Sunday, August 12, 2018

GRATUITOUS SUSPECTS


After last weekend and the many festivities, I was happy to have a weekend to myself before the next vacation sets in. I spent about three hours sunning my body on a rotisserie at the Raven, before the weather decided I'd had enough, so it was back to the Casa to relax. The rest I have spent back in my Disney princess mode baking, dancing and watching all the woodland creatures. I baked some blueberry turnovers yesterday from the pints of blueberries I got from market...yielded 6 large ones...turn overs that is!!! One left, I sure hope I can wear those square cuts after this. ho's helping me work those off? So how about some gratuitous bird shots?

The yellow finches are going nuts with food in this weather lately. I may have to start a Go Fund me to feed these birds!!!!

The Nuthatch is always a clown of a bird.

One of my favorites of summer are Grey Catbirds.
Catbirds do indeed make a 'meow' that sounds impressively like an unhappy cat, but they can also mimic other birds and animals in their impressive song repertoire, much like their Mockingbird and Thrasher relatives. Their usual song of long lovely tunes are my favorite though. Catbirds are considered omnivores, but they eat varied and diverse things as cheese, bread, milk, mushrooms, fried fish, and peanuts.  Fruit and berries constitute some of their favorite foods and are a sure way to attract them.Grey Catbirds have strong mothering instincts after they are born, and have been known to adopt and take care of the babies of other types of birds that have been orphaned. I also find they are very "people curious". They have landed on the sill to feed before I even get the screen back in and I'm standing there in the opened window.

I'm up to six blue Jays now...the babies all grown.

Menacing looking right?

Little House Sparrow

Mother woodpecker feeding her young. She has two that visit the sill still

The doves cooing is usually what I wake to in the mornings.
Compilating life no doubt
 If you look close enough, one can spy Bouvier taking an afternoon snooze on a branch. This was after his morning offering. 
And this is either his mate or a baby..not sure. I don't recalling seeing any illicit activity in the tree!

After all these years, when I open the door in the morning, Bouvier hears the noise, runs down the tree and take the nuts from me and eats them, or will forge them in the ground for later. It's cute. And I'm very particular who I share my nuts with.

40 comments:

  1. "And I'm very particular who I share my nuts with." - bitch please! your nuts wear a sign that says: "PICK ME! EAT ME!"

    those blueberry turnovers look dee-lish, princess.

    spouse and I were in a local (just opened) restaurant when that large thunderstorm hit yesterday afternoon. the power went out; fun times! we just kept on drinking...

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    1. When the lights go out, there is three things to do...drink, nap , or have sport nookie I say.

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  2. WOW! Those picture are great! I have seen those catbirds but didn't know what they were called. I think they are very cute. You certainly have the touch...a bird whisper if a dare say.

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    1. Where have you been Gretchen! So nice to see you back! It amazes me that variety that come here, and it changes everyday.

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  3. Can you blame Bouvier? I remember those nuts.

    You need a job in a bird arboretum I think. Love the yellow finch.

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    1. You apparently thought it was forge season if I recall.

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  4. Mistress, can you pass me your last turn over please, and no one will get hurt! They look so yummy. I like your tame domesticated side.

    These birds as always are lovely to see. I have yet see a catbird here. My loss! They are especially lovely by your sill. I would like this bird, if only because of its mothering instincts. Loved see the woodpeckers too, and how is it not funny seeing Bouvier lounging in the tree like some drunk!

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    1. There are a good number of catbirds in the North and Southeast, so maybe sometime you'll see one in your garden. They don't visit feeders as often as other birds so it's a little harder to see them. Try putting berries on your sills.

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  5. The Audubon Society would love your place.

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  6. Another lovely installment of the Usual Suspects. Being in a city environ I miss any of this out my windows. Bouvier has the right idea of today.

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  7. What lovely pictures. I found this poem, can't remember who wrote it. But I feel it fits in with your interests of birds Mistress.

    Birds of Sunfall

    Birds of sunfall passing in my eyes
    Far off in the patterns of storm clouds,
    How I wish to freeze you in my thoughts
    And paint my poem on skies of yours.
    Birds of sunfall singing your song
    Pouring o'er hues at the trees of fall,
    How I wish to flutter with you beside
    And douse my wings at silent shores.
    Birds of sunfall, of poets' surmise
    Gliding towards where you belong
    How I wish to predict your paths
    And come to where completeness moors.
    Birds of sunfall, this evening dies,
    Come to my windows and prove me wrong.

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    1. That is lovely thanks for sharing that!!!

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  8. "Who's helping me work those off?" Work WHAT off, the blueberry turnovers or the square cuts? The turnovers look delicious. I'm very impressed. A man of many talents. Myself, this morning I ate yogurt out of it's container and tinned fruit out of the tin. Oh, and I peeled myself a protein bar right out of the foil. But that mother and baby woodpecker!!!

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    1. Well, what do you prefer to work off? I say between the two evils pick the one you have choose before dear.

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  9. Fun to learn so much about the cute little catbird---great photos and hard to get when they move around so much.

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  10. You get visits from quite the assortment of wild life in your home! I didn't know that you baked or were a bird watcher. Usually I'm reading about bikinis and martinis when I come by here. I am liking the variety.

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    1. bird watcher? he can tell you the breed, size and nationality just be tasting a bird.

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    2. I love bird watching...of many variety DrKen.

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  11. Lucky you - those are some very dapper birds, even that menacing looking black bird. He's actually beautiful.


    Aren't your square cuts usually over flowing to begin with?

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  12. I wonder where that expression "sitting in the catbird seat" comes from?

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  13. I've heard of catbirds but never saw one before. Thanks for the info about them.

    I luv all the photos, but especially the yellow finches....and those wonderful blueberry turnovers!

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    1. You tube their sound sometime Jon, they are so pretty to hear.

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  14. Abby says 'even the squirrel picture is cute!'

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  15. I have woodpeckers, too...big, at least 8 inchers, and boy do they love pecking...

    And those turnovers look simply delicious!!

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    1. "big, at least 8 inchers, and boy do they love pecking..."

      What's your address again?

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  16. Great photos. What a treat. I have seen Nuthatch down in the park and they are quite funny and make the funniest sounds...almost like laughing. I would not know what they were if not for reading your post here.

    Now you better go work off those turnovers.....

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  17. It appears you are quite the MasterBaker!

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    1. He has always been good at making things rise.

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  18. Whenever I read your nature posts, I hear the narratives in the voices of Rex Allen Jr., Lowell Thomas or Marlon Perkins. I do enjoy your mini travelogues.

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  19. Wonderful post!! LOVE the Catbirds and how can anyone begrudge the gentile mourning doves?

    Is there any of those turnovers left?

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  20. European goldfinch are quite different from yours in the eastern U.S. I had forgotten that they were bright yellow there. Such lovely pictures of all the visitors. I always enjoying seeing Bouvier. I wondered if he still after your nuts.

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  21. What kind of seed do you use to get so many variety of birds? I love these posts!!! Such detail in some of these pictures. I have 2 doves in my yard and they make the cooing sounds both of them. Its relaxing to hear.

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    1. If there both cooing.....those are two males!!!! Any the males sing.

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  22. Aw, I love Doves and Blue Jays! Many happy memories watching them in so many different cities when in the US.

    And do you take orders for the blueberry turnovers?

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  23. Delicious looking turnovers! Gorgeous birds and squirrels fotos. I didn't know what a catbird was but they look and sound fantastic!

    You are so lucky to wake up to doves cooing. I usually find them pooing on my car! So I feed the stray cats to keep them hanging on my porch and keep the birds away.

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  24. A busy weekend, six big ones, sharing your nuts, and fine feathered friends.

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  25. my favorites were the Jays and the squirrels. Both would come right up and take the peanuts right from your hand....

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  26. Maddie, unlike other birds, the yellow finches or "Gold Finches" have their babies now in August, they are probably feeding a family. Cat birds are cool unless it's 4:30 in the morning and they are squawking outside your window.

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  27. Those yellow finches are BRIGHT! As Midnight Magpie said up there ^, our European Goldfinches are very different, having only a flash of yellow (or gold) on their wings, but they do have a bright red and white head.
    Lovely to see all of your Usual Suspects!

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!