Limpy survived another winter !!

Some of you may remember my little story about a wounded crow that showed up in our yard in April 2015.  His one wing was almost dragging on the ground and he had a bad leg.  Poor guy was in a bad way.

I put out some food for him and he flopped over to get it and had a drink in my bird bath and hung around.....

Later, I noticed that he took food into a tree across the street and climbed up the branches like they were steps... hopping and flapping and managing to get up pretty high.... and then, sort of sailed across to the nearest tree without even having to really fly.  He and the missus had built a nest there... and for weeks he did that to help feed her .. he worked like a poor, crippled Trojan for weeks.  I almost cried to watch it.  And, I was damned if I would let him down...I put out food whenever he was on the ground.  It was my job.

He would sail down again to our yard and get some more ...as often as I would go out and give him some more goodies.  He recuperated quite a bit and the wing got stronger...he was able to fly short distances if he got scared or felt threatened.   His lady came down every so often and shared some food or visited with him and they sat together on the lawn or in the big tree across the street.

In the fall... she and the "kids" talked to him a lot in the Poplar... and maybe he even tried to go a short distance with them...but, in the end.... they left.  He was unable to go with them.  Later I noticed another smaller crippled crow would show up with him from time to time and then... when the snows came...they disappeared.  I didn't see him for months.  I read up on crows and discovered that they migrate to Kansas or Oklahoma from here in Canada.  Wow....that is a long way south of us.

The cripples and misfits have to stay and hang together during the winter if they can't fly south.  I had no idea if he would last the winter...it gets down to -35C and 40C  around here .... with plenty of snow... this year we still have 4 feet out there ....... but lo and behold... that first spring he showed up in the Poplar across the street...looking pretty darn good... and just hanging out.  I didn't realize for 3 days that he was just waiting for his lady.  Then, she and a few young crows showed up.. and he brought them all down onto the front sidewalk to show his family off and I tossed out some goodies and they all hopped around gathering up things.  They hung around for a day and then... seemed to disappear.

Later I noticed the two of them flying around, gathering twigs and building just down the street.  Apparently they don't use the same nest a second time..they make new ones but in close proximity to the old one.

So, this is the 3rd spring he has shown up and waited patiently for his lifelong mate to show up from her migration trip.  He was here at the beginning of the week... ... hanging out...waiting for his special lady.  I got a bit worried that this year she wasn't coming...but she showed up the other day... whew!

Last year some big usurper crow and his long legged woman set up camp in the tree across our back alley... I call him the Back Alley Crow... and he bullies poor Limpy.  Because he is crippled I guess.   So, poor Limpy and the Missus had to move further toward the golf course... and build there.   They managed to raise some more babies in spite of the ongoing dive bombings from the Bullies... and, they don't come to the yard much... as a matter of fact...I only got to hear him calling me from the tree every so often last year and sometimes when I went golfing...he hopped over to me to share my peanut butter sandwich.  He even recognizes me out of context.  Crows are soooo smart.

He was sitting on a big snowdrift in the front yard for several days til the bully came home from holidays...but, now... he only sneaks in on occasion.   It was such fun to see him peeking into the front window and sliding down the snowbank to get his little bits of chicken and snacks for the few days ...but, I miss him now as he has had to move a bit further away due to the antics of the bully.  If only I could tell them apart before I see my guy on the ground...I could toss things at the wrong "guy" ...but, I can't tell for sure til I see his funny 'hopping' gait ....


The first day I heard and saw him...last week... through the blinds... couldn't  believe he was there sitting on top of the huge four foot snowbank.

   






Here is the size of the snowbanks still around...


He soon had a little trail of footprints up and down the bank...

He had a few days of fun before the other bully crow showed up ... just ahead of his little lady, and then... they had to spend more time out of the front yard than in it.  He still shows up and lands on the privacy fence or the snow bank just to say hi and see if I sprint out with some bits of pork or chicken or some bit of something for him to carry off.
Limpy is a lot of fun.

Here he is the spring of 2016 ...April.... peeking in the window when he showed up after being with the local group all winter... checking if I still lived here and wondering if I remembered I was supposed to toss out some snacks.  Cheeky boy!  Now each spring I look for him as much as he checks on me.

Wild Bird Wednesday

Last week I was going to post my photos of 'plain but pretty' House Sparrows as some other bird photographer called them.

Then I saw Brian King's images of House Sparrows and man... they were so beautiful.... I thought...hmmm....    I dunno.... mine are not that great in comparison.

But, then I thought....Hey !! just a darn minute..... this is not a competition..... it is just fun.

It's lots of fun just seeing other peoples amazing, beautiful, interesting, or just plain funny birds.  I used to laugh out loud at Dave's photos.  He used to post the butts of birds... as a matter of fact...that is the name of his blog... Birds from Behind  .....   ... as that is mostly what we get trying to take photos of birds anyway.  They jump out of the frame at the least opportune time.  Sometimes we get a wing... a part of a foot...a butt....sometimes we get lucky on a first 'click'...sometimes you never get what you are trying for..... you get the idea.

Anyway... after all of that...I give you my lovely little House Sparrows.   My sister and I have decided they are kinda like us.  Our Dad used to tell us we were "homely"... miserable old shit.... our Mom used to tell us he meant "homey" to try to make us think he wasn't just rude.  It's okay... maybe we are sort of middle of the road looking;  even if one of his 3 girls was runner up to Miss Dominion of Canada one year ... .. feisty and fun .... and, on a good day, sort of cute.   I'll take that.

Click on any photo to see it larger ...

Female House Sparrow

Male House Sparrow

Female House Sparrow

Male House Sparrow

Female House Sparrow

Female House Sparrow

So cute... looking right at me and demanding I take her 'best side' ....



Linking up to Stewart's blog at Paying Ready Attention  .... where there are lots of lovely birdies to see ...

Winter in Canada

Another blast of winter around these parts over the weekend.... hours more of shovelling.  The piles are getting so high it's almost impossible for me to toss a shovel full up that high..and, when I do..it comes rolling back down to the bottom again.

When I visited my sister on her little farm, she taught me how to pile manure.. for making compost.  I decided I had to do it that way or it wasn't going to work.   Once it gets too high and pointy, it just doesn't work.  The horse poop balls come rolling right back onto your boots.

So, I had to push the shovel back and forth over the top of the pile of snow just like we used the pitch forks to do with the pile of poo ...flatten it out a bit and then..I could pile on more.  Then...more shovelling it back and forth...my arm was killing me by then.... so I could throw on more.  In the end...the piles are still 5 feet high..but, at least now they are also almost 4 feet across so I can still get a bit more on top.  If I could get out onto the middle of the lawn I could rake or shovel a bit more off the top towards the middle of the lawn and get them down a bit more...but, it is 4 feet deep on the lawn... I'm only 5 feet tall...forget it.  The sun is shining today... maybe some will melt... hahah yeh, right...it is only -12C..so maybe not yet....

I got a bit crazy and turned on the Christmas lights...which I have been unable to get off that bush,  seeing as that snow is pretty deep ...I was leaving them til it melted a bit more... now it snowed a lot more!

Click on the picture to see it larger so you can see details and see how deep things are.  I even had to make boot holes about a foot up my pile in order to step up to toss more snow on.  I had to shovel out the rather large patio because I have some morons coming on Tuesday to take away our granite slab to try to fix the ridiculous cutting mess they made of it last week.  Of course, this was after they assured us they do this all the time.  Liars.  I have no idea what is next if they can't fix their screw up.  As usual, for us...just one more bloody disaster after another with every.single.renovation we have ever done.  We were done with renovations remember? ? ... ..but, then..the oven conked out and we decided to replace it with a range because it was never supposed to be that close to a stove top .. a minimum of 12 inches apparently is even code and necessary so as not to cause damage to appliances underneath the stovetop.   No inspectors... no salesmen (of course) ...no installers...nobody ... ..nobody told us that 5 years ago when we did the last big reno.  We only noticed a teensy tiny line of print on some obscure size charts of the oven when we were measuring for the new range.  So had to have granite re-cut to accommodate it.  Don't believe anybody for a second when they say they do this all the time.   And, if you are one of the lucky ones who has actually had it done and got a great job?... good for you.  

  

Wild Bird Wednesday

Bohemian Waxwings!!

These are actually from last February.  I just saw a huge flock of them last week, but they didn't come to roost in the Poplar tree across the street as usual.  They were checking for the little Mountain Ash tree they came for last year, but alas...it is no more.   It was broken in a wind storm and the owners had it removed.  However, the birds must have found another down the block as I could hear them and see them moving around..and then..poof, as they do....... they were gone in a flash.

Last year I heard them twittering...hundreds if not thousands of them in the poplar...grabbed my camera and dashed across the street to try for a few photos.  I was standing not far from the little berry tree and they flew past so close to my head I couldn't believe it... almost felt the wings beside my ears... I had goose bumps after the first few almost touched me.  It was amazing.

They kept coming and going in groups of twenty or thirty to the little tree...grabbed a berry or two and off they went back to the huge poplar with their buddies.  Then, another group flew down...and, back they went again.  They kept it up for about 20 minutes... by which time they had totally denuded the little Mountain Ash tree and suddenly, just ...gone @!  So quickly .. in one huge flock...up and sideways they went.  Then...total silence.  Like they were never there at all.  Except for the mess.  Berries and twigs and bits all over the snow... under the little tree and under the big one as well.

I got a few great photos...

so, today I share with you "the Bohemians"....  click on any pic to see it larger.

They hang upside down as easily as they do right side up it seems.... and they all did it in order to get at the best berries.

Check out other birdies at Stewart's site...click on the pic below to be transported there.... 

Wild Bird Wednesday

Northern Flickers today.   I've had them on here before ...but, hey.... I only get so many birds to the feeder and in the yard and I'll be darned if I want to go looking for them elsewhere when it is -20C... although, today the sun is shining....so it seems pretty nice even if it is cold.

These are from a few days back...

These two didn't seem to mind sharing, although it rarely happens.  If another one shows up when one is already on the suet cage... the first guy usually flies off.   Maybe they are buddies ... I wish there was a way to tell the difference between all the birds.  I don't know if many come once or twice or if a few hang out here all the time... all I know is there are several different males and females flying in and out during any given day.   They love the bug and peanut butter suet....
Click on any photo to see them up close and personal....

Waiting for a turn on the suet ... with all the sparrows that litter the wall and trees.....

They love the heated bird bath and water.... it gets a thick icy ring around the edge...but, that doesn't bother them... and I knock it off daily.
I love this picture.

The sparrows wanted to be in on the photo shoot too....
A little fuzzy as it was through the blinds in the window....

Check out other birds on Stewart's site....

Click on the badge below...

Wizened little apples..

The poor squirrels are making a little trail to this ornamental crabapple tree just outside the bedroom window.  I can't imagine they taste very good....although, having said that... perhaps they are fermented from the intermittent freezing and thawing and have a lovely wine-y flavour!

This little guy..or gal....I am voting for a female, was doing acrobatics to get at some of the remaining 9 apples.  They are more like wrinkly cherries they are so small.  She was clinging by tiny toenails upside down and right side up..but moving so quickly I didn't get any shots of the tricks.  Darn it.  She is pretty spry for her shape.  See that fat little tummy?  I bet babies are already hibernating in there ....

Just look at these silly things..... who would want to eat them?  But, there is so much snow... maybe there's not much for them to find unless it is up in a tree.  There are spruce cones nearby ...but, perhaps a bit of fruit is on their dietary requirements list .... don't forget to click on each photo to see them bigger....not the silly wrinkly cherry like thingies of course, .........the cute little squirrel....

Uh, oh..... I think she sees me now....and is ready to bolt.....  she was watching me all along, but enough is enough I guess.

SNowmaggedon !!

Things came to a standstill all over the city with that last dump of snow.  It was easily a foot and more..
It took us over 2 hours to shovel ourselves out of the house and around the city sidewalks and our own walkway and front porch area... oh, and patio.... a LOT of shovelling!

I think the movements and strengthening of Tai Chi have helped a lot.  No soreness in the rib tissue at all today... even my mid back which was feeling it yesterday ...is fine this morning.  A beautiful brilliant sunshine morning.... so pretty with all the snow.  But, the driving!  Yikes!

The snow shovellers who do our neighbours' driveways .... got good and stuck when they tried to leave.  It took them at least 45 minutes of struggling and digging and moving trailers and snow machines off and onto their truck to get out of the predicament.   They used almost all of a big bag of mixed salt and gravel too.... nothing was working.  I figured they must not have proper winter tires or something... and, man...why would they not have a 4 wheel drive for that type of thing?  Snow shovelers getting stuck in snow.  Great.  Wonder where they are today?  there is another 6 inches to shovel since they were here last.... mine is all done.  Thank goodness we kept shovelling as it was falling.  It would have just been too heavy to even move by now.

The birdies were around all day looking for seeds and suet... the snow cones on the tops of the feeders fell onto their little heads if they hit the perches very fast or hard...especially the big Flickers... it was pretty funny ...  my entertainment each day anyway...

And, today ...I give you a little Black Capped Chickadee nibbling at a seed.  They take one out of the seed dispenser and fly onto a branch to nibble away at each seed til it is gone.  Such dainty eaters.

Well, still have one side of the house to do some final shovelling ..... off I go .. maybe it would be a great day to walk around the block to see if any photo ops present...although it is still -29C this morning in spite of the sun...... hmmmmm..... we'll see....

Somewhere under that bump...is the birdie bath ..... I know it is ......

... can't resist....

 They are just too cute to resist.  I know, I know... only Nuthatches of late...but...

This little guy was standing on the top of the suet cage... waiting.... trying to decide whether or not to join the one already nibbling away at the peanut butter and bug suet.














Finally he did flit down onto the cage and they shared... sometimes they do, sometimes not...

 

They were among the many birds hanging out that day.... it was a cold, snowy one.  All were huddled around looking for a seed or some suet.
Look at the shot from the kitchen doorway ..trying to see across the street... it's still winter in these parts.  More snow forecast for this afternoon and evening... wonder if I will bother driving anywhere tomorrow? ...  Maybe no Tai Chi tomorrow ......

I'm linking up with Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday ... check out lots of birds over there .... hey, there could even be some more nuthatchies..... click on the photo below to go there .  click on any of the birdie pics on here to enlarge and see the little guys BIGGER.

                                                                                 

more little Nuthatchies.....

And....a Downy....   Woodpecker, that is...

Just because they are so cute and I stood out in the cold to try for some closer-ups....

One little guy (or girl)  is pretty feisty and brave.  He just kind of peeps softly and stays right on the nut dispenser all the time I am there.  But, then... when I least expect it... he whizzes past my ear on his way to the Juniper tree.  Or to flit back to get my attention.  It is tough to get focused even with Auto Focus, and get a clear shot of him/her.... they flit back and forth to the lilacs and off to a big spruce across the street.... man, they're fast.

You can see them closer too if you like .. just click on the photo ....

This little guy comes to peck on the suet cage and then...kind of falls asleep or dozes for a bit....leaning further and further back...til almost a backbend... he is very flexible.  But, kind of strange...he stays on there til somebody bigger, like a Norther Flicker manages to get his attention and off he goes.  He even stays there while I shovel snow in the patio.  Weird.