It's nice to share!

This photo made me laugh because the Downy was looking around like he knew someone else was on the feeder and there was the Nuthatch peeking from the other side.

Something to make me feel better

I'm starting to feel a little better this afternoon - especially after sleeping longer than Rip Van Winkle. Thank you everyone for your get well wishes! Here's my little chickadee friend who I'm always happy to see. Watching the birds is good medicine for the soul.

Have you gotten your flu shot this year?

I was in the hospital the past couple days with flu complications. I hope no one ever has to go through what I did. Definitely the worst flu I've ever experienced in my life. Next year, a flu shot is on top of my list. I will catch up with all of you in the next few days. If you haven't gotten your flu shot - go get it! Take care.

Call of a Blue Jay

"Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we'll soon be in trouble."

-Roger Tory Peterson

Merry Christmas to my birdy blogger friends!

"May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love."

- Ada V. Hendricks

The joy of the Nuthatch

What is joy?
It is a bird
That we all want to catch.
It is the same bird
That we all love to see flying

- Sri Chinmoy

Why is this goldfinch upset?

Want to know why this Goldfinch was upset? (I could hear his noisy protests from inside the confines of my log cabin.)
























Because the Pine Siskin knocked him off the thistle feeder! (P.S. I put another thistle sock out for him.) Play nice little birdies!

What the snow will bring

We are driving up to our log cabin this afternoon. There's a lot of snow (our area has already had 70 inches of snowfall) and it will be very cold. I can't wait to see my "log cabin birds." Will the eagle fly by? Will the pileated allow me a better shot of him? Will the chickadees continue to eat from my hand? I am anxious to find out!

Bob the Mourning Dove - Part VI

Bob: When are you going to refill that birdbath again?
Me: Why - so you can poop in it again!

Bob: No, I'm just thirsty. Honest!




Mr. Chipmunk: Bob - here's that toilet paper you wanted for the birdbath!

Patient Downy Woodpecker

This male Downy Woodpecker was waiting his turn to eat from one of the suet feeders that the Red bellied Woodpecker was on. There are 2 other suet feeders in my yard, but for some reason he really wanted this particular one. It made me realize how patient and determined he was.

He that can have patience, can have what he will.
-Benjamin Franklin

Hungry Red-bellied Woodpecker

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.

~Voltaire

What's up doc?

My chickadee with the seed in his beak reminded me of Bugs Bunny with a carrot.

No, I haven't had my caffeine yet this morning.

Ssh! The Tufted Titmouse is trying to eat!

The Tufted Titmouse's instructions for eating:

1. First you position the seed between your two claws,
2. Then you bend over and closely examine it.
3. You break it open with your beak and enjoy the little sunflower seed inside.
4. And then tell that Blue Jay to be quiet! You're trying to eat!

What's his problem?!

Who's the reddest?

A cool fact I found out about the male House Finch. It gets its red pigment from the food it eats. The more pigment in the food, the redder the male. Also, the females prefers to find the reddest male to mate with. I just put some cranberries out in the feeder to help this guy out. :-0

Curiousity of the Nuthatch

'Curiousity is the cure for boredom. There is no cure for curiousity. '

Dorothy Parker (1893 - 1967)

A Chickadee & Some Turkeys!

These pictures were taken by my friend E.B. He had a turkey come visit him after Thanksgiving!

Today is my birthday!

(Special note: if you read my log cabin blog, I am gratuitously using the same photo)

Today is my birthday! I started thinking about when I started loving and becoming interested in birds. I think it was when I was 3 years old. I submit as proof this photo of me on my 3rd birthday with my Papa. Please note the Donald Duck slippers I chose to wear with my party dress. And that's where it all began.......somebody get me a camera!

Bob the Mourning Dove - Part IV

Bob, have you been working out?

So many nuts, so little time

Bear with me on all these chickadee and woodpecker photos this week - they were my most popular visitors up at the log cabin. Now at my downstate home I have Bob the Mourning Dove and his 20 friends he invited over for the winter.


The perfect nut!

A tale of 2 woodpeckers

Me: Hi Mrs. Hairy Woodpecker. Glad to see you and hope you're enjoying the suet cakes I've put on the tree for you.

HW: Ssh! I hear something...

HW: Yes, I definitely heard something and it's very loud! I'm going to go investigate. You wait here Shelley. On 2nd thought, quit skimping on the suet cakes and put some more out!

Aww...it's just a small female downy woodpecker! She is welcome to stay, but she is a noisy one for her size!

Go Blue!

At one point yesterday, our bird feeders were a flurry of blue between the Blue Jays and the White breasted Nuthatches. The jays can sometimes be bullies on the feeders but I was glad to see the Nuthatches were persistent. Now that I'm back home it's time to catch up with all my bloggy friends!

The best nuts are at the bottom

This male downy was making me laugh. Never seen a woodpecker so particular about which nuts he was going to eat. In the 2nd photograph he is almost laying in the feeder to get the nuts at the bottom. Gotta love him!

Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are up at the log cabin, winter advisory and already shoveled over 2 feet of snow!

Bob The Mourning Dove - Part III

Me: Um Bob, I've noticed quite a few Mourning Doves in the yard today, is something going on?

Bob: Oh, I'm just have a little get together, nothing special.

Me: Okay, but I've had to clean the birdbath 3 times today.

Bob: I'll talk to the other doves about it. Don't worry!

Me: Um Bob, how big is this get together of yours? Bob?!

I've got Guinea feathers!!

Eve at Sunny Side Up was kind of enough to send some of her Guinea feathers! If you haven't seen her Guineas, I suggest you check them out. Especially the post with them knocking on her door! They are hilarious and beautiful! Thank you Eve for these feathers - I have put them in a little vase and they remind me of your kindness and your wonderful Guineas!

Marvin the cat went into ecstasy when I let him sniff one of these feathers.

A beautiful photo card from Eve!

Aren't they beautiful?

"Please, please invite the Guineas over Shelley! I promise to be good!"

Is that a big enough seed for you?

St. Francis dilemma

Some of you are familiar with my St. Francis statue that I use as a bird feeder. Ever since some culprit has beheaded him (Either Bob the Mourning Dove, the squirrel or the tattle tale chipmunk) - I can't decide what to do with him. We can't find St. Francis's head to glue back on (I'm going to check the yard one more time but I think he's been raked up.) So the question is - do I take the chance and get a new St. Francis feeder? Somehow it's not bothering the critters that they are eating from a beheaded saint but I do think my neighbors are worried about me.....

Liking that suet plug feeder

Mr. Downy is gorging himself today.























Mrs. Red bellied decided to give the telephone pole a rest and partake of the suet as well!

What's the telephone company going to think?

This is not a snag or an old tree. This is a telephone pole. I thought you would like to see Mrs. Red bellied Woodpecker's handiwork this past year. She's quite talented, don't you think?

My little friend

I believe the flock of Black-capped chickadees that have made my log cabin their territory numbers about 8 birds. But of course they move so fast that I haven't been able to get more than 2 in one shot. I think I'm starting to recognize a couple of individual birds - especially the one that seems to like to land on our shoulder first. He (or she?) is going to need a name. This particular bird is in the photo below. Any ideas?

A Snowbird's Arrival

Now that my Dark-eyed Junco has arrived, I know that winter is here.

'Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again.'

~Bill Morgan, Jr.