Howdy folks, thought I'd give a little update of whats happening in birdland
here in the backwoods. Migration appears to be complete. My hummers finally
arrived and to my surprise and I do not believe I was seeing things, I have
a BLUE hummer, so looked it up and sure enough there is a Blue throated
hummer although it appears to only make its home in southern states, this
fella is BLUE.
He was very friendly too. buzzed right past my left ear standing on the door
steps and sat on the ph wire right above me, like perching for me to take a
nice picture, which I did as I was intent that day to catch him. Prior day I
had been admiring how pretty my wild apple tree was in bloom, and thats the
first time I saw him. He was bee boping from bloosum to bloosum and having
a blast. No camera at that moment as I'd set it down.
This year I am proud to have 3 pairs of Gold Finches, now in full plummage,
also doing battle with some Pine Siskin I finally ID'd, on the white finch
sock. I have a black one too but they are not particularily fond of it so
must get another white one. They are not shy at all. I have been able to
stnad under the sock and get some good pics. I talk to them all the time, so
guess they recognize my voice.
Now this is a first......I was sprinkling my very TALL purple lilac bush,
about 12', and very old, very pretty and wanted to dust it off from the
dusty road, about that time a Chickadee thought it was a good opportunity to
take a bath! Now he hops from clumbs of wet leaves to the next clump, then
he fluffs himself and goes at it again, course no camera in hand that day!
Was the cutest thing I've seen. What an ingenious way to take a cool bath.
My pretty blue-green swallows have decided this year to make some nest under
the eaves of the west side of the roof, so they are dive bombing me
constantly. I know one nest box down by the barn has babies, I hear them
swacking in there at nite when I am down there.
Much to my delight I still have a pair of mallards on the pond, I do believe
they are nesting nearby but not wanting to scare them off, I have not looked
for the nest. There is a knoll by the pond with a weeping willow we planted
there some years back with a fence around it but small openings here and
there they could get in so I'd be betting they might be nesting in there.
Will see when some little ones appear on the scene, hopefully!
As always Mrs hawk and kit are soaring high on some breeze checking out the
goodies at the ranch. Each year she always brings the kids here. I did
notice the remains of one of my aracauna hens in the pig pen so wouldnt
doubt it was their work. I wish they would leave my hens alone. I am sure
the freedom of the wabbits here are also an attraction to them, as the
population of them appears to have diminished somewhat to abt 15 is the
count lately. I did gather up the hen's remains however and burned them.
Well thats about it for now from the backwoods of Pend Oreille County, good
birding to all, Nena

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