Hope your holiday was a good one. Well, we've had quite a bit of real winter weather lately. The birds seem to be OK with that. On the thistle feeder we have the Juncos and a few Goldfinches. We have also seen more of the Bushtits lately. Today the temps are near 60 and I heard Robins singing! We also have Flickers and Downey Woodpeckers showing up. Everyday now we see a small flock of 3-7 Sandhill Cranes flying around from nearby fields. Also there are some Canada Geese that fly over, honking all the way. Last week I saw a flight of some kind of gray geese fly over and they didn't make a sound, I just happend to look up and see them. That's all for now. Have a safe and sane New Year!
30 December 2004
05 December 2004
Brrrrr! It's really winter!
Well, we got some snow last Monday and there is still some on the ground in the shadows. More could come tomorrow. All this means that the last of the migrants are coming down from the north. We've seen some Sandhill Cranes and Canada Geese this past week. I'm sure there are others but those are who we've seen. A couple days ago, I saw a Mourning Dove pecking around in the yard. It is unusual to see them in the winter. Wonder where this one is staying? Oh, I also saw a Goldfinch at the patio feeder area. They also usually disappear in the winter.
Our current visitors are : Juncos, Downey Woodpecker, Red-shafted Flicker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Robins. We always hope to see the return of past visitors like the Mountain Chickadee, Spotted Towhee, and other Woodpeckers. Of course, there are also the usual residents.
And the chickens, Mazey and Chicken Little, are still toughing it out. They roost in the wisteria vine at the front gate, even though it has no leaves for cover. We worry about them being exposed to the winds, rain, and snow, but they seem to be doing just fine there. Someday we will get them a hen house. We just don't know much about raising chickens who wander into the yard. They seem to be doing well, being fed cracked corn and digging around in the yard. We are happy to have them.
That's the latest from the high desert. Happy Holidays!
Our current visitors are : Juncos, Downey Woodpecker, Red-shafted Flicker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Robins. We always hope to see the return of past visitors like the Mountain Chickadee, Spotted Towhee, and other Woodpeckers. Of course, there are also the usual residents.
And the chickens, Mazey and Chicken Little, are still toughing it out. They roost in the wisteria vine at the front gate, even though it has no leaves for cover. We worry about them being exposed to the winds, rain, and snow, but they seem to be doing just fine there. Someday we will get them a hen house. We just don't know much about raising chickens who wander into the yard. They seem to be doing well, being fed cracked corn and digging around in the yard. We are happy to have them.
That's the latest from the high desert. Happy Holidays!