Tag Archives: Birds

Perfectly Normal

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Working from home has presented some unique challenges. I’m actually more productive at my quiet house but I also can go for long periods of time without speaking to or seeing other humans.

I think I’m doing ok with this. My mental health seems strong. And then I realized last night that I’ve been naming all the little creatures at the bird feeder.

Meet Laverne….

…and Shirley…..

And yes, there’s a Lenny and Squiggy too but I don’t have pictures of those guys.

Then there are the chipmunks – Alvin, Simon and Theodore – that chase each other around the yard as well as a woodpecker that I can’t resist calling Woody.

Naming the wildlife…. that’s perfectly normal, right? Right???

The Sounds Of A Hike

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It is not uncommon to meet hikers who are listening to music. Sometimes with earbuds but often playing it out loud for a group to hear.

To each his own but I will never understand the point. The act of walking through the woods is nice but there’s so much more to a hike than that physical act or what you see when you go.

The sounds of the forest are amazing, especially when you’re close to water.

The birds were vocal on Saturday as were the frogs. The wind in the trees had a life of its own too. Walking near the lake shore, I could hear turtles plopping into the water.

But if you’re quiet, you can sneak up on turtles as they sun themselves on fallen trees near the water’s edge.

Stomp through the woods with your music blaring and you’ll miss all this.

Tune into all your senses – the sights, smells and sounds of the woods – and you’ll start to notice the small details like delicate wildflowers and butterflies, nesting geese and the occasional woodpecker overheard.

Do this and it’s no longer just a walk, it’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

Surviving the Day

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The migratory birds are appearing at the feeder outside my home office window. The bird feeder and the desk where I work each day actually belong to Scout, a fact he rarely lets me forget.

We’ve seen a number of newcomers the last few of weeks – some more welcome than others but all are hungry from their travels so I try to keep the seed flowing.

We also have two squirrels popping in most days. A lot of people don’t like them but I don’t mind having them around. One is quite young and was timid the first day. Now he noses right in there amongst the birds, occasionally getting chased off by a Mourning Dove or Brown Headed Cow Bird.

I feed them and then stand at the window for a few pictures before work each morning. All was right with the world when I took this photo. Then everything got quiet and every living creature scattered from view.

And then I saw it – a large shadow on the ground. I imagine it was some kind of hawk looking for his breakfast as well.

I can’t imagine being such a tiny creature in this big world. The predators would be endless – from the hawks in the sky to humans with their cars and guns and all manner of threats in between.

While I hate to deny the hawk his meal, I was glad to see my little friends all survived that day.

Happiness Is . . .

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a bird watcher

Happiness is a day of bird watching! However, what’s fun is also exhausting at times. It’s a good thing this bird guide doubles as a pillow!

a bird

 

When The Birds Spy Back

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2My current work space sits next to a large window overlooking Scout’s bird feeder. He sits in the window watching birdies for much of the day. I enjoy the birdsong and natural light.

This pair has been visiting the feeder every day but I looked up once to catch them in this pose. I grabbed the camera and snapped this picture. A few moments later, one of them caught me spying and stared right back at my camera.

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Some birds fly off with even the slightest movement from my side of the window. This little one had no fear. Me we all face the day as bravely as this little House Finch!

Birds With Attitude

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Cardinals always look angry to me. Like they’re yelling at someone who didn’t use a turn signal or who insists on expressing an opinion about a political story they didn’t actually read. It’s hard to tell what a bird is thinking but I’m pretty sure that Cardinals are the Archie Bunkers of the bird kingdom!

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Nonetheless, they are awfully pretty!