time for nesting!

The duck fights, for the most part had subsided by the end of last week. An occasional chase but no more of the ferocious attacks.  Some of the ducks had departed and what has been left this past week are 4 pair and one single duck.  The single male mallard is the one with the most fight scars, you can see some of them as the white areas, where feathers have been pulled out by his attackers, on his brown 'bib'.  he also has a bit of a dent in the back of his head. I assume that is also just missing feathers.

He does follow the other couples around. Every hopeful I guess. But when the other males get tired of it and turn towards him, he no longer takes a fight stance, instead he swims quickly away.

The paired ducks look so sweet together don't they?  The males are very attentive.  When they come to the yard for feed, the males often stand guard, letting the female eat first.

Here is Blue Eyes with his mate.

While her mate was busy grooming, this female wandered off.

 Here's her mate, hurrying to catch up to her.

Two days ago I looked out and there was one of the males all by himself. So I quickly looked around to see if I could see where his female mate had gotten. I almost didn't see her. She was up on the bank across the stream. It was a struggle for her to get down and slid in the dirt.  She may have been looking for a nesting site.

This morning I came home and noticed right away a collection of male mallards at the corner of the stream.  So nesting time is upon us. The girls are gone and the males are left to their own devices. From past years I know the routine...the males will be bored. They will sleep a lot on the banks. This is also  their time to molt, shedding some of their more brilliant mating plumage, as the females will also molt while they are away.

 More males will join the other males here.  Any single female that shows up will be subjected to non-consensual mating. It can get really ugly. We are talking duck rape here. Not just my term, that's the way it is described on several websites.  But if you have ever witnessed it, you would have to agree.  Males may also try mating with other males. 

 It's a wild world out there!

The mallards aren't the only ones in season.  it's become more noticeable with turning our clocks back, daylight lasting later the birds are more active now not just in the mornings, but in the early evenings too.  I had to go out and find the bird that was singing. I'm not too familiar with bird calls or songs. But the song was pretty and I needed to know what bird sang it. 

Here is the female cardinal I found singing her pretty song. I read that the black mask is one indicator mates look at before choosing. Apparently it gives sign of their condition. Females with a large face mask are thought to be good nest defenders, but in a male a big face mask means they aren't as successful in reproduction.  So size matters. To them.

It was interesting to watch this male come closer as the female sang. Notice they are looking away from each other. Ah the ritual of non-chalance. Apparently don't want to show too much interest too fast.  Does this sound familiar? :D 

Another male cardinal flew into a nearby tree. Shortly another female followed.  But when the singing cardinal flew off, both cardinals gave chase. I felt bad for the left out female!

 another cardinal photo, with his feathers fluffed up from the wind.

The mourning doves are a hoot to watch.  The males are persistent to the point of being obnoxious. I think mother nature made the male so much bulkier to give the female a chance to flee unwanted attention. LOL

Run girl run!

A song sparrow on the rocks.

There's a wren in my bowl! Gathering up a striped sunflower seed

Every morning I've seen or heard large flocks of geese making their way north.

One of the daily small planes that fly over.  I've been hearing the airport setting off whistling fire crackers on a regular basis lately. They set them off when there is a plane coming in. The geese like to congregate on their large expanse of grass.  The only problem is it scares off the birds in my yard too. 

The squirrel was raiding the peanut butter feeder and inadvertently knocked down a sunflower feeder.  Lucky squirrel! He started chewing apart the small openings, but then found if he simply rolled the feeder around he was rewarded with seed.

A robin,  singing.

The dark eyed junco is still here. Though today the number seems smaller. The weather is to warm up significantly on Friday, so I don't expect to see them much longer.  When they leave and the catbirds show up, I'll be confident that Spring is really here.

Yesterday while I was out looking to see what birds were singing, I heard a woodpecker drumming. It was loud.  It took me awhile to find her. I'm pretty sure she kept changing spots because I found on right on the tree out front, almost above where I was standing!  I went in to get my camera, but she was gone till I got back. But what I found surprised me.

This isn't visible from the house side of the tree. I'm not sure what to make of it. I've looked it up online and there could be several causes for the bark to be like this. And it's not from the woodpecker. At least not alone. The squirrels may possibly be responsible.  While some trees do lose their bark at times naturally, that's usually on the trunk.

I looked around and noticed a lot of things going on with the trees. 

A tree on the bank I knew was favored by the woodpeckers. But I was really surprised to find the bark falling off the tree. I examined a piece of bark trying to discern whether this is only woodpecker problems or a problem of the bugs they are getting out of the tree.  Like what came first the chicken or the egg!? Though for this particular tree it's not important. It's a scrub tree and out of the way. Happy pecking woodpeckers, you get those bugs!

This is the mulberry tree. The damage to the branches on this is definately from the birds and squirrels. You can see the girdling affect, where there is bark missing the whole way around the branch.

The real irony is that I just read a blog of another woman who has a tree issue and had a recommendation to cut it down.

Look what I found!  This is Autumn Joy Sedum that I had split apart and transplanted last fall. So far it's the only one I notice coming up, but it's early yet, right?

next post, Bob has a visitor.

First let me say, my heart goes out to those in Japan.  I tend to immerse myself in the news during big news events like this.  Watching the footage and stills of a devastated land make ones heart break. 

But it also makes me appreciate the simple things in life all the more, and I regret less the time I spend simply watching out the window at what nature is providing outside.   Taking trips outside to see how things are budding, the crocus that are appearing, ever so slowly.  The daffodils getting ready to open (though they seem shorter this year!)  Watching all the animals as they prepare for Spring, pairing up, making nests.  Hard to imagine being without natures beauty and being forced into survival mode, being without the very basics of survival without knowing when you will have a place, a bed of your own, your own garden.  Forces you to think of all the possibilities in your own life. Here it's floods, airports, TMI.  Of course there's been a lot of TMI references the past few days.

Anyhow, speaking of floods, we had a small flood here over the past week.  What was bad was all the dire predictions, with levels that would have been slightly higher then Ivan.  So I had moved a lot of stuff from the yard, took my 3 house bunnies to stay with my mom, etc.  For days the news was full of 'flood talk'.  It turned out to be a non-event.  Don't get me wrong - that is a good thing. But in time, if they continue to get it wrong, people will stop listening. Makes me think of the boy who cried wolf.  When the big one hits, many won't be prepared.  I'll probably be one of them :D 

I was concerned about Bob with all the rain we got. It appears that Bob is getting smarter with each instance of torrential rain. First he stays underground until conditions improve.  Talk about being prepared!  Those few days of quickly collecting all the food he can, pays off!  I knew I was going to see him again when I saw a new opening, finally, UNDER a plant.  Good job Bob! Now he seems to have a few holes open.  When I first saw him reappear, he was popping out from under the base of the feeder station. 

You can see the opening to his left.  Pretty smart, puts him right at a food source!

Here's the burrow I mentioned the last time, that has been revampedmore rock and dirt removed.  I assume by a groundhog, since that's what created it in the first place.  But as the waters were rising the other day, I saw the muskrat enter it, taking a brief break from the rain and fast moving water. He didn't stay long, so I'm wondering if there was a groundhog in there and he thought it best not to stay.

This blue heron has been visiting more frequently, despite the heavy rains. Perhaps because of them?

Notice he pulled his head in once he realized I was watching him.  He took off shortly afterwards.

My small stream looking more like a river.

A very flooded duck path.

Today seems to be one of those days when I have the attention span of a gnat.  Tomorrow it's to rain again, and hopefully I'll be more focused and I can share some of the great things going on outside, with the ducks and other birds in particular, as their focus has changed from winter survival, to mating!

Quick! Before I forget!

As I've mentioned, this rock pile is very popular with Bob the chipmunk, but it is  favored among the small birds, particularly those that feed often on the ground.

When the birds are feeding on the ground and feel threatened, instead of flying up and across the stream to hide in the brush/trees, it's a shorter, safer trip to stay low and zoom to the rocks. And apparently it's a great place to perch and look around, without all the trees and brush obscuring their view.

Now if I ever get the permit to work on the stream, I'll feel guilty about taking their rock pile away, since it's intended use is IN the stream. These rock/stone comes from an old farmhouse that was torn down late last fall. My (crazy) neighbor asked if I wanted some and who can refuse free rock! He has it piled all over his yard, around all his plants. Rocks and bricks everywhere!

But really who knew what an asset this would be to so many critters on my yard!  So if you have some space, create a rock pile and see who visits. Once it warms up, I wonder if I'll get to see any snakes sunning themselves on the rocks!

Half my readers just went ohhhh and the other half went ACKKK!  What side are you on?!?

have a great night!

PS does anyone have a difficult time reading this with the change of colors and layout?

more Spring is happening

Just a heads up...I started this two days ago!

The problem with not blogging as often as I should, I forget things. Both things I want to blog, as well as what I may have already mentioned.  If I repeat myself, I tell myself that it's a good sign that someone is paying attention to what I write!  I tell myself a lot of things. Not all of them are true but it makes me feel better. :D

First let me tell you that mother nature was up to her tricks again.  After lulling us into thinking we would, as the groundhog told us, have an early Spring, she hit us with everything at once in the past 24 hours.  Torrential rain, small stream and road flooding, big drop in temps, sleet, snow, blustery wind, followed by beautiful (though still cold) sunshine. That should have taught us something.

But still in the past week more signs of Spring keep showing themselves to me.  so mother nature have at it one or two more times, but the earth turns and you'll have to make the change to Spring.  So THERE!

I was concerned about Bob.  I hadn't seen him for three days. I noticed the opening to his burrow looked larger and I wondered if something had been after him, or worse, had gotten him.  I spent a lot of time looking out the window hoping for a glimpse of Bob.  Finally I looked out and noticed the opening to his burrow was closed up!  A good sign because he'd be the only one to do that.  Either that part of the burrow is already full of the goodies he's been collecting, or it's preventative to keep something from getting at him. Maybe he was sick of me waking him up in the morning as I'd call out "Wake up Bob!" when I got home in the moning and walked by the opening. I looked across the yard and there he was.

Welcome back Bob!!

I was hoping that he'd put the new entrance under a plant, but no it's still right out in the open. Maybe yesterdays weather will show him the error of his ways.  I've not seen him since the snow.

One lone little crocus has appeared.

The daffodils are sprouting!

The dianthus that grows wild is perking up.

This mallard was stranded momentarily until he figured out what to do.  I swear some times ducks forget they can fly!   With snow on the ground, they prefer to rest in the water. So they have to stay near the edge where the water was more calm and not let themselves float out too far.  Interesting that they can tolerate the cold water, but they definately don't enjoy sitting their butts in the snow and having to tuck their feet up into their feathers.

On a recent warmer day I finally got around to fixing the bird feeder station. Much more stable. This is proof!  They'd been avoiding it. One tried one instance but apparently didn't like the feel and have since left it alone.  I got a new stand for the pole, and I tied a few of the 'branches' together so that there was more room between feeders. This way hopefully the birds won't feel so crowded and more will feel safe using the feeders. 

this squirrel obviously approves.

Bob cracks me up.  Something scared off the birds overhead so Bob took off too. Suddenly he pops up behind the herb box. But I've no idea how he is standing there because there is nothing there. It drops down to the stream.  Later I looked and found that my homemade planter is missing the front board on the back and he managed to sit on the next one. Must have felt safe!

One of the females riding the rapids to the far fork of the stream.  This is where they usually walk over.

Who doesn't find the tufted titmouse 'cute'!

Not sure what I'll do when I need my planters for plants.  This winter, to make sure everyone gets some food, I often scattered seeds into the pots. They've gotten used to looking here.  This is a male house finch

black capped chickadee

house finch

one water logged squirrel sitting on the edge of a planter.

Yesterday morning I was leaving the house and noticed a squirrel sitting on the tree branch, her tail twitching madly.  I knew she wasn't worried about me. This is one squirrel I  can identify because she's lost a clump of fur on her tail and I noticed it when she had been obviously bursing. Anyhow, she looked distressed, and I realized there were no birds around. Looking around I finally spotted it.  A juvenile sharp shinned hawk.  At first, seeing the barred tail I thought it was a coopers hawk, but it was so small!   You can see better in the second photo a better perspective for size.  So I checked my bird book and decided it had to be the smaller sharp shinned hawk. It's eyes are still yellow, rather then orange, the creast is streaked rather then rusty, which indicates a juvenile.  though I haven't seen any in the yard lately I have been seeing quite a few red tail hawks in the area.

We have a muskrat once again.  He's a bit on the small side but obviously strong, and determined.  He's been out all through the storm and raging waters, up and down stream, gathering up home building supplies.  The past 2 years I only usually see one muskrat, unlike several years ago when oen found a mate and spent all season having babies. At least 3 litters.  They weren't shy about coming to the yard for corn, and the babies, I could walk right up to them while they are and take video and photos of them.  The only time it ever creeped me out was the day they just kept coming over. More and more until there were 25 in my yard at once!  LOL a tad freaky! But one day while talking to Sister on the phone I happened to look out and saw a mink going down the bank into the stream. Minks kill muskrats.  Surprises me since those muskrats seemed much bigger then a mink.  Anyhow, that was the last time I saw any young muskrats.  Last year the one muskrat I did see, was very shy and often, instead of following the stream around the bend to get some sticks, he would go through the small wooded area.

Nice to see my one eyed squirrel has been surviving the weather.  He's gotten brave enough to come to the porch for peanuts.

This is the female that has paired with blue eyes.  Blue eyes has been fighting with so many males lately. I've never witnessed such ferocious duck fights before.  But I've seen her be a little instigator too. Non-chalantly getting out of the stream only a few week in front of another male that had already been fighting with Blue Eyes.  Blue Eyes of course puts his head down and charges after the other male. This female turns around and slips back into the water and acts like she doesn't see a thing.

I've seen them seemingly try to drown each other, holding them under the water.

For some reason she wasn't coming up with BE to eat. Not sure if it was because a hawk had been around, or if she was just being the look out this time, as he walked around scarfing up food.

My brother aksed me the other day when he stopped by for a visit, what duck has blue eyes.  I thought I'd looked it up before but must have thought about it, then promptly forgot. I was motivated to look again and it's the Muscovy duck that has blue eyes.

May explain some of his odd white markings?

I

I did see some ducks mating the other day. It's always a little distrubing when you tend to put human emotions into the animal world. There were two males and one female.  Male A and the female seemed to be a couple.  Yet it was Male B that was trying to mount her. She was protesting and trying to get away every time he grabbed her by back of  the neck. At the same time Male A, her partner would stay in front of her. I saw him put his head down in front of her, sort of a butting motion, but I've no idea if he was trying to head butt and push off the duck that was successfully mounting her, or trying to get her to stop trying to get away.  Eventually the two, Male B and female, tumbled down the bank into the stream, still in a mount. Her head was being held down in the water at first, until male B finished.  So male B glided off in the water, while Male A and the female sidled up next to each other and floated around together.  Now you know, in the people world, someone would have been arrested for sexual assault!  hahaha

On the groundhog front, looks like Little Dude is out of hibernation!  I haven't seen him, but all the entrances to his burrow are now open.  I had placed a heavy rock at one entrance, so I'd know when he's out and it's been moved away from the opening.  All the dead leaves that collected over the front entrance have been cleared away.  

Then I noticed that the hole one of the groundhogs dug out of the bank on the other side of the stream, then never used, has been remodeled. There's fresh dirt and rock outside of it now.  I don't know if it's in use, but the muskrat took shelter in it during the rain, only briefly, on his trek downstream during the storm.  Resourceful little guy!  Hopefully I'll get some better photos of him soon.

Looking over the chewed stems I'd posted about last time, I've concluded it's most likely a rabbit that chewed them.  If it was  groundhog the damage would have gone much higher on any of the plants (burning bush and spicebush).  If it is the bunny, it means the poor thing was really hungry, from things I've read online. Hopefully now that things are starting to grow again and most of the latest snow is gone he'll be finding better things to eat then my bushes!

Last but not least, I did see two robins today. Hopefully they'll soon discover I've cleaned and refilled the grape jelly feeder for them. 

the Heron, the duckfight and Bob.

Yesterday evening I was restless, and unable to fall asleep and nap before work last night. I'm in the habit, obviously, of looking out the windows. So often I'm rewarded!  This time it was the blue heron, it's visits getting more frequent. The sun was going down and all I saw was his slate colored back, he was in the stream, facing the corner, looking down for his next snack.

There's nothing wrong with their hearing though and he heard me crack open the back door in hopes of getting a photo.  Not enough light with my point and shoot but I got one photo of him standing looking to see where the (ever so slight) noise came from and one of him taking off.  Just like this morning when I got home. I  didn't realize he was there until he took off as soon as I started to open the car door.

I walked across the yard, trying to sneak up on him again, since he'd only walked down the stream. But the ground was rather crunchy and he heard me, taking off. So I looked around while I was there, wanting to see if anything else was budding, or being gnawed on.  My burning bush is being ravished! Something is stripping the bark off the wood and systematically eating the buds too.

Then while I was in the house a duck fight broke out.  Blue Eyes and another male mallard were going at it hard.  Though I've seen seeing the ducks going beak to beak lately, it usually only lasts less then a minute. This fight had a whole different seriousness to it and went on for some minutes. Blue Eyes has the large white ring around his neck.  And do you want to guess what they appeared to be fighting over?  She's on the left of the first photo...

Here the other duck can be seen yanking some feathers out of Blue Eyes.  But if you look at that ducks brown bib, there's  several tell tale white scuffs, where feathers have been ripped from his chest.

 

The fight moved into the water.  At one point Blue Eyes actually had the other duck beneath the waters surface. Once the other duck broke free BE chased him across the stream and the duck escaped to the top of the bank.  But that wasn't the end of it yet. The other duck, foolishly, decided to come back to the water once again to take on BE once more. That was short lived and BE was able to chase him away.  The female duck sidled up along side BE and they swam around together for awhile.  Can you imagine what she could have been saying to him!  "oh you big strong drake you!" (you should know by now I'm easily entertained)

Speaking of being entertained, I've been watching the chipmunk a lot the past two days. I've named him Bob. When I was putting bird feed out this morning, I stood near the opening to his burrow and called to him. "Bob!?  It's time to get up!"   I figure in a week he'll realize I'm talking to him when I say "Bob".

Bob likes the big pile rocks. I probably mentioned that already.  But let me show you.

Here is Bob on the rocks

Here is Bob on the rocks, surveying his kingdom.

 Here's Bob in the rocks. Watching in safety when I opened to door to throw out some peanuts. 

I assume that he feels very safe there, as he goes there often.  Some times just sitting on top grooming himself in the sun. At any disturbance he goes skittering over and through the rocks, slipping into the crevices. His own little play land.

Once again the sun is out. I want to go out and do stuff but it's still a bit chilly this morning, and the wind has also started to blow again.  It even made the downy woodpecker a little nervous as she was at the upside down suet.  She'd jump up and look up from the roof, I swear looking at the chain and tree branch to see if it was going to hold. 

A little blustery wind for us is probably like hurricane force winds to some of those smaller birds!