by Susan | Mar 9, 2019 | Backyard Birds, On My Mind
Hannah once asked me what my spirit animal might be. Given my deep affinity for owls, I told her it would be an owl. “A small owl?” she asked. “No, a big ass owl, like a Great Gray,” I told her. Frankly, I’d want to be top of the food chain. However, the truth is, it...
by Susan | Feb 1, 2019 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
I wondered how long it would take. Turns out it was only a matter of time before the squirrel discovered my new window bird feeder. They’re brazen little things. That cat virtually on the other side of the window didn’t scare him. Gidget barking...
by Susan | Jan 21, 2019 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
It’s rare that I have the house to myself. With Paul away taking Hannah back to college, I had all types of plans for my weekend. Rather than being wonderfully productive, I felt a bit unsettled. I worry when my family is on the road – and in a winter...
by Susan | Oct 24, 2018 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
A flock of Grackles arrived on Monday contrasting beautifully with the birch tree outside the living room window. They are so much more than just black. When the sun hits them, they shine. They worked their way through a feeder full of seed. As beautiful as they were...
by Susan | Jul 16, 2018 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
I love these tiniest of backyard birds. It seems like I never have time these days to lie in wait for the hummer’s acrobatics. Yet yesterday, I found myself in the right place at the right time. And managed to focus the camera just right. I do much better...
by Susan | Jul 9, 2018 | Backyard Birds
I apologize for the poor pictures. I finally relented and put the screen back in the living room window. This makes photographing birds at the feeder less than ideal. This was a first for me. Mama Downy Woodpecker brought her youngster to the suet feeder. She grabbed...
by Susan | May 27, 2018 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
I’ve enjoyed the variety of birds at my feeding station since putting out suet cakes. In just a few moments this guy swooped in for a visit. A Hairy Woodpecker. A few seconds later a much smaller woodpecker arrived. It was a Downy Woodpecker. I’ve never...
by Susan | May 19, 2018 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
The rescue mission is over. Hannah and I finally arrived home last night, her first semester of college finished. It felt so good to be back after a whirlwind ten days away. Sleeping in my own bed has never felt so good. Snape the cat was so happy to see me that he...
by Susan | May 6, 2018 | Backyard Birds
I had some computer work planned for today. My mistake was parking myself on the sofa to do said work. I got a little distracted with the show outside the window. I can’t remember a day when I spied so many different varieties of birds all in one day. Chipping...
by Susan | Apr 8, 2018 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy that rare moment where I can sit on the sofa and enjoy the show outside the window. Nature really does provide the best entertainment. The squirrels who were eating me out of house and home before the new feeder pole are...
by Susan | Feb 19, 2018 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
It’s been such a strange winter here. Frigid and snowy one day – balmy the next. In a typical winter we’ll have snow on the ground until mid-Spring. This year, we’ve had plenty of winter weather interspersed with January and February thaws. Our...
by Susan | Feb 4, 2018 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
This weekend I so enjoyed a charm of goldfinches at the feeders. The finches’ subtle, faded out of season colors somehow match the winter landscape. This last image is a merge of two snapshots to show the motion of the birds in flight. Shooting mostly from...
by Susan | Jan 7, 2018 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
As has become our tradition as the Christmas season ends, our Charlie Brown tree has another chance to bring a bit more joy. Hannah helped me bring it outdoors – strategically placed outside one of the living room windows. I dipped apple slices and pine cones...
by Susan | Nov 4, 2017 | Backyard Birds
After a morning of planting garlic (100 cloves), I enjoyed hanging out on the porch photographing this hairy woodpecker. The feeder visitors have been mostly of the blue jay and morning dove variety. I didn’t fill the feeders for much of the summer – the...
by Susan | Jun 18, 2017 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
I hate cleaning my hummingbird feeders, but I do it every weekend. I’ve read it should be done more often, but my time during the week is so limited that I fail. I tend to not fill them very full so the birds run out of sugar water before they should be cleaned....
by Susan | May 22, 2017 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
It’s been ten days now since they’ve returned – the boys of summer, aka the male hummingbirds. As I enjoyed coffee on the porch this weekend, this little fellow perched on the hook and chirped incessantly at me the entire time I sat out there with...
by Susan | Mar 5, 2017 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
Enjoying my first cup of coffee while watching the flurry of activity at the bird feeders is a lovely way to start the day. I just about spilled said coffee scrambling for my camera when I spied this newcomer. My first robin sighting of the season sparked a bit of joy...
by Susan | Feb 16, 2017 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
Storm three of the week was still going strong this morning. I spent a couple of hours on the sofa with my coffee contemplating the real world. Today was Hannah’s third snow day of the week. I had to decide if it was going to by my third snow day as well. All I...
by Susan | Jan 17, 2017 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
My post-Christmas recycled bird tree crashed and burned in the first snow storm after I set it up. I rescued all of the orange cup feeders and sunflower heads and simply hung them on the birch tree in the background here. In the dark of night, all of the ornaments...
by Susan | Jan 7, 2017 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
Despite the fact that my feeders are full, bird activity has been a little slow lately. The squirrels and the mourning doves have been my only regular visitors. With snow in the forecast for this afternoon, I spent the morning setting up bird tree. It’s been a...
