The Beauty Of The Changing Seasons

Radogast, That robins nest is a work of a master engineer and an artist at heart. :clap::welldone::clap: I am amazed the bird could do such intricate weaving using just his beak and feet. I am not sure whether or not it is the male or female that does the build. I know the female lines it for the eggs. Dan
:bravo::bravo::bravo::bravo:
 
Radogast, That robins nest is a work of a master engineer and an artist at heart. :clap::welldone::clap: I am amazed the bird could do such intricate weaving using just his beak and feet. I am not sure whether or not it is the male or female that does the build. I know the female lines it for the eggs. Dan
:bravo::bravo::bravo::bravo:

That robin's nest is at least 5 years old - it gets about 1/2" deeper every year. I have no idea why they built it within arm's length of the front door - maybe they felt it would discourage crows from egg raiding that close to people.
 
I've been snipping at a harvest plant on and off the last few hours, and enjoying the hummingbirds visiting the feeder. (I'm going to get a shot of that Ruby Throat yet!) They have been busy.
I have not been alone in the watch. The Oriole liquid feed has been diluted by the rain, so it must have lost the sweet or sticky. They have been watching the hummingbirds with interest as well.

Mr. Oriole decided to check this out....there must be food there..."How do I get to it?"...he questions.

oriole_feeding_4.jpg


He got to it, but was having major trouble staying in the air steady enough to keep his big beak in the small opening.

oriole_feeding_5.jpg


Enter the Mrs. She landed on the bird feeder and began assessing the situation:

oriole_feeding_3.jpg


Okay, get a good footing......

Oriole_feeding_1.jpg


Streeeeetch that body out and Voila!!

oriole_feeding_2.jpg


The Mr., who decided he needed to save face, and was not about to be outdone by a girl, found another way. He must have been doing his yoga correctly, he was able to bend that body pretty good and hang on. It worked:

oriole_feeding_6.jpg
 
I have the same phone as cannafan. I don't achieve her greatness :)

Hand-fed since a wee squirrel a year ago

20160515_080624-1.jpg

Awwwwww.....I want to just reach out and give it a nice pet. Cuddle too....but it probably doesn't cuddle well. LOL

Thanks Rado!

And thanks Magic Dude and Mr A too! Get those cameras out and practice. Doesn't cost a dime, like the old film days did and you had to bracket shots. Wasted film.....oy vey..
Now you can take a hundred and chuck 99. LOL
 
What a stunning bird to have visit!!:thumb:

Top drawer photography too.

If there was a 2017 Seasonal photo calendar of Michigan available to order on line I would get one for my fridge door, and for Christmas presents of course!

The main seasonal colour where I am is provided by a houseplant at the moment

Amaryllis.jpg
 
What a stunning bird to have visit!!:thumb:

Top drawer photography too.

If there was a 2017 Seasonal photo calendar of Michigan available to order on line I would get one for my fridge door, and for Christmas presents of course!

The main seasonal colour where I am is provided by a houseplant at the moment

Amaryllis.jpg

Woo Hoo! AJ has his posting abilities back! Hopefully that is fixed for good. I'll answer your email later today. I haven't forgotten you, been busy with home projects.

That flower is sooooo pretty. I think my Mom has some of those, I'll have to check the blooms next time I'm over there.

Thanks for popping in!

Luv n Hugs

:circle-of-love:
 
I had to take a break from the job search today. It's so frustrating!

I decided to go looking for something. I've had a pair of Mallards and also a pair of Wood ducks hanging around on the pond well past time that all of the other ducks who stop to rest are gone to their summer homes. So, I went looking for a nest. To do this I had to trudge through briars and other prickly plants to stay on the edge. I found a few things, but not the nest.

First Den. This is about 3 to 4 feet wide and it goes back very deep. The spot this den is at cannot be seen unless you are standing almost in the water, and it's in the thickets.
I'm thinking this is one of two critters, Coyote or Bobcat. It's way too large for a simple raccoon or muskrat. There are some footprint residues that are big paws, not that of a coon.

den_1.jpg


On with the trek, and I discovered another. This one is a little smaller, but still big enough for either larger critter:

Den_2.jpg


And the biggest one of all. Shocked me. This hill was left purposely so I could sit at the top and view the whole eastern end of the pond. I used to use it as a hunting spot to hunt the field behind it as well.
The den here is huge!

Den_3.jpg


I did walk up to the top...but frankly I don't think I want to be standing there when whatever critter comes out of there and gets surprised. LOL
This is the view from the top. There is a dark area on the left bank you might be able to make out. That is the first den.

on_top_of_the_den.jpg


I'll have some pretties up in a bit, but this one belongs here. No pretty to be had. These are the worms responsible for chewing up my outdoor girls last year. I found two of these nests. They had to go. I "dismantled" them and threw them in the pond for fish food. Circle of life and all....

nest_of_plant_eating_worms.jpg
 
You have Otter's :)

Quite possible too. I have never seen an otter in the twenty years I've been here, just the muskrats. I know where their dens are. Ankle breakers. LOL I have seen the Bobcat fairly regular out here, and the coyotes are always around. Some years I can hear the pups barking near me when I'm in the woods.

I have one or two of those hunting cameras that you strap to a tree and it operates on infrared and movement. I'm going to position one of those outside that first den and see what happens. ;-)
The biggest den, I might have to put a pole stake close to it. There aren't any trees within reach to get the motion detector to go off.

This is fun. :)
 
Quite possible too. I have never seen an otter in the twenty years I've been here, just the muskrats. I know where their dens are. Ankle breakers. LOL I have seen the Bobcat fairly regular out here, and the coyotes are always around. Some years I can hear the pups barking near me when I'm in the woods.

I have one or two of those hunting cameras that you strap to a tree and it operates on infrared and movement. I'm going to position one of those outside that first den and see what happens. ;-)
The biggest den, I might have to put a pole stake close to it. There aren't any trees within reach to get the motion detector to go off.

This is fun. :)

On Safari starring Cannafan ... :tommy::tommy::tommy::tommy::tommy::tommy::tommy:
 
Back
Top Bottom