cabbage

I removed the fencing from around the cabbage beds to do some weeding and didn't put it back up. Within 24 hrs, 2 of my 4 cabbages were devoured, courtesy of chickens and geese. It was clearly a fowl crime.

habitats

A few weeks ago Bobby told me he saw an eagle. I missed it, but did see the shadow on the ground as it flew overhead. This morning I got a glimpse of it. It soared like the hawks that frequently hover, but it also dove into the pond. I've never seen a hawk do that. Grabbing the binoculars, I was even more baffled. Its feathers were mottled (a mixture of brown and white), but but the center of its head was white - like a mohawk. The rest of its face was brown, like a golden eagle, but it clearly had the short, hook nose. Its tail, in flight, showed stripes, but when perched on the tree appeared to be a solid dark color. I'm not sure but the underbelly was also lighter colored, like that of a hawk.

I spent some time reading this morning on wikipedia about birds in North Carolina. I don't know if golden eagles and bald eagles mix breed or not, but at this point we're leaning more towards a young bald eagle.

The last five years we have seen more wildlife than I have ever seen in my life. I've seen numerous foxes, a few coyote, wild rabbits, herds of deer, hawks, blue herons, beavers, o'possums, raccoons, a river otter (we think...could have been a mink), a groundhog (at church in the parking lot this past Sunday!), and now maybe an eagle. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with living near a pond, and some has to do with all the wooded areas nearby slowly being developed, but it can be a bit unnerving. The first time I saw a fox, I wasn't sure what I was seeing. My brain was processing details so fast it wasn't funny - cat ears, cat stance, dog size, bushy tail, funny legs/paws - can it be? Am I see a fox? It was very weird and strange. And they move so fast, that once they're gone you sit there thinking "Did I really see that?"

There are times that I really hate having a pond at our house. It brings a lot of visitors, both human and wild, and takes a little extra work to maintain. But I have absolutely loved seeing the wildlife, even when it scares me a little.

hummingbird

Last week I finally got around to filling up the hummingbird feeder (yes, I know that should have been done in March or April). IMMEDIATELY, as in, within an hour, we had hummingbirds.

One little fellow seems to camp out at the feeder. I was able to get a few pictures of it this morning, though they're not the best quality since I had to zoom so far.

Hanging out on the dog pen (which is near the back porch & feeder)

Drinking from the fake flowers (he'll usually stay almost a minute each trip)

Taking a break between gulps

I keep calling it a "he" though realistically it's probably a female since it's so dark. The male birds are usually bright colors, which just seems wrong. I know that it's a protection thing for the Mom while she's on the nest and that makes perfect sense, but it still seems a little backward.

birds

This past Friday when we had sleet and freezing rain, I spent a good chunk of the afternoon bird watching. Bobby was working from home so he had the computer, and instead of tackling the myriad of tasks before me, I found myself continuously stopping at the kitchen window to watch the influx of cardinals. I've never seen so many at one time.

a Papa cardinal on top of the dog pen. Notice the ice on his wings & feathers?

And a Momma cardinal, before she flew in to check out the dog food.

I don't know if this is a boy or girl, but there were quite a few "teenagers". 

It seemed only the Poppa cardinals went to the bird feeder.

And all the rest hung out beneath the feeder. I counted at least 7 at one point.

And I was NOT happy to see the hawk fly in the pine trees down by the pond. My zoom wouldn't go far enough, but you make out it's image a little in the center of the pic. Thankfully we left all the chickens locked up that day.

warm fuzzies when frozen

the cardinal...(both the NC and the Alabama state bird)

I think we have more ice than we do grass!

Can you see the bluebird?

female cardinal...I was most disappointed to learn the male birds always have the brighter colors.

and....a bird I've never seen up close before...the red-headed woodpecker!

and our front yard, with an assortment of birds I don't know

We might not sit around and watch the turtles cross the road (my sister-in-law had a classmate ask her if that's what they did for fun on the farm), but we do sometimes sit and watch the birds. I've seen a very fat and gorgeous bluebird, but it flies away every time I try to get a shot.

So what are you doing on your ice day?

the grey birds

One day last week I noticed a flock of four-five birds consistently coming to the bird feeder.  They were HUGE, and a species I was unfamiliar with.  With the snow and the bird feeder being almost empty (and me not wanting to fight the snow to refill it), I simply through the feed out towards it from the back porch.  And they came, and came, and came.  Bobby says they are doves.

Fluffy and fat...does that mean a long winter is ahead? I like seeing the new birds, but I miss seeing the cardinals, bluebirds, and little yellow bird (I don't know its name). Maybe they will be back tomorrow!