Late season snows are often the heaviest, and prettiest, at least around here. It's snowing again, rather heavily. The wind at ground is calm, but the flakes are coming down as big, compound flakes that look rather like eiderdown. I think that means there's vertical winds further up, to allow the big flakes to form. A trip out back to restock ( Read more... )

So, something ate part of one of my Downy Woodpeckers. The amount that was eaten was sufficient to render the entire Woodpecker a writeoff. I don't think it was the Hawk, since the feathers weren't plucked. Hawks tend to leave a huge mess behind as though the victim had exploded. I have to suppose it was either the Raccoons, or else one of the ( Read more... )

I now have full-time Bluejays. Rather a quantity of them, in fact, at least three, and perhaps as many as five. Their colours are already looking muted, more of a dusty greyish-blue than anything. They seem to have replaced the Grackles at the peanut tray. All of the feeders are less busy than at the peak season, given that there's not that ( Read more... )

Last Friday, I more or less stumbled upon the location of the cardinals' nest. It was in a shrub, about four feet off the ground, completely invisible from above. There were three eggs. I was excited, since cardinals' nests are hard to find, and this one was situated where I could take pictures of the chicks very easily. I had no idea how long ( Read more... )

So, I know the exact locations of two Robins' nests, and I'm pretty sure where the Cardinals have nested, although I prolly won't ever find it exactly. One Robin is in the big shrubbery/tree at the NW corner of the house. I found her accidentally the other day while clearing out grape vines. The other one is set up right outside the bathroom ( Read more... )

Guy chopped his girlfriend's arm off with a machete, for no obvious reason. Per the police, he was too drugged up to explain why he did it, which may provide a clue right there. The intriguing part is the final sentence, though: "Tyndall is being held without bond after being charged with attempted first-degree murder, castration without malice ( Read more... )

The back yard is absolutely alive with birds! I'm here at my desk, and Alexandra is lying on the windowsill, both of us watching and listening through the screen. Sparrows and Starlings and Robins in the main, with the occasional Woodpecker. They all seem so exuberant and happy this morning, for some reason - no fights that I've seen. There's a ( Read more... )

A cool, drizzly day today. Everyone hit the feeders pretty heavily, as that was their best chance of getting a meal on a day like this, especially if they didn't want to be out for hours in the rain.


( Read more... )

( Read more... )

From earlier today.


( Read more... )