Wild Bird Wednesday

I almost feel guilty.

My birdie feeder is such fun... and, it is collecting quite a few visitors... mostly sparrows...but, hey I love all the little guys.

But ... the other day, a larger, brown form swooped in; touched the feeder briefly with a foot and then..landed on my cupid's head on the bird bath.  Yikes!!  I've created a hunting ground for hawks!!

I quickly went to the window and was going to open it and shoo it away...but, Mister BumbleVee said ...don't scare it away.... get a picture !!  I grabbed the camera, which was on the table ... fumbled with the venetian blind in the window and managed to get one.... luckily he was totally intent on staring at the sparrows in the shrub.

I don't know what it is ... but, it isn't very large.... and, it's beautiful.

All the little guys disappeared into the middle of a Korean Lilac bush... and, even though there are no leaves left on it... the tiny branches protected them....no way that guy would fight his way into that bush.

Mr. BV was right.  I did get a great photo.

I don't know what it is .... maybe a Kestrel? .... a Merlin?..... ....   anybody??????  Help me out here please...there is still more tail down behind cupid's wing...which has a bit of snow on it.... sadly I didn't get a glimpse of the tail..... which could probably tell us a lot......

Click on the pics to enlarge ....see him/her up close .......

And, here is a shot of the bird bath with the cupid in full view and sparrows near it for a size comparison..

If you would like to join in or just have a look at lots of other birds .... go to Wild Bird Wednesday to check them out.

Terrariums cont'd.....

A few people asked me some questions regarding terrariums... and, I looked online... plenty of info out there for sure ... here is a nice man showing how to build one...  and, as I mentioned before I wish I could find some little ferns like that!

http://youtu.be/P76eFEwilEU


I do have a pink plant just like that one he planted!  Now....I want moss!

Who remembers terrariums?

Well, actually... even though I first heard of them eons ago (back in the hippie days).... I don't think they ever really lost popularity ... either that, or they have made a big comeback.

I've had this one for .... oh, man....I can't remember how long.  It dried out, the plants died and the dirt was rock hard...the thing was sooooo dusty...... but, I loved it then and carted it around with me for years.  Every move; it survived ... glass top and all.  I wish I had a photo of it in its "throw out" state.  Mr. BV tried to toss it more than once... and, who could blame him.

But, I salvaged it from near the garbage can and have been saying for the past 3 years that I was going to clean it up and re-plant it.  Never got around to it.

This summer I saw it yet again....sitting there all dusty in the garden shed.  That did it.

I needed a new date palm anyway seeing as my BIG guy of many years had shrivelled and died.  I blame in on the big renovation... because we had to move it in and out of the house; to the garage etc...it got pretty wind blown and roughed up and neglected.  No wonder it died.

Anyway... long story a bit shorter .... at the shop where I found palms on sale...there were so many tiny plants for a dollar.... I couldn't leave them to die there ....or be tossed out...they looked in a bad way....

I came home, got the terrarium out of the shed... washed and buffed it... put in some lovely new soil, a few little plants, some special rocks.. put in a bit of water and closed the lid.

Et voilà !!

Wild Bird Wednesday

Yesterday this little birdie came to the feeder.  I sprinted out as soon as I noticed him/her.  A tiny tyke, smaller than a chickadee... and, seemed to be all alone.

Please, click the photos to 'embiggen' and, get a closer look look at him....

He didn't much care for the sparrows when they tried to outmuscle him on the perches even if was half their size.  He opened his little wings and gave them what for....  (I didn't hear what he said, but he meant business )...  He didn't seem to mind the nuthatch or the chickadees.  If they showed up, he just went about his business.

Mostly, he waited 'til the feeder perches were vacant ... got onto one and was quite enjoying sitting there in the cool sunny day.. picking through the sunflower seeds and bits... and, usually, it seemed... the sparrows kind of left him to it for a few minutes.  Then, if several of them would go for it at the same time, he flitted up into the Hawthorne tree..... where he waited and would go down again when they had pigged out and left.

He didn't seem as nervous as the sparrows either...they all left in a big flurry when I went out and there he sat.... looking at me...  quietly munching seeds, wondering what the big deal was.  Of course, I tried for that one step closer to the feeder and off he went into the tree.... and, then...nobody showed up til I left and went in the house.  Bummer...I was hoping for a real close up... but, had to resort to a bit of cropping.

Here is one of his back side to show the markings....

From my only bird book...I think he might be an American Goldfinch although I don't know if we get many around here.  Looking at him from a distance I didn't think he had a finch type beak...but, now ...looking closer ..perhaps that is what he is.  If my birding bloggy buddies "in the know" can let me know, I'd be a happy bird watcher.....

Isn't he a little cutie? ... He is so tiny even though it is hard to tell in a photo.

Please take a minute or two to check out other birds over at Wild Bird Wednesday.... there are soooooo many......

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It's dry, crispy and orange.....

It's autumn for sure now.

Orange is not really my favourite colour ....  especially when it is corrupted with darker splotches and colourations.  Sigh.  Oh, well....it is that time of year.

We have a variety of leaves in the yard...not many from our own few columnar aspens ... and, plenty blown in from front, back and sides.... all the neighbours have the trees ... the wind is their friend.  They all wait long enough so that they rarely have to rake.

One out of four is aspen.

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I'm ticked.  Somehow I caught a cold.  Must have been about 17 cold germs marched in abreast in a weak moment or something..  and...I got it!  Dammit.  I hardly ever get a cold so I'm not a good patient .... as a matter of fact I have no patience at all. !!!

I felt a scratchy throat on Thursday and by Friday my head felt like a giant puffball.  I couldn't breathe through my nostrils at all.  Not much sleep that night... which of course, doesn't help anything.  Then, coughing all day Saturday til I felt my ribs were in grave danger ...luckily I've been working out regularly for the past few months and I'm sure there was more strength there than usual.  I was even doing oblique crunches ... getting to where I could get my upper body off the floor pretty well... not perfect yet and now set back a few weeks I'm sure.

It may be short lived as I feel more human already today... but, I ain't going to rush things....I know how quickly a person can set themselves back if they overdo too soon after a down and out session.

Looking at blogs still doesn't interest me... but, I'll get around to it .........soon.......... maybe.............

Wild Bird Wednesday

I got a nuthatch!  Well, actually, I got some pics of a couple of different nuthatches!  And, I'm pretty excited... because they are as elusive ..maybe more so... than the chickadees.

Maybe it is male and female ..maybe there are different colourations... I'm not sure.  Tomorrow ... I'll look up some birdie info on them... but, for now I just wanted to brag about them coming to check out my new feeder.

UPdate... I'm thinking the first guy is a Red Breasted Nuthatch... and, the lower one might be a White Breasted Nuthatch .. there... I think I've got it figured out.

They only seem to come around if other birds are there ...especially lots of sparrows.  Maybe they like them to act as guard birds or something... warning about danger by flying off in a hurry if there is danger... and, seeing as I have plenty of sparrows around..it is noisy when they "flurry"....

The little nuthatches are so cute.  Hanging off the side of the feeder..getting a seed and then off they fly to enjoy it.  Much like the chickadees.  They don't hang around and nibble their snacks like the sparrows do.

The sparrows are pigs... they jump on and off the little perches ... sitting and nibbling for a bit .. flying off for a drink...or to hop around on the ground and clean up little things that fell off when they were in their eating frenzy.  In and out of the tree and the shrub and onto the feeder again... til they eat me out of house and home and then...sit on the patio wall looking at me through the window.  Well, I feel like they are looking at me....

I bought a big bag of seeds today... $43.00 ... yikes!  And, I looked at a winter bird water bowl... with a heater in it so they can have open water in the frigid weather.  $104.00 .... sigh...... having fun with birds can start to add up.

Click on the pics to make 'em bigger and get close up and personal with a nuthatch... or two ... aren't they cute?

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On Golden Pond

This is not a very clear photo of the beautiful little guy..... but, it just had to be taken... ... after all, it was a chickadee..and they can disappear pretty quickly sometimes.  This guy seemed to be content to just sit there though....too bad I wasn't a bit more careful this time.

I have a lot of shots of disappearing bums, flapping wings, or, nothing at all in the frame when it comes to birds...

So, I had to show it to you.

The setting sun was reflecting off the windows across the street... and it looked so great on the water....

Wild Bird Wednesday

I've shown you a Northern Flicker before...but, this is different.

Last week I bought a birdie feeder.  It's called a Squirrel Buster.  It has a mechanism that prevents squirrels from getting the seeds.  They weigh more than any of the birds I want to see on my feeder.

The factory setting is about 2.5 ounces to 4 ounces or something like that.  I'll have to read up on it again.  It's difficult to determine exactly how much I turned the screw to increase the weight allowed before it closes down now... ..although, I do have a gram scale and will eventually test how much I now have it set for...

For the first few days I left it at factory setting.  This happened.

( Click on any photo to "biggify" )

The poor guy (or maybe now that I look closely at my own photo..this is not a guy)...I'm not totally sure. Anyway.. she/he gave it his best athletic chin up performance and the feeder closed down ... darn it.  I still want Flickers and Jays to be able to get some seeds... so I will have to figure out weights ..

He did immediately look around on the ground under it and got some for sure.... they are messy little guys, those chickadees and sparrows... and...a nuthatch and a Mr. Chirpy (that would be a house finch for those that didn't see my other post)...  so far that is what I've seen hanging around.  He also hung around for ants and other little tasty bits in the dirt in the garden.

The next day he came again... but, I looked closer, and, well, it isn't the same one.  Anyway... this time he didn't bother with the feeder... but, hopped right onto the edge of the bird bath.

I think somebody's Mummy forgot to tell this poor guy that he isn't a sparrow.  He tried to talk with them... but, they weren't having any of it.  In they jumped and splashed water all over him... how rude...

He tried to fend off the major splashes... ... but, they just kept at it..

Finally it got to be too much...

He cannonballed 'em.... hahhahah...they got outta there!! That guy on the right looks like a flying lobster!

But, they disappeared and then he was all alone.  He just sat there looking around....
One of them hid out under the bath...

Hey, where did you guys go??...

He played quietly for a bit...then sat there some more...in the middle of the bath... all alone....
Finally, one little sparrow showed up and they had a chat...

Then, a second came and the Flicker hopped out to give them room......
 In they both went.

And, then..... a whole flock of them started hopping in and out of the water ... I think he felt a bit overwhelmed .. he flew off and left them to their own wild splashing...

By the time they finished...I had to add more water!

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Wild Bird Wednesday

.... and, ........I don't have anything exotic or unusual this week.  Nope.  Just some run-of-the-mill, everyday, house sparrows.

But....I have to say...they are a pretty interesting and cute bunch of guys ...and gals too I guess.  I love their antics.

Seeing as I am not a bird watching connoisseur ....I haven't a clue really about gender, etc..  But, there are various colourations, and maybe even a few different types... who knows?  Not me... but, you might.... so, let me know if you have specific information.

Meantime... to see them larger ..."biggify" by clicking on the pics....

Checking for danger before having a bath......

Oooooh ....it's cold....... and, ....kinda deep...........it's already up to my feathers..... !!

Alright then... perhaps a face wash at the very least......


Hey!  who's that interrupting my fun? ......

What the? .... where did THEY all come from?........

Brother........

If you want to see all sorts of exotic and beautiful birds ...and some absolutely amazing photography .... head on over to Wild Bird Wednesday.... just click on the badge below...

Emu feathers? ...

I wonder if some little birdie used some of "That Emu's" feathers to line a downy nest in this little birdie box?

It is on a tree in his enclosure ... and, it sort of looks like they could be his..... yup, I think they are some of his plumage.... or, were......

Anyway...I think it's a nice photo and just wanted to post a fun thing for you to see on this Monday....

"That Emu" ... near the same tree....

Click on the pics to enlarge for a better look......

Wild Bird Wednesday

... wherein I show you a bird not indigenous to Canada (where I live) and tell you a little story about "That Emu" .....

My sister lives in the neighbouring province... I go there from time to time... and, once we drove past a field in which I spied a huge bird. An emu!  What??!!  I couldn't believe my eyes and, of course, wanted to stop right away and take pictures.  But, we were already past him and continued on to her place.

Later, I mentioned that we should go to take a picture of the emu but she somehow was thinking I meant getting a picture of some llamas in the neighourhood.... and, in her head was thinking where would be the best place to find some llamas to photograph.  Anyway... time passed, we didn't go, and next time we spoke of it ...probably even in my next visit a year later.... she said .."oh that emu!" ..   We laughed our heads off after we figured out the mental mix up ... Vikki may even have had pink cheeks, ....and now, it will be forever referred to as "That Emu" in any conversation we have about it ... likely til the end of time... because we do enjoy our little foibles...

And, so it is with much ado about one little guy...or girl, because I have no clue which it might be.... that I give you....

 "That Emu"

and, don't forget ...to biggify any pic, just click on it.... get up close and personal to an emu.  Not just any old emu either ..... but, "That Emu"

I don't know the story behind how this one came to Canada, and I can't imagine how he survives in the -30C days in winter, even though they say they are very able to withstand variances in temperatures because they have a great cooling and heating system.  They only mention temps. as low as -5C...  My sister does know the lady who is a neighbour to it and eventually we may find out all the details.  Stay tuned.   She gave us permission to go in her yard to get a photo and that was good enough for us this time around.

They are a bird native to Australia.  Wiki says they grow to as tall as 6 foot 6 ... so he isn't actually a little guy at all ... I don't know exactly how tall this one is ..but, he was well above the 4.5 foot fence around him and has been there for years so is fully grown.

He came up close to us after a bit when he was sure we were harmless ... which I guess I didn't think he would.... so, wouldn't you know it.. ....I had on my zoom lens and the other was in the car and I didn't have time to change it so had to keep backing up to get him in focus.  Well, that and I wasn't sure if he would perhaps be "peckish"  so didn't stand too close to the wire.  Darn it I so wanted a close up of his face.  Closer than this.
I need two camera bodies ... with different lenses on each.  Maybe some day....

He even sat down, and, with his huge clawed feet, inched right up to the wire ...  even got his feet right inside it.  I wasn't sure if that was so he could get his head closer to the fence or if that is what he does for treats or what... either way... we didn't feel brave enough to take chances and besides that ..we were getting concerned in case he got hung up in the fencing wires...so we stood further away and then he ambled off ..... over near his favourite tree.  We should have asked the lady if we could take him treats ... and, what he likes.... perhaps carrots or apples or other fruits from what I've seen on another blog about emus.... next time.... and maybe next time I will try to stroke that soft curly hair if we find out he is used to being petted.

The area he was in was mostly tall grasses with a few trees in it... it was a fairly large area.  I wondered if he was lonely....

Look at the size of those legs...like fence posts.... and, how I wish I had a pic of those huge claws and feet.... !!   I read in Wiki that they are "powerful enough to tear down metal wire fences" ... .... honestly..it said that!  But, he did seem pretty tame .... so we didn't think he would do that.

Well, there you have it.  My wild bird guy for Wild Bird Wednesday... and now I'm off over to see what other birds have been photographed for today.....

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Wild Bird Wednesday

We call him Mr. Chirpy.  His real name is House Finch.

He has some wonderful chirpy songs.... .... and, is pretty camera shy.  Yes, I know it looks like he is just a show off...but, I only managed to capture these pics through a window with a venetian blind in it.  And, I had to move stealthily because he flew off the second he noticed any movement.  I hardly ever manage to outwit them when I am outside...they check on me from a tall tree across the street... sing at the top of their little lungs and wait til I go in the house....arrrghhhhh!!

((Remember to click on any of the photos to "biggify" them...))

However, I managed to adjust the blind just so for the angle I needed to the birdie bath ....and, after the first few blurry photos and him leaving and then coming back later (of course, I don't know for sure it was the same guy...but, I'm pretending it was) .... I managed to get him having some fun in the birdie bath.

This may not be the same guy...and, was probably several days before the rest of the shots...  ...but, had to show you how cool and collected a "Chirpy' can look... . ..  
                                                               

.... before it becomes this..!!

 Woooohooooo!!

... and, he ends up totally bedraggled and spiky.... ..

If you would like to see more fun and interesting birds...head on over to
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