For the Birds again

The sun was so warm yesterday afternoon, that I could sit on the porch and watch the birds at the feeder. They flit between the feeder and the pine tree and Hickory. 

What I didn't realize, is that I'd learn about bird habits and how they interacted. Generally I glance out the window and admire the birds I do know. It is fun to watch them come in, eat and leave.

So I watched. This guy is a bully as well as the Flicker.

He/she chases all the other birds away. Bully!

The Juncos seem to be more sociable. They even let other birds sit on branches near them. 

There are certain times that everyone seems to want to feed at the same time.

The cardinals are morning and late afternoon feeders. I generally see the lady cardinals before the sun shines into our hollow in the morning.

The male cardinals make their appearance and always stand out. He didn't really go to the feeder but seemed content to watch all of the other birds.

The Nuthatch would hit the feeder and immediately go to the pine tree where it would run up and down the bark.

The Tufted Titmouse is fun to watch also. He/she takes the seeds from the feeder to the tree and it appears that she tries to break it open on a branch?

She/he was really quite entertaining. My step daughter told me that she puts out peanuts for her Titmice. 

I never thought much of photographing them either and did NOT realize exactly how hard they can be to photo! There is no way I got decent photos easily. The ones here are a few I picked out of many, many others. Thank goodness for the ability to delete the crappy ones!

I am so proud of myself for being able to sit for one whole hour and just watch.

I'm the kind of person whose feet need to keep on moving unless I am asleep.

Well, I got the driveway and turn around areas shoveled out with the skid steer and I did not run into anything.

I dislike that machine and like it also.

If I ever had my choice, I'd get a little Mule or UTV type thingy to attach a plow to and push it around. 

For the Birds!

It was a wild colored sunrise and the saying for sailors is an old one.

I think every time now the plumber has been scheduled to come, we have an ice storm or a ground blizzard. If the roads get plowed and he shows up, I hope he has the good sense to walk down our hill unless he thinks he can make it in a two wheel drive van. 

I made it up and down that hill for years with a front wheel drive sedan and snow tires with no problem, but it can be daunting to any vehicle with poor traction even on good days.

2008 Photo. Hubby is clearing the driveway with his skid steer after a storm:

That said, I am enjoying the fact that I don't have to face the hill in winter storms any more. 

If it was really bad, I'd park my vehicle on the ridge and walk up the hill at 2AM to drive to my shift as a Security Officer. I'd then negotiate 30 miles of terrible roads. 

The Subaru was a game changer for me and often I'd make my shifts when those who lived within 3 miles couldn't or wouldn't. 
Go figure.

Today is wicked even in our hollow. The mules have been fed down in the woods and out of the winds.

Yesterday I had a nice hike and exploring day. I even got some practice at 'shooting' birds in the tree near the house.

The bird feeder has added some nice entertainment to the yard. I stood in my summer flower garden and caught a couple of semi decent bird photos. I just adore the color of the cardinal!

I used to think that bird photography was ... um...for the birds...
but two other bloggers I know have made it look fun so I've been practicing!

The sparrow below had such an expression on his face.

I've tried shooting through the window or front door and that sure doesn't help the focus much. I'm not going to try it at all today even though we have had Flickrs, Woodpeckers, and Titmouse trying to get to the feeder. The wind gusts keep blowing them about. They keep getting blown back to the little brush pile I have stacked in the yard from our last wind storm.

This is a Junco, my grandmother used to call them Snow Birds. As a kid I never bothered to learn their real names. Grandma said they'd show up a couple of weeks before the snow was to fly.

Just before the winds changed on the ridge, I as able to find some deer feeding in the wind break between two crop fields. 

Spook?

Spook?

Run!

Stay warm, the winds are supposed to continue after dark and the temperatures are going to drop. We have seen our high today of 12 degrees.

The plumber came! He drove his personal 4X4 because his plumbing van wouldn't get out of his own driveway.

He did super good work and was such a pleasant young man.