy at first, hunkering down when I trained the camera on it.

But, once it realized no threat was posed by the strange person on the other side of the window, it relaxed to enjoy the feast. (I love the snow ring around its nose.)

It came earlier the next night, so the lighting is a little better.

I'm a bit of a soft touch (even though the rabbits are really hard on my roses every winter), so I got some bunny food pellets.

Using jar lids as dishes, I put some out to see what would happen and the lids were emptied in the morning. Maybe, if it gets enough alfalfa and greens from the pellets, it won't trim my tea roses into oblivion. 

This little rascal looks like a good carving subject, too, don't you think?  Easter will be coming before long, after all!

Well, I Swan!

After seeing these two swans moseying along in the still unfrozen bay, I started wondering (I wonder as I wander) about the old idiom, "I swan!". 

So, still counting myself among the ranks of the terminally curious, I started doing a little research. Apparently there are a couple different idiomatic uses of swan. 

In England, one travels in a leisurely manner, enjoying the journey without hurry or fuss. Also, often without concern for anyone else's comfort or convenience - so, I suppose swanning along could cause consternation and a few ruffled feathers along the way.

These two were certainly taking their time, mostly letting the currents lead them as they dabbled for food.

In the Southern United States (and Oklahoma, they tell me), the phrase, "I swan!", is more of an exclamation of surprise or sometimes a verification of fact, perhaps coming from a northern England dialect meaning, "I'll warrant", or "I swear".

Well, I swan, these birds are staying in the cold winter climes far longer than I expected they would!

It's always interesting to discover where bits of our language had their roots. Also, bonus points for anyone who caught the song reference in this post and sang along. :)

 

A Whole New Thing

I've been busy trying to do some good things for Stampeaz.  I will tell you about the second one when I know that it's actually going to happen as planned, but the first I can tell you about now. 

I had attempted (unsuccessfully) to set up gift certificates in the store in the past, but recently a customer asked if they were available yet, and I figured it was about time to revisit that problem and conquer it. So, I set about trying again and I do believe I have emerged from the fray victorious!  

Gift Certificates went live a couple days ago and, of course, I couldn't leave the listing naked, so a new icon was carved for the occasion.

The image was finished this afternoon, and I did a couple of test prints of it. I think it will work (at least until a better idea comes along).

While the teal ink is a better match for the Stampeaz logo, I think the darker blue one wins the contrast and readability award.

So, here's the final image for the gift certificate category in the shop. 

If you get one of the gift certificates and notice anything wonky anywhere in the process, please be sure to let me know. Otherwise, with fingers crossed, I release it out into the Stampeaz multiverse (whatever that might be). ;-)

Gorgeous Girls

Cardinals have been drifting in with the snow. I think I now have four pairs regularly stopping by to dine. 

The male cardinals get most of the attention, since they're so bold and bright with red feathers that positively glow against both snow and greenery.

 

The female is more muted and tends to blend into the vegetation.

She stands out against the snow, though, providing a really nice look at her rosy-gold plumage, so I thought I would post some pictures focusing on the ladies that have been snacking in my yard.

Winter finally arrived and it's been quite cold and snowy around here, so I've been busy keeping feeders full, shoveling walkways where I can spread corn and sunflower hearts for ground feeders, not to mention running the snowblower up and down the driveway.

The birds have really appreciated the handouts. I have to fill all the little feeders (the big tube feeders only need filling every other day) and spread ground food several times a day - they need lots of fuel to stay warm.

When they're between bites, they sometimes perch in the miniature lilac bush beside the feeder.

I love the look of earnest contemplation as she eats one tidbit while sizing up the next possible treat.

I even got to catch her mid-hop as she moved to the next spot. 

I hope you've enjoyed the ladies. They have been very good company between bouts of snow removal as I sit with a cup of tea to warm my hands.

Inspiration and Outcome

I thought it might be fun to do another blog post with an inspiration and outcome theme. The last one of these I did was the Queen Anne's Lace carving. 

Situated at the 45th parallel out at the end of the peninsula is a beautiful, historic lighthouse. It was built after a large ship hit a shallow reef sometime in the 1860s and was first lit on September 10, 1870. It functioned until 1933, when it was decommissioned and its function replaced by a buoy located a little way offshore. 

 

Happily, this historic landmark has been preserved and restored by dedicated conservationists in the area and, since it's surrounded by state park land, it's a wonderful place to wander around in the woods (it was a favorite with Baloo), lounge on the beach and swim in the bay, or watch a spectacular sunset. 

I carved a full (and very detailed) version of this lighthouse when I first moved back to the area and some of you may have seen it somewhere along the way. Recently, I thought it might be fun to do another, simpler design using just the watch and lantern rooms.

So, here's the carving.

And here's the print. 

I hope there's a little inspiration to carve (or simply visit) a favorite landmark in your area.