The birds I have here are a hungry bunch - I can go through a bag (40 lbs) of black oil sunflower in less than a week when it's cold and there's snowcover.
I do think I slowed that down a bit by making a couple of minor modifications in my two home-made feeders (one is actually kinda nice - the other is just a platform with a tin roof over it).
My biggest problem was the bluejays. They have a tendency to knock a lot of seed onto the ground in the first place (fussy, fussy - gotta find just the right seeds). A small lip on the front of the feeder seems to have slowed their spillage down a bit.
When the crowd is here, I can see upwards of 100 birds of all sorts all at the same time here - redpolls, sparrows, chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, goldfinches, mourning doves, cardinals, and jays are the most frquent. I've had grosbeaks and rose-breasted grosbeaks, scarlett finches, even a young red-tailed hawk one time (not looking for sunflower seed, though...).
In general, they spook pretty easily, though. One moment they're there, and the next moment they're gone.
I do enjoy watching them, though, and I think the chickadees (which tend to be more social with humans anyhow) are getting to know who I am when I go out to refill the feeders.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Good Morning
Windy is the word for today...west to northwest at upwards of 60 mph...and cccold...
Today we have family coming down a little later to join us for brunch...and a day of R and R...and I'm up at this hour because we are having mighty roaring winds that took a few things out..namely garbage cans/lids, tree limbs and what all else
Have a good one!!
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Sunshine and cold...24 this morning....Guess this starts our couple very cold days until about Wed....No snow here. Has been rather mild.
So, we're continuing to eat away at Winter. Spring not visible yet, we're gaining on it though....
We did have strong winds yesterday, but seems to be mostly calm here this morning.
Now, time to get ready for church....then off to our local Family Restaurant for the Sunday meal.
Wish a good week for all posters here.....
Quentin
Good Sunday morning all. Nice, beautiful sunshine, but slowly getting cooler outside. Started out with 42 degrees this morning, and now somewhere in the mid to upper 30s.
Speaking of birds: was talking with one of my lady friends from Church yesterday afternoon. She had had to go to the library for tax forms (was having trouble getting them printed out at home on her computer/printer), and saw one of her neighbors sitting out on the front steps of their apartment complex. The lady told her that she'd seen a robin earlier, so, as far as she's concerned, our winter weather is over. I'm wondering if she didn't confuse it with Larry's red breasted grosbeak. All I've seen here at my brother's are black birds and a couple of blue jays. No robins are cardinals.
Got my laundry caught up on yesterday, so can relax and enjoy the nice, quiet Sunday we're having. Brother is sleeping, sil in kitchen, looking at the coupons from the Sunday paper, and the girls are at their Mommy's until sometime tomorrow. We love them to pieces, but the peace and quiet is wonderful, also.
Have roast, taters and carrots going on the stove, along with a pot of green beans, have fixed slaw and fresh salad for Sunday Dinner, along with fresh baked rolls & cornbread, and for dessert, fresh from the oven oatmeal cookies.
Everyone have a beautiful afternoon, take care, keep safe and see you all later.
afternoon
great time in Indy yesterday.Did find some more spots to look for trains too.Cw thanks for dinner today.Back to work tonight.Going to need extra fur this week.ma nature is bringing on the BRRRRR.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
CW - we have a robin that winters here in our backyard. He has food and - this morning - a warm bath. I dumped the ice and put in really hot water. A few hours later, the pool was empty and I know it was him because he looked in our upstairs window before he dove into the pool. It was empty when I got back downstairs and I half expected to see a tiny bar of soap.
So I got to put out more!
Tree - we have what I think are chickadees, but I never see them. They are pretty fast, but I hear "chickadee,dee,dee" - is this the way they sound? (I know, duh me, but if they aren't in a tree somewhere, they are eating the seed and I never connect the two.)
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Mookie Tree - we have what I think are chickadees, but I never see them. They are pretty fast, but I hear "chickadee,dee,dee" - is this the way they sound? (I know, duh me, but if they aren't in a tree somewhere, they are eating the seed and I never connect the two.)
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW4xXbiKCPo
Chickadees tend to "hit and run," grabbing seed from the feeder then going elsewhere to crack it open (at least with the sunflower seeds I feed with). Other species tend to sit right on the feeder and eat their fill, or at least until someone scares them off.
If the weather is decent and the birds are feeding, try this - sit down on a chair near the feeder with one hand extended (or resting on the arm if the chair is so equipped), palm up, with a handful of seed. It's most fun if you have a bare hand, so you can feel them.
Odds are it won't be terribly long before you have a curious visitor or two, and very possibly you'll have them literally eating out of your hand. You just can't get excited - calm and peaceful is the watchword.
I read once of a fellow with whom the chicadees got so accustomed that he could have them on his hand moments after holding it out. A visitor wanted to try it, but had no luck until she put on the fellow's coat and hat, which he always wore when he was filling the feeders, etc. That worked the magic.
I always "talk" to them while I'm filling the feeders, so they're used to my voice. While there's no confusing my "chicka-dee-dee-dee" with theirs, sometimes I think I'm getting answers...
Tree: Your chickadee sounds a little different from what I am hearing. I can hear a distinct "chickadee-dee-dee" Maybe it is a midwest accent? Or just a fast-talking New Yawker?
I will try the chair and birdseed. I have visions of a squirrel in the lap long before I get the bird in the hand!!
I will let you know who shows up and which one of us runs in terror!
Today is considered "blue Monday", the most depressing day of the year. Maybe because black Friday caught up with the Visa card?
I have a pork loin roast in the oven - so not terribly blue here. In fact, more like smell good Monday.
Wonder what color tomorrow will be....?
MookieToday is considered "blue Monday", the most depressing day of the year.
It is true that we are in the depths of winter. But on a cold winter's day what could be better than roast pork with potatoes and winter vegetables? And remember:
"If winter comes can spring be far behind?"
--Percy Bysshe Shelly
Matt is enjoying his day off from school.Cw thanks for supper.work calls so I must go.
joe
good morning
BRRRR outside.some schools are delayed and a few are closed here in Nw Ohio.Breakfast is ready.Juice and coffee are ready.Hot chocolate is ready too.time for bed.
Kinda cool out here...only -1F with a windchill of -14F....nowhere near CNCharlies cccold temperatures....hence we is just cool....
Supposed to get to 4F later on..with windchill of -8F....
I'm going to be doing some work from home today. Just as well, considering the cool temperature here.....
Oh well...have a good day peeps!!!
Sun and clouds this morning....but we did get rid of yesterday's wind. Coldest morning of the season here so far....5 degrees. no snow on the ground. Just a "skiff" of it yesterday. Had snow flurries and next 5 min. the sun would be shining. Acted like March, except the temp...which stayed below 19 all day with wind, and by evening, it was going down, and late last night it was 10. Perhaps one more cold day, and then I believe a bit of temp relief...Note out in the west temps are moderate.
Saw a report on the weather channel last night of forecasting warmer / much warmer, this area for March and April...Sounds good.
Mookie I have a pork loin roast in the oven - so not terribly blue here. In fact, more like smell good Monday.
Jen.....That pork loin roast sounds very good....Local Family Restaurant prepares that on weekends here and I consider it to be their best meal of the week. Pork / stuffing and one side, hmmm, good.
Supposed to be cold here all week. Sure was bitter this morning when I walked down to check the mail.
At least the sun is out. And the lake effect moved south. Several schools were closed this AM due to the snow, and there have been accumulations of a foot in Oswego County overnight.
Getting stuff ready for the big train show in Springfield, MA this coming weekend. If anyone is going to be there, stop in and say hi!
Here in north Jersey it is 23 degrees at noon, the coldest day this winter.
Currently 20 degrees here in Shepherdsville, at 2:21 p.m. At 6 a.m., our temp was somewhere in the mid teens, and the wind chill was -1 outside. Most schools in Southern Indiana were on 2 hr. delay, but Jefferson & Bullitt Counties were on regular schedule.
Mookie, funny you should mention pork roast: that is what I've fixed for our meal this afternoon & tonight here in the Cafe. (Here at home, think we will be having sloppy joes.)
Everyone have a good afternoon, keep warm & safe and take care. See you all later.
breakfast is ready.Matt is ready for school.Work is busy busy.Time for bed.
At least two schools in the area closed due to the wind chill today. Currently showing -10F here at the house, and yes, that's cold, and it's not the wind chill. On the other hand, we don't see as many -30F days as we used to.
Nice and sunny, though. The usual snow belt got lots of snow: Pulaski received about 25 inches, Redfield about 15 inches and Bennett Bridge got about 32 inches. I-81 was a nightmare all day through the belt.
Still getting ready for Springfield.
Good Afternoon
CCCOLD is our watchword here..it got all the way up to 8F . And dull as well.
Doing some last minute things here for work which means that I'm doing a bunch of small dibbly stuff...great stuff if you need it..which I wish others did not need but there you go...
We see where the NS Ashland Yard Crews broke out the hot dogs and marshmallows last night and today.
One heckuva building fire. Probably lit up BNSF Corwith Yard as well.
Sir C - also heard Omaha had a fire that looked very much like that one. Seems like January is when Omaha tries to burn down old warehouses and decorate them in ice that lasts until spring.
Reach up and close that north window!
Mook
The thing about those old mills and warehouses is that when they burn you can pour on all the water you like, but the fire will go out when it runs out of fuel. Photos from the aftermath show the walls still standing and little else.
The fire went to five alarms, and had a third of Chicago's on-duty firefighters on the scene...
It's the mighty -2F out here...with the ever present winds as well...but it will get warmer today!!
As in...tada!!...12F!!!!!
The rest of this week I'll have off...so it be a 4 day weekend here...heeheehee
I remember one that took the better part of a day and a bit more up here...the old Firestone plant in Woodstock ON. The one in Chicago was a monster...
Have a good day!!!
A bit of a warm up. It only got down to -3F overnight...
Ever the joker, the sun is once again shining brightly.
We were dispatched yesterday on automatic mutual aid for a smell of smoke in an apartment. Turned out to be a furnace malfunction and we were cancelled. But I've fought some fires in this kind of weather, and they are never fun.
morning
ran errands in town.When I left work there was a loaded coal train in the siding with a "mookie" on the point.(bnsf green and white sd 70 mac).time for bed.Tonight is friday.
Had lunch out yesterday - and about 2 cups of coffee. Then to local Starbucks and another medium latte. Slept like a log all nite. Not the usual aches and pains. Guess I should stop the ibuprophen and drink lots more coffee.
Will need to move closer to some kind of coffee place, since my own coffee is horrible. Either instant water or wow! spit it out!
Hey Joe - they are bringing back the 2nd favorite Mookies - the SD60 - white face. We haven't seen any for ever so long and now we might!
Meanwhile, we are still seeing coal heading east, but with some different markings. I wonder if these were the ones that used to use the northern route and are now coming thru here on their way west.
Or not. What do I know? I just guess a lot!
Moo....
Randy Vos
"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings
"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV
MookieWill need to move closer to some kind of coffee place, since my own coffee is horrible. Either instant water or wow! spit it out!
Many years ago when the coffee stand at work raised it price to 35¢ a couple I got mad as hell and decided I wasn't gonna take it any more. I went out and brought myself a stainless steel thermos. Every evening I set up my coffee machine and in the morning I filled my thermos. And every time I drank a cup I put the difference between my actual cost (perhaps 7¢ a cup) and the cost of buying a cup into a piggy bank. I took the money I've saved over the years and brought myself a private railroad car.
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