Being One With the Hummingbirds

This past weekend we traveled to Lake Hope State Park in Ohio.  We read an article in Birds and Bloom Magazine (my absolutely favorite birding magazine, btw) about a hummingbird event at the park.  Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through July and August you can hand feed hummingbirds and last weekend a hummingbird expert from Michigan was there to band the birds and talk about them.  We made plans (but choose our accommodations poorly - won't rent there again), packed our bags and off we went.

It was FANTASTIC!  Having those delicate little creatures so close was totally awesome.   The Nature Center puts out feeders on a regular basis:

Then when it's time to hand feed they take them down.  (Sorry, no pictures of that yet.  They are on the husband's camera and I haven't gotten copies.  I'll add them when I can.)

On Saturday the banding expert did his thing and I was allowed to release the only male bird caught!  Several people attending took pictures and sent them to me.  (I felt like a model - well, no, not really.  :-) 

It was a great experience.  If you live anywhere near there the feeding alone is worth the ride.  It happens at 1pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in July and August.

We hope to go back next year and stay in the park itself.  The lake was beautiful, very clear and had lily pads in bloom! 

 

New Bird in Town (or at least in my backyard!)

After being away for more than a week we had some "catching up" to do around the house.  Top on the list is always: water the plants and fill the bird feeders.  A lot of the trees are now growing, the grass is thick and full and flowers are breaking through the soil.  But the first thing I noticed when I looked outside was a new bird!  I haven't managed to catch him with my camera yet, but here is an image I found online of a beautiful tree swallow:

There are at least two in yard.  I think they are either nesting in one of my boxes or in a nearby tree.  The color is brilliant! One of the birds spends a lot of time perched on a hook near a birdhouse that I originally put up hoping to attract bluebirds.  When I read up about these tree swallows it mentioned that they are attracted to the same areas as bluebirds - so maybe they're staying in the box.  I don't have solid proof of that yet.

I put some dried meal worms out near where I often see them perched hoping that they would like them and accept my "token of friendship".  It would be great if they became "regulars."
 

Escaping the Cold

I've been playing hooky again from my blog.  We decided to celebrate the husband's retirement and escape the frigid winter here at home.  Florida is just about the only place in the states where you can be fairly sure to have warm weather this season!  We set out on a driving trip to visit a few fun spots and to visit my sister and her family.  They moved last year and we hadn't had a chance to visit yet.  My brother joined us from the colder and snowier state of Indiana, so it was a bit of a mini family reunion. 

We started out in historic St. Augustine on the east coast of the state.  There is plenty to do there and we only skimmed the surface.  They claim to be the oldest city in the US and it was originally settled by the Spanish.  There is a great Spanish fort to visit and my favorite...a lighthouse:

You can see that the day we visited the lighthouse (actually on our return trip) was our only cloudy, rainy day.

From St. Augustine we crossed to the west side of Florida and spent several days on Sanibel Island.  This area is known for its great shelling.  They also have an abundance of birds and a great bird sanctuary that you can drive through.  And the sunsets are awesome.

From there we went to my sister's house (also on the west coast).  She lives in a great community with lots of activities available and that perfect Florida weather.

Then we retraced our steps and came home to our 30 degree weather....but also to our beloved dog and beautiful new grand daughter.

Lots of shells, lots of new baby clothes and some great fabric jumped in our car and followed us home.

I have lots of pictures and more to tell but for now the sewing machine is calling my name....and I must answer. 

Back from My Blogging Sabbatical

I've been on a bit of a blogging sabbatical this last month.  Things got a bit busy around here and it seemed like a time to just be quite and to myself instead of sharing.

I've been keeping up with most of my bloggy friends even though I haven't commented much at all.  I can't say the same for my sewing.  Some has gotten done, but I don't have a full and complete finish to share and still might not for awhile.  I have actually been NOT reading the posts that make me want to start yet one more new project.  I'm determined to finish up a few things.

So....one good news item to share:  I'm now officially a Nana!  Our granddaughter arrived late January 22, one week before her due date.  Her mother got to experience everything the hospital offered from natural labor to pain control measures to induced labor and finally to C-section.  But they are both doing well now and I am truly smitten by this little one as is the husband.  He bought the most girlish lavender dress with ruffles that he could find and he can't wait to fill the backyard with a sandbox, playhouse and all manner of play equipment.  I've tried to point out that it will be quite awhile before she can use such things, but he just wants to "be prepared". We were supposed to have our babysitting debut tomorrow but that might now be in question due to:

We are buried in snow along with much of the East coast.  Fortunately our power is still on.  I've cleared the bird feeder for our feathered friends and we've broadcast seed on top of the snow for them.  The colors of the birds are so brilliant against the white snow.  So far we have at least 12" and it is still coming down.  Not much is moving outside in our neighborhood.  I've called to be put on the list for a driveway "plow out" so all that is left is to sit and wait.  I may make a snowy excursion to the mailbox soon although I don't think my boots are quite high enough to keep the snow at bay!

 

Spring will be SO welcomed this year!

 

The Quiet Water, a Dog Party and a Lighthouse.

It's pretty clear that the ocean holds a special place in my heart.  But I'm also fond of more still water.  Our vacation place (We don't own this place.  We just think of it as ours since we go there so often.) is on a barrier island so there is a large shallow sound on one side and the Atlantic ocean on the other.  The ocean side was pretty wild during our visit and while we were on the beach everyday it wasn't they type of place where you wanted to just sit and read a book.  The wind was strong for most of the week.

But over on the sound side (and, in fact throughout the town itself) the weather was very pleasant.  So we made several visits to the sound side beach located within Jockey's Ridge State Park.  The sound is so shallow that you can walk out for at a long long way and never get in water over your thigh.  The bottom is sandy and the water clear.  Seamus likes this place a lot also since he can get wet without being ambushed by the waves.  Here he is "retrieving" a tennis ball:

 

There is a special dog store at the beach called Outer Barks.  Once a week these nice folks host a get together for vacationing dogs and their people.  They call it "Yappy Hour".  There are treats for the dogs and things for them to play in and with.  The people usually talk about the dogs and maybe the dogs are talking to each other about their people. Who knows? My favorite activity is paw painting.  The dogs are assisted by one of the owners and they "paint" a picture.  Here is Seamus' creation:

And, finally in my continuing fascination with lighthouses, we visited Bodie Island Lighthouse.  It was just opened this spring to visitors.  This lighthouse was built three times.  The first one was poorly engineered (early 1800s) and tilted beyond repair in just two years.  The second one was destroyed by Confederate troops to keep it from providing navigation aide to the Union Army.  And the third still stands and was recently renovated.

And as an added bonus, there was a bird blind near the lighthouse with quite an assortment of water birds to watch and photo: herons, a variety of ducks, geese, and more.

Next we take a special trip to the mountains for an even more special event.  The fall colors should be beautiful.  And hopefully there will be fun things to tell about.  And then, I promise, no more vacation photos for a long time!

Playing Tourist, Volume 2 AND.....a New Bird Sighting

My cousin and I tried to take in some of the local flavor during her recent visit.  We have a business near us that is located in an old grist mill.  Silver Lake Mill is a really unique stop.  First of all, there is the custom decorative business.  You can tour the upper levels of the building two days/week.  Not only can you get an inside view of how they operate, but you can see the original structure of the grist mill.  Secondly there is a gift shop on the main floor.  They sell handmade items from local artisans as well as factory seconds and overruns of their own items.  And thirdly, there is the setting itself.  The mill sits on Silver Lake which is home to a family of swans.  This year the swan couple had one brood of five eggs, three of which hatched and two of which still survive.  You can watch the swans from the windows of the mill.  The workers take special interest in the swans and other wildlife around them.  They showed us pictures that they took of the eggs, the newly hatched swans and the slightly older young swans. They even brought the third baby swan to the vet when it was clear that he needed some attention.  In addition there is a family of store cats that live in the mill.  Someone has written a few children's books about the cats.  They're for sale in the store.

After we shopped a bit we walked around the outside to see the water wheel and got a rare treat!  We saw an immature green heron fly into the wheel (It wasn't running).  I've done my best to enhance this picture, but it's still pretty difficult to see, so the second picture is there to show you what it really looks like:

I always get a thrill out of seeing a new bird for the first time!

All Quiet on the Birding Front

We've noticed less action at our birdfeeders in the past week or so.  And when you sit outside there is much less "bird chatter".  In fact it is eerily quiet at times.  A look up at the power lines shows only one or two mourning doves on sentry duty.  And when I see birds at my feeders they look almost worried.  They eat quickly, quietly and then disappear.

I think this is the reason why:

This was actually the third time this year that I've sited a hawk.  I think this is a red tailed hawk, although I'm not too experienced on identifying hawks, so if anyone has an opinion, I'd love to hear it.  Red tailed are the largest and most common in this area...and this guy is BIG.

I had spied this guy a few days ago while working in the yard.  He actually flew within 10 feet of me.  This morning he was sitting on top of a house about a block from me when I walked by with the dog.  And he stayed there long enough for me to go home, call my husband, get the binoculars and have a look.....and even longer while we loaded the car for a trip to the store, grabbed the camera and stopped to shoot some pictures.

So I guess the birds are scared of becoming a hawk meal.  I'm sure they'll return once he moves on to a different hunting ground.

Here is a better picture of a red tailed hawk that I got here:

 

"Large Print" Birds

Our bird feeders continue to get lots of visitors including this lovely bright yellow goldfinch:

My husband has a feeder outside his office window and enjoys watching the birds while he works.  He has even begun to recognize the different types of birds and the different genders. He commented recently that blue jays are like large print birds and are great for "old eyes".  They're big, colorful, easy to see and easy to identify.

 

The Empty Nest

Our baby robins have left the nest.

They grew fast and strong.  Here are some pictures of them at different "ages:
Young and featherless.....

A tad bit bigger:

And bigger yet:

Mama and Daddy did a great job of feeding this brood.  But then a few days ago as I was watching them, one got shoved out of the nest to a branch right beside!  He couldn't figure out how to get back because of the placement of the branches.  Mama seemed to ignore him when she brought food and I became worried.  I thought we had a potential bird crisis.  I kept checking on him.  It seemed like he was having a difficult time holding onto the branch.  Then, one check found him gone!  I ran downstairs hoping I didn't find a bird splat, but there he was, a few feet below the nest on another branch:

I was still kind of worried, but apparently all is well in the robin world.  We left for a short time and when we came back he was gone.  I thought I would see the babies hopping around the ground for a day or two learning how to be robins, but it seems as though these fellas just flew off to live the rest of their days as happy robins.

The other two remained in the nest.  I checked on them that evening and a second baby was standing on the edge of the nest.  It seemed like he wanted to fly but wasn't quite sure.  By morning there was only one left:

He too stood on the edge for quite awhile this morning.  Finally while my back was turned, he flew away.  So all three babies are launched into the robin-y world.  And I've refilled the feeder that I let go empty to give Mrs. Robin a bit of peace to raise her family.  I'm sure my usual customers will soon discover that the feeder is again operational.

It's been such a joy and privilege to have this close up and inside look at the robin family.  I've learned a lot about nesting birds and robins in particular.  If fact we're thinking of putting up some bird houses in the backyard to try to attract other nesting birds.  But this up close view right outside my window was so very special.  And I'll wonder as I see robins in the yard now if any of them are "my babies." 

News From the Nest: More Pictures!!

I was able to get some better shots of the little ones today!  Mama was off her nest and I caught the babies napping:

Then she came back and the most active one decided that he should have a snack:

If your new to this story the background is:  a few weeks ago a robin built a nest in this tree right outside the window of my sewing room.  I've had great fun watching her mind her eggs and now her young.  It has really been special!

News From the Nest: We Have Babies!!

Late yesterday morning Mrs. Robin's eggs hatched!!  I was able to see her feeding them only one time and snapped this picture which isn't the greatest.  You can see a worm in her mouth that she fed to the little ones if you are able to make the picture larger.  I could count two "robinettes", but there might be a third in there.  She still spends a lot of time on the nest and they seem to spend most of the day napping.  I'm going to try to catch feeding time again and get a better picture.  It would help if the sun would come out to improve the shot.  The baby birds blend in with the nest so they are extremely hard to see in the picture.  And once they start their chirping I should have a better idea of when to go to the window.

This morning is cloudy but sunshine is promised this afternoon, so maybe I'll be able to catch a good picture!

News from the Nest

Recently I reported that a  robin is "with eggs" just outside my sewing room window.  I've been keeping a daily watch on the little family to be and can report that Mrs. Robin continues to sit on her nest.  Occasionally a loud noise from my sewing room will scare her and she will step off for a bit.  Mr. Robin occasionally takes a turn sitting on the eggs to give her a bit of a break.  He kind of overflows the nest a bit and doesn't fit in as nicely as the Mrs. She has faithfully sat through several days of rain without complaint protecting her babies. The nest is held together with mud and I worry that all the dampness is taking a toll on the structural integrity.  It looks a bit droopy lately. But, those little robins should be ready to break out any day now making me a birdy grandma! Here's the latest picture taken through the window and blinds before we started our rainy season.  She seems to be looking right at the camera!

The Circle of Life

It looks like we're expecting......baby robins, that is!  So, on the tails of the dove passing, we have the promise of new little robins to watch.

I have a feeder outside my sewing room window that sits right behind a holly tree.  Here's a picture from my window:

A few days ago I noticed a robin building a nest in the top of the tree.  It was so fascinating to watch her bring up building supplies and mud and then round out the nest to just the right size to fit her body.  She also "scolded" the birds trying to get seed from the feeder.  About this same time we had a lot of activity with window washing and cleaning around this window and tree.  I didn't see much more of Mrs. Robin so I assumed she had abandoned this location because of the activity.

But this morning when I went to the window I startled her.  She had been on the nest and when she flew off I saw a small clutch of eggs! 

A few minutes later she came back and parked herself on top of her eggs.  I saw Mr. Robin down below keeping watch and helping with the protection detail.  I've decided to suspend putting seed in that feeder for a few weeks to give her some quiet and tranquility for nesting and raising her little ones.

You can find facts on robins here: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/robin/EggstraEggstra.html.  It takes robins 12-14 days for the eggs to hatch and then about another two weeks before they fly away.  I'm so excited to have a front row seat to the whole experience.  Or should I say "a bird's eye view"?

The Widowed Dove

Feeding and watching the birds is a favorite past time of mine.  We have feeders all around the house.  It's fun to see the different personalities of the birds.  The finches are very social and will feed in large groups.  The mockingbird chases away the other birds when he comes to feed.  And then there's the doves.  Doves are not the smartest birds in the yard.  We've watched them become confused at the feeders with clear tops.  They can see the food but they can't seem to get to it when they are perched on the clear top.  One made it to the feeding deck on another clear feeder only to become stuck for a short time while trying to figure out why he couldn't fly through the clear plastic.  But doves are sort of endearing in their own way.  And they are one bird species that mate for life.  So it was a bit heart wrenching yesterday when we spotted a dead dove on the patio and his "spouse" staying nearby waiting for him to wake up.  (I'm not sure which gender died and which remained to tell the truth.)  She stayed by his side for HOURS and would occasionally poke and nudge him trying to get him to wake up and fly away with her.  She looked so lost and confused.  So sad.

House for Rent

I know the weather (at least here) is still quite chilly and spring seems a long way off.  But, just in case there are some homeless birds looking for a place to nest and start their family, I put up my new birdhouse.

This house suctions to the window in my sewing room studio.  I don't know a lot about attracting birds to houses, but I choose this location because it's high, safe and quiet.  It's not the same window as the feeders and since it's on the second floor the neighborhood cats can't bother it.  It's made to allow me to spy on the bird family.  And if that seems to bother them it comes with a piece of "two way" film allowing me to see them while concealing the bird's view of me.  I think it's secure since we've had quite a bit of wind the last few days and it has stayed put.

No deposit, no lease, no minimum stay.  Limited to species that can fit through the door.

Birds At My Sewing Room Feeder

My sewing room used to be located in a closet.  It was a big closet....but a small sewing room.  I didn't sew as much back then, but it was still quite a production to get things set up and put away.  But the family dynamics have changed with son #3 moving away to college and then grad school and coming home less and less.  So I slowly took over his room.  It's a large room over the garage.  It still houses a large bed so a good portion of the floor space is occupied.  But, I'm not complaining!  I have my desk, computer, file, sewing machine, cutting table and even a small TV and chair all in here.  There is a window at each end of the room.  Early on I decided to try to attract birds to the front window and was pretty successful.  Here's my latest set up (without birds since they're a bit camera shy):

(Please ignore the dirty windows!)   My usual customers are finches, blue jays and cardinals with an occasional dove.  But lately I've had quite an assortment of different birds!  Black capped chickadees, tufted titmouse, mockingbirds, all kinds of sparrows and even a woodpecker have visited!  I'm enjoying the assortment of birds (there are links to pictures of each one above) and would love for it to continue although I think many of them are passing through en route to warmer climates.

A Trend Setter!

A few weeks ago I wrote about a bald headed cardinal who has been frequenting my bird feeder.  She continues to visit and has not yet grown back any feathers, but it appears as though she is a trend setter.  I now have a bald headed Blue Jay who visits along with some Cardinals who were not brave enough to lose all of their head feathers but were able to sport a single feather crown as a compromise.  I wish I could catch some pictures to show you, but they're quick little things and my movements inside seem to frighten them away.  I've learned that Cardinals and Blue Jays sometimes molt in this fashion in the late summer and fall and that they should soon be regaining their head feathers.  In the meantime, my admiration for these odd looking creatures grows. If indeed birds have self confidence, it seems like these baldies are at the top of the list!

My Bald Headed Friend

I like to feed the birds in our yard.  We have quite a few feeders on several sides of the house as well as two on the second floor.  Even the husband has gotten into the bird watching.  He has a feeder in his office window and enjoys watching the birds during his work day. 

About a month ago an unusual bird showed up at the feeder in my sewing room.  I get a nice close view of birds at this feeder since in sits right on the window ledge.  At first her appearance was alarming!  I thought it was a new type of bird that I had never seen before.  But then, as I looked closer I realized it was a female cardinal.....with NO feathers on her head.  Completely bald.  She looked like a miniature vulture.  I immediately felt sorry for her!  I have no idea why she is bald or if she will always be bald. (Although, thanks to the wonders of internet search I've discovered that it isn't a particularly serious condition)  She seems healthy and I think she had young to feed this year.  And a male cardinal is often around with her, so she isn't shunned by the other birds.  She seems to chirp happily and appears to be a well adjusted, though odd looking creature.  I guess birds don't have self image problems and really don't care much about how they look.  We could learn a lot from that. 

Here's the best picture that I could catch through the window.  It's taken through the slats of the blind, when she was just starting to fly away, but I think you can get an idea of her strange look.

I'm glad that she seems happy and well adjusted but I still find myself wanting to fashion a wig for her.

Cape Romano, Florida

While we were in Florida we took a boat trip to a place called Cape Romano.  This is a remote island accessable only by boat.  The trip was rich with wonderful things, like.....dolphins -

LOTS of shells -

shore birds willing to "pose" -

ospreys -

and most fun of all, a weird misplaced bit of "sci-fi" architecture -



The Return of the Hummingbirds!

We moved into this house in the fall of 2003.  Shortly thereafter we noticed hummingbird activity and became almost addicted to watching the delicate birds circle and feed on flowers around the house.  I went out and bought several varieties of feeders and put them all around the house near windows where we could watch them.  We had daily activity at all the feeders.  The next year I was excited to again watch their activity and put the feeders out once again, but there were NO customers.  Each year I put out at least one feeder hoping to attract them back without success.  BUT last night we were sitting outside in the evening and noticed several birds flying around the patio area and stopping to "check us out".  This years feeder had fallen down a few days ago and I had only recently put it back outside.  I was thrilled to see the little hummer visit my feeder!  In fact I was so excited that I went inside and hung yet another feeder.  He hasn't taken a liking to the second feeder.  It may be too close to the window for his comfort.  But he has returned faithfully to the first feeder all night and again this morning and afternoon!  There appears to be about three birds.  They take turns at the feeder and fly off together to visit other areas and circle back again to us. 

What a nice little gift at this time of year when summer is waning!  I hope they stick around for awhile and make this an annual stop.