Bird News on the Mountain

Our first meeting with the Blue family 2004

Yesterday, I realized that I was spending a lot of my time observing the bird life from our porch.  After working hard to get things in shape around the yard and flower beds, taking a break is a good thing.  But, sitting on the porch in one of our new rockers can become habit forming and leads to procrastination! 

     I bought two new rocking chairs on impulse when shopping in Harrison last week.  The salesman assured me they would fit in the back of the Traverse (and they did, with some manuvering!) I had no idea how badly we 'needed' porch rocking chairs!  In years past, folding chairs worked fine.  No more!  The chairs are a magnet, and with the little table in between they make a perfect place for coffee in early morning, taking a break from yard work in mid-morning, eating lunch at noon, cooling down with a glass of iced tea mid-afternoon, and watching the sun go down at dusk.  Hey, we even make a late night visit to watch the stars and moon before bedtime!

   

Back to the 'bird world' on the mountain:

On morning in February as we were drinking our first cup of coffee in bed, we had a visit from the Blue Family.  I was glad to see Mrs. Blue clinging to the window screen, looking in--first at one window, then the other.  I thought we were in for another year of  'Life with the Blue Family'.  However, this was the only visit.  Soon after, we had the 'great-first-day-of-spring' snowfall (the most wonderful 'snowday ever'!)  We haven't seen them since!  We have other blues who have moved in, but they aren't the 'porch' variety, and have chosen the house at the end of the fence in the backyard. (see May and June 2009 blogs)  I think the little couple who set up housekeeping there are last year's youngsters.  Maybe it was one of the family members who got his/her photo made as he emerged from the box to try his wings.  They left a legacy, no doubt!

I'm not sure what happened to the little couple, (maybe old age and a nursing home in the sky).  But we will always remember the original 'Blue Family'.  They became a part of our family as we watched her move from window to window during the day, maybe curiously wanting to be a part of the human family who lives here. Then, we watched anxiously and counted the days as she sat on her eggs in the box while he sweetly sang to her from a nearby perch, bringing her nourishment (worms and bugs)  as needed.  They were a constant reminder of God's beautiful world.  

The window screens are cleaner this spring, as she had a bad habit of leaving her 'calling card' in the form of 'poop'!  But mornings are not the same without her early morning visit to the bedroom.

The martins are back in full force.  I really enjoy their chatter, especially when they 'scold' me for working in the garden too close to their house-in-the-air.

The hummers are slow arriving.  Don't know why.  The first ones got here around April 1, and we still have only 3 or 4 during the day.  Wonder if they stopped at the neighbors'.  They put up 4 feeders early.

The cute little finches who 'hang' around the finch sacks year 'round, are now a pretty, bright yellow and flit all over the yard picking up weed seeds.  Maybe it is their way of repaying us for feeding them all winter.

The Trumpeter swans at Boxley (3 of the 4) didn't leave for northern climes this spring.  They can be seen around the mill pond most of the time.  Obviously, they, too, 'Want to stay forever' in the Ozarks!

There are a pair of Canadian geese who fly over our house occassionally.  I believe they have set up residence in the pond across the road.  I'm not sure they are welcome guests!

The sparrows--too many!

And, we have discovered that if we get up early and sit in those rockers on the porch, we will hear the 'gobble-gobble' of turkeys echo across the mountains.

Twittering on the mountain is in force!

For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His Glory.

                                       Romans 11:36

A Time for Everything

We are so ready for Spring!! The picture above was taken by Ed last weekend when we had one of our biggest snows of the winter--7 inches! The snow soon melted, and patches of green are showing up everywhere. That is good for our wildlife, who have had a hard time this winter. The deer herd, which was numbering 20 or so last week, has dwindled to a few stragglers who are probably waiting around to see what we plant in the garden. We are discussing what we will have to do to save the garden (and flowers) this year. It is one thing to throw out a little corn for desperate wildlife in the winter, but quite another to offer them an "all you can eat" buffet all summer!

Bluebirds!! Everywhere I look, as walk around our 65 acres, I see bluebirds flitting around our bluebird boxes. We cleaned them out a week ago, and bluebird couples are already moving in. We have one bluebird female who flies up to the window on the porch, attaches herself to the screen, and looks in as if to say she really would like to make her nest in the living room. Maybe she sees the many bird figures and nests I have on display, and thinks she would like to join them!

Jack spotted the first martin scout on a unexpectedly warm day just before the snow hit last week. We quickly got the martin box up. Minutes later the sparrows were checking it out! We have discovered martins will usually run them away when the time comes to move in.

We are planning a wonderful week with cabin guests coming for Spring Break. Besides minding the cabins, we are planning a few hikes to see waterfalls and early spring flora-- maybe even look for morels; do a little garden prep, including planting potatoes--old timers up here say plant potatoes on St. Patrick's Day. And, of course, we will slip in a visit with the grandson and family on Easter.

Remember--There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Ecles. 3:1

Happy Spring!!