WARNING: graphic content.

If you are faint of heart you may want to skip this video consisting of some crows doing what comes naturally. Picking at roadkill.  So if you find this upsetting....RUN NOW!
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ok should be gone now. Let's get to this!

Yesterday on my way home from work I saw fresh roadkill in the middle of my lane.  The kind of roadkill I don't like seeing. The cute long eared kind...get my drift?  BUT it happens.  And it ends up serving a purpose. 

Later on my way home from Sisters, I saw 3 crows at the roadkill, trying to drag it from the middle of the lane.  Very determined crows!  I decided I needed some photos of the crows at work and circles back around the block.

If you haven't guessed, crows interest me.  I know they are intelligent birds. Since they haven't been around here as much lately, it was a good opportunity to observe them. 

Impressively, once I got back there they had moved it three feet! A little close to traffic but definitely out of the main part of the traffic lane.  From what I saw before I parked, one crow did the work and the others jumped around excitedly, and seemed to encourage him. Crows can be comical to watch.  But I'll assume there's some sort of hierarchy involved. I'm sure there was a plan!

I did notice that the crow that pulled it across the road had first dibs, then the other two started feeding. They were jittery with all the cars going by. 

First one flew off, then the second after he got a bite of food to take with him, leaving the last one who was persistent but constantly watching for the cars. I guess he had enough and got a bigger bite 'to go' and took off.  Watch how he uses his claws.

I was disappointed not to see more, but I decided to stay put a little longer. A few minutes later the last crow to leave went up on a rooftop above me, first at the corner, then went to the highest point and started to caw-caw-caw.   Then he would look up and all around. Then caw-caw-caw again, followed by looking in all directions.  Calling to the others.

No one came, so he moved to a telephone pole and again caw-caw-caw, then would look all around, then he would do this little head bob. Once, twice, with the 2nd time looking like he was regurgitating some of his food to eat. He must have done this half a dozen times.

Finally he gave up waiting for the others and made his way back to the roadkill, scarfed down some more food and took a bigger piece with him, after using his claw to separate it form the main body.








check out that claw work!

one eyed squirrel and other stuff

Recently at my son, Ben's,  I noticed a squirrel behaving oddly.  It was at the bottom of the tree and he was jumping straight up and down on all four paws as though he was on a trampoline. Then he climbed very slowly up and around the tree. Then I noticed that one of his eyes was bad.  I mentioned it to Ben and he said that squirrel had been around since last Spring.  I was amazed at it's survival.  Ben told me that one time walking through the yard, texting, he didn't see the squirrel, and the squirrel didn't see him...until the last moment before being stepped on it moved and startled Ben.  You know that's one of those moments you wished you could have seen for yourself! I know, a cheap laugh...but still...a laugh!

Because the squirrel, like bunnies, have their eyes set back, so they can better see anything coming up or over on them. Survival!  But they have trouble seeing anything directly in front of them. So a one eyed squirrel has limited range of sight. I'm impressed that this squirrel has survived this long.  It was interesting to see how he got around.  Slowly but accurately.  He did appear to be smaller then most the squirrels around there.

Oddly enough, right after that I discovered I too had a one eyed squirrel in the yard!  Actually I first saw it across the stream.  There were two squirrels slowly climbing up and around a tree, which is what caught my attention.  I'm used to seeing them scurry quickly, racing up and down the trees and chasing each other.  Not these two.  I watched as one would start out onto a very thin branch, then back up.  At one point one of the squirrels butted the one in front of it, startling and making it jump.  Having just seen the one eyed squirrel at my sons, I paid closer attention.  Eventually the one made its way over the the tree in my yard and I could see he didn't have any sight in his right eye.  What were the chances!  He made his way to the feeder where there is an ear of corn. But he was cautious and suspicious.  I don't know if he realized I was out there, or he just wasn't sure, but he ran across the branch and made the jump onto my roof, like all the others do.

Now I'm left to wonder about the 2nd squirrel. Was he also sight impaired, or was it helping the other squirrel navigate the area and learn where things are here?

That was the only time I'd seen it until today. I'd fed the birds and ducks, then had to come in the house for the peanut butter (for the wren, mockingbird, and woodpecker of course). When I went out, there the squirrel was at the corn feeder.  His bad eye towards me, so I got my camera and took a few photos then quietly walked closer and closer.

Then he cautiously ran over the big branch and hopped onto the roof.  Then across the shed which startled all 73 ducks this morning making them all fly into the stream.  You'd think they'd be use to this by now!

I've been participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count. (GBBC)  I'm glad Friday was so unseasonably warm at 70F! That made for a good count, which included a blue heron and a coopers hawk.  Saturday was so blasted windy and cold, the numbers were down for even the most common of birds here (goldfinch).  It was so windy it ripped the Verizon FIOS box right off the pole.

Sunday was another cold one and still breezy. Overnight we had some freezing rain and snow, possibly more snow tonight. I haven't watched the yard much this morning other then feeding time, so maybe this time I'll choose to do the count later in the day and find something interesting, or closer to normal.  Though as I've said before bird numbers are definitely down here all winter long.

I hear a crow cawing...reminds me I want to post some photos and video of some crows.  But I will have to do another post with content warning for the faint of heart. 

I was glad to see the downy woodpecker this morning. He must have been hungry because he didn't mind me being out there today.

The wind had knocked over my feeder station a few times this weekend, even after I anchored it with rocks. Which then knocked out the peanut bell out of its holder and some critter apparently carried it off, because I never did find it.  The seed bell was still there though.  The goldfinch didn't care that their feeder was on the ground, they were happily picking out their nyjer seed.

Friday when it was so warm I found this on the peanut feed bell. Not sure what it is, only that it isn't a wasp and not a mud dauber.

I can't resist taking any photo of a chickadee!

 Got this goldfinch just as he was taking off

The full moon pics I took on my way home from work the other morning.

Yesterday Sister and I were out and about and I wanted to show her the cutest little bungalow I wanted to buy...but it was already sold...and we ended up going down to the river. It isn't pretty in the winter!  The only birds we saw were sea gulls.  They would fly up the river, land in the water and float back down maybe a mile, then fly back up and start all over again.  Not a bad way to spend the day, floating on the river, if it was 50 or 60 degrees warmer!

We had to walk through this railroad underpass. Rather creepy and makes one wonder how long it will hold up!  :)

till my next post!!

It has looked like the birds know warmer weather is coming, and coming a little early. The junco's are disappearing.  The Starlings are starting to edge in, though I shoo them when I see them.

Yesterday the warmer weather did come, in a big way.  We broke the record high for that day.  67F!  woohoo!  Today they say it may be near 70.  Then the winds will come and we will cool off, but only to the mid 40's.  that's not bad for February!  I'll take it.

There's still a little snow and ice on the ground. My daffodils are pushing up through a cover of ice.

Since late December we've been getting spectacular sunrises.  Unfortunately I see these on my way home from work, always on a road that has no place to stop and pull over.  And sunrises wait for no one!  I recently saw what looked like the perfect sunrise. It was a Sunday morning so little traffic on the road, and none on the back road home I was on. I stopped and took 4 or 5 photos. Saw a few as they were saved but wanted to capture what I could before the moment was gone.  I drove on and when I could pull over off a road I did so I could admire my photos. Except there weren't any.  All I got was an error message.  File format unrecognized.  I was soooo disappointed. So I had to try again a couple days later. Not quite as good as what I saw but at least I got something that reflects how pretty even the coldest mornings had been this winter.  

Least I get too far ahead of myself, I don't want to forget just how cold and blustery it had gotten. I don't want to take the warmer weather for granted!

The Carolina wren loves loves loves the peanut butter. So does the Mockingbird, who has stayed on good behavior and they seem to share between this and the peanut seed bell, trading places when the Mockingbird decides.  I suppose since there is only one Mockingbird it hasn't tried taking over the whole yard.  This is good!  it still hasn't gotten used to me, again I contribute that to it being a single bird and not having ... any 'backup'? 

I think anyone that saw me in my home, trying to stalk the birds at the feeders to both observe and take photos, would laugh.  It looks a little silly to be sneaking around the windows in my own home, trying not to be noticed. Trying many different ways to get the camera into a good position without them noticing.  But to them the camera is an eye and it freaks them out, or if they see me looking.  Again it's the eyes.

I've noticed many times if I avert my eyes or turn my back to birds, they aren't as quick to fly off. Outside it doesn' seem to bother the ducks as much, but from inside the house, that's a different story! They easily notice and react when I'm watching from inside the house...when they see movement,  they cock their head sideways and look as though they are wondering if they really saw something or not, then they begin to do a little sidestep, ready to take off in a moments notice.   

 Aren't the female mallards tails pretty?

One morning I was out chasing fire trucks to take photos.  In the middle of the shoot, I'd gotten back in my car to move to another street.  To my left I happened to see a song sparrow and took it's photo.  I posted the fire pics, my friends had something to say about the bird photo smack in the middle of the fire photos.  Not that it surprised them they said, but still they felt compelled to comment.  As if..only I would do that.  hehe

The other thing I noticed was the flocks of Starlings in the area of the fire.  Loud noisy flocks of them.  I've been so fortunate that they haven't been congregating in my yard! But when I home later and in the house only a few minutes, I heard quite the commotion outside. I knew without looking what it was.  A flock of starlings all around my feeder station!  ARGH!!! Did they FOLLOW ME!!??  One loud noise and they were startled away.  The next day was extremely cold and I saw one almost sad looking starling sitting out there all alone.  I still shooed him away. Now there's one or two that are persistently trying to come around.  Every few days there's a small flock of house sparrows too.  But they aren't constant.  They'd rarely been to the yard this winter (yeah!!)  Then again most birds have not been following their usual habit in my yard.

This pic is from about 2 weeks ago.  Couldn't help but notice that bright yellow color coming back in already.  I was convinced the birds agreed with Punxatawny Phil's rare prediction of an earlier Spring.

Look ma! bare ground!

I've had a blue heron visiting almost daily for a couple weeks.  It surprised me when he showed up when there was still so much ice on the water.  Or maybe more surprised when he came back the next day.  Again I often forget to look before going in or out and startle him every time!  Usually he flies off, but yesterday he merely stalked off down the stream.  Oddly the ducks followed it, walking across the yard like a flock of curious schoolkids. 

One last thing, I saw a bald eagle the other day when I was driving across the south bridge, over the Susquehanna River. Amazing in my lifetime, the bald eagle went from endangered for extinction in 1967, to merely threatened in 1995, and in 2007 was totally delisted.  though that was pushed for a lawsuit when a guy couldn't develop his lakefront property because of the laws in place that wouldn't allow building within 330 ft radius of their nesting site.  (boohoo) Yes that is sarcasm.  Anyhow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maintains protectionist policies so the current population doesn't plummet.

Time to get away from the computer, they say it may be 70 degrees today!