The worms are doing Water Ballet

[woodbyter]

Michigan has more coast line than any other state, or so they say I have not taken my 12' tape measure to verify. It has been raining for the past 24 hours and really coming down pretty hard. The ground is getting saturated and the worms are swiming along in the high grass. Of course the ducks, geese and birds are enjoying the buffet. Nothing like fresh worm on a bed of wet grass.
My major pond has a runoff head drain I installed a few years ago to control the level , especially during heavy rain season. You can hear the roar of water rushing down the 10" pipe 24 hours a day. The pond is fed by two large underground springs. When I first installed the head drain it took 3 months to lower the pond 6 inches with the pipe pulling a full 10" of water off 24/7.
Our first Crane arrived today. They stop in here for the summer and hunt frogs and fish. We have about 6 regulars that have been coming here for 5 years now.
Our dogs love all the fresh arrivals each year since it gives them a chance to exercise their best intruder barks and growls.
Our 6 pound poodle tried to scare off a male peacock today and the bird finally got tired of all the yapping. Peacock outisde-poodle inside - glass door between them. Peacock pecked on the glass after he had had enough from the poodle. Poor little poodle is suffering from peacock intimidation. She has never had anything talk back to her. She is going into therapy next week to rebuild her shattered confidence and ego...LOL
She is curled up on my lap at the moment.
There are times in life when a daughter needs her Dad.
Life is never dull around here.

[Luba]

Ohhhhh not therapy say it ain't so!

[woodbyter]

"Peacockaphobia" was first identified when BIG BIRD scared the heck out of a little kid. LOL -- Since then birds have been raising cane all over the place. Remember Al Hitchcock "The Birds"?
Michigan Peacocks are large, unruly and bossy birds that delight in scaring the heck out of poor, defenseless poodles. And on top of that they POOP all over the place.
On top of all that it was extremely tiring for my poodle. She had to wake up- get off her sofa, relinquish her spot in the warm sun, run to the door and then bark at the Peacock who in an over reactive burst of aggression pecked on the glass and gave my poor little poodle a scare....Bad Bird......
Yes, My poor poodle will have a therapy session right after her shampoo and cut next monday. She will also have her nails painted pink and will be be sporting a new bandana.
We will work on rebuilding her confidence and self image......

[chico2]

Oh Woodbyter,I am sooo jealous,cranes wow
Poor little po-po being all scared of the big bad bird,a beauty makeover,I am sure will boost her confidence

[Luba]

Okay Woody it's time to prove it!! LMAO
I want some pictures!! You know Anita and I are bird watchers and we are dying to see some pictures.


Hey Anita, I couldn't identify a bird at my feeder today. I went through all my resources and I don't know what the heck it was. It was beautiful though.
Sparrow size, with a red throat, coal black with white flecks on the feathers.
I wish I could have gotten close enough to get a picture.

Loads of finches, nuthatches, junco's, warblers, woodpeckers, chickadees, sparrows, cow birds, starlings..and the Northern flicker is eating everything in my yard!! LOL

[woodbyter]

I have a lot of photos using my digital camera-all I need to know is how to upload them to this site???

[Luba]

You have to upload them one by one

You will see an option 'manage attachments'

Hit browse, find them in your computer and upload them!!
Step on it Charlie!!!

[woodbyter]

My word LUBA you certainly are fast on the uptake. Typical woman, always giving directions...LOL (I can get away with saying that-The Mrs. is still asleep)!!!
Here I thought I could hide behind my statement that I "didn't know how" to post photos. A little whining usually works for me but no - you have to jump right in and tell me how it can be done. Now I have to learn how to do it. Grumble - snort - grouse !!!!!
OK OK OK I'll look into it.
First, I need coffee - I {and CHARLIE} do nothing, absolutely NOTHING - other than complain -without coffee.....

[chico2]

Luba,it sounds like a Grosbeak,but they are a bit larger than a sparrow and I am sure you're familiar with Grosbeaks,they don't usually stick around,just pass through.
If there is a bird I am not familiar with or can't find in my bird-book,I always ask Barry McKay,he's a Naturalist,wild-life artist and writer.He used to write very good columns in The Star and that's how I got to know him.
My latest discovery in my backyard is the Common Flicker a kind of large Woodpecker,sings really pretty
And Wooodsy,get on the bandwagon,we NEED some pics

[Luba]

Thank you Charlie (remember the tuna commercial haha)

Anita by george you're right on the money! My North American Bird book didn't have this one in it an I did a google search and you got it bang on!!
Thank ya darlin...

Here it is.....
http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/sh...?recnum=BD0347

Yes and it was there with its mate, saw it a few times yesterday. I've never seen one before I get so excited with birds that come to my feeders esp if I haven't seen them before.

[chico2]

You and me both Oh,for lifes little pleasures

[Luba]

While we wait for Charlie there to post his pictures I thought I'd share this one with you....

A nest of 5 baby chickadee's with mom and dad always nearby stuffing their little bellies. They were so adorably cute!! I hope they come back to the birdhouse again this year.

It was so pretty when the morning glory bloomed around the house and they'd flutter in and out! Imagine the choir of 'chickadee dee dee dee' all day!

[chico2]

Luba,great pictures!!
As you know we've had a really bad couple of West Nile years,it effected our Chickadee population terribly,but I notice a few lately...love those little guys!
Also I told you before,I used to have a feeding-relationship with a family of 7 crows Well,since last summer they too are gone,we have almost no crows in Oakville,it's sad..
I have one left,he's lame in one leg,but comes for leftovers every day,there is nothing sadder than a lonely crow,they are very sociable
Most people don't like them,but I do(what's new!!!)I find them very smart and they were no more afraid of me...I am hoping my lonely crow will find a mate somewhere and reproduce
As for crows raiding nests,the real culprit every year are the Blue-Jays,also part of the crow-family.

[Luba]

Thank you Anita!

I was happy as you to hear the crows this year. The last three/four years have really decreased their numbers but I was so happy to have a flock of 5 of them flying over head just the other day.

The blue jays .... are so funny though when they micmick other birds calls. They fool me sometimes!

We used to have about a dozen or so of them that would come by, but now I see one or two.

The better feeding they have the healhier they'll be, so lets keep feeding them all!!


BTW I used to have a pet crow, appropriately named Blackie!
Was he ever smart! Fell from the next in a park nearby too young to care for himself (this was many many years ago).

He grew up then flew away. In the meantime we trained him to poop on people LMAO not kidding. Well, especially this moron that would rev his car engine on his trans am every morn at 5am. We'd send Blackie over to poop on it after he washed it!! LOL big big crow poopies! hahaha!
He'd peck at our window everymoring 'caw caw' feed me lol he was hillarious!

I wish we had taken pics of him, that would have been wonderful. He used to fly with us to school as well then come back to greet us at lunchtime..we'd come out of the school clap our hands and down he'd come land on us.

Ahh memories!

[chico2]

Hurray for Luba,a soul-mate
This afternoon my guy(crow) was here,I gave him some leftover meat and he happily munched it.He is very insecure when on the ground,they usually have a centinel watching while they eat.
He had a mate in the winter,I don't know what happened to her?
Could it be possible she's laying on eggs and he gets the food for her?But he's been on his own for a while
Your crowstory is nice one,I've heard similar stories from other people..
Don't worry,anything around my house is well fed even hubby

[Luba]

So your crow visits you daily? Thats wonderful! Maybe there is a mate around, like you think. Do you hear any others ones cawing?

I am so happy your husband eats, please don't neglect him!! LOL

[chico2]

Well,Hubby has to compete for his food
Yes,my crow comes around every day between 3-4,he is cawing but I don't hear any reply.I sooo hope he's not alone

[Luba]

Why don't you try (just a thought) tape recording him and playing it back one day out there to see if any others respond.

Or you can tape record one from the internet (an unfamiliar voice)....or just put your speakers from the computer near the window and play it loud. Your neighbours may object but hahaha it may work.

Check this out, you can listen to many bird calls here:


http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/sh...&recnum=BD0023

[chico2]

Thank's for the site Luba...this is where I usually go for answers at Cornell Univ.I was going to taker part in a study of House-Finches,they are suffering from some sort of eye desease,which is killing them in great numbers and I was going to take part in a back-yard study to count how many I had,but I changed my mind,when they asked for $25US to join.
Anyway,this is their site.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/program...rds/BirdGuide/

[Luba]

OYE 25bux U.S to join!! OMG

Just so u can help them with numbers in the study. LOL u know what I would do...lol send them any info u get email LMAO they prolly will still use it but not tell you hahha!