THE DUST WILL WAIT

I've scattered a little of me everywhere the past three months.  I've gardened a little.  Birded a little.  Traveled a little.  Grandmothered a little.  (Is that a word?)  Water colored a little.  Remodeled kitchens a little.  And I've improved my health a little. Obviously I've 'littled' way too much this season. The weeds still grow with gusto in our gardens.  I don't think the birds or bees really care about the ones that drive me crazy.    Here's a young hummingbird enjoying  the  'salvia hotlips' that we planted with the hummers in mind. Twice this summer I've been a farmer at my eldest daughter's.    This last time was when she and her husband took the eldest boy to college 6 hours away.  I made sure that all the creatures were cared for and her farm was not unattended.  On the first night  around 3 a.m.  I awoke to the loudest thunder I've ever experienced.  Not to...

We often forget how much beauty there is to behold in a common Brewer's Blackbird.

In the summertime the air is filled with Bank Swallows that have burrowed nests into the walls of an old gravel pit near the river.  I've always thought that winter would be so lonely there. I thought wrong.  This year the cavities are the winter homes of Gray-crowned Rosy Finch. At dusk they all gather to fight over the holes ... and find refuge and shelter in the condominium that the swallows left behind for the warmer climes.

What kind of birds are landing in our neighbors tree? Could it really be.... Turkey Vultures Their arrival time in the valley is March 16 through 31.   Although they generally just fly over on their way to somewhere else. They are an uncommon valley resident, that is for sure! I think they are resting from a trying migrant journey. A neighbor's dog, watching me wistfully through a double window pane. No barking.  Just that sweet yearning face. A little more black would make him yin and yang. It's been forever since I visited my blog.  Hi there.

Today is the last day the neighborhood robins and friends can drink at the rock waterfall.  Tomorrow it will be winterized.  Note:  Cedar Waxwing down in front   You can see the net over the pond and on the lower level of the fountain which deters Herons and Kingfishers from having our fish for their winter feasts. The pesky magpie! In case you might feel sorry for the thirsty bunch, please know that I will be putting up my heated bird bath to keep the feathered flock coming back!  

A pair of Hooded Mergansers with the sun shining on the water. A Great Blue Heron pretending to fish.   An immature Horned Grebe:

I didn't get a post in yesterday for my 30 days in November. Yesterday's birding quest in the morning ended in the middle of nowhere in a downpour.  Yes!  I did look at the weather report -  it was off by several hours with the predictions. Grand Auntie Fern's check up at the clinic went well.  She is 104 and now in a care home. This summer she fell and broke her hip.  Things have gone down hill.  She is unable to walk.   However, her wonderful sense of humor is intact along with lots of 100 year memories. But short term has been zapped and she now thinks she is a little girl and wants to go home to live with her dad.   Her heart rate and blood pressure are better than mine; she may outlive us all.  Next week it is the eye physician, and the week after that is the dentist.  Hopefully there won't be any snow and ice until after these are completed for the year. Lunch with my "almost 17" year-old granddaughter yesterday was fun. ...

In early May of this year, a little mallard hen and her chicks spent several days in our backyard enjoying the security of our fence and the pleasure of our little pond. A long story made short --  she and her 8 babies were chased by a dog.  My 3-year-old and 5-year-old grandchildren helped me gather the surviving six ducklings and carry them into our yard.  Mama Duck needed no more encouragement to follow us then her babies excited peeps. She decided it was a good place to be. Eventually, someone left a gate open, and the Mama Duck decided it was time for her family to head out. Immediately they  encountered another neighborhood dog which paid no attention to them whatsoever. Unfortunately, Mama Duck squawked with alarm and they all scattered... leaving one duckling behind. We made some calls and another neighbor had a friend with domestic ducks who agreed to take the baby. But it had to be kept in its own container and not with the other ducks. ...

These wild turkeys in my neighbor's yard don't know what happens in November. During the summer there were two adult females and 17 "poults" that wandered through our neighborhood daily.  They have all grown, and the count is down by at least two.   I'm not exactly sure what they are eating in "Bill's" yard, but there may be lots of tasty grub thriving under the new fall of walnut leaves. Listening and seeing these wild creatures is enjoyable.  However, knowing that their introduction to the hills around the valley has not been kind to the native grouse is not .

I've heard the voice of this little wren in the bushes around my patio  -- echoing through my back yard as if through a megaphone.  So much volume coming out of this little feathered bit of avian life. Today it actually perched in the top of the pine that grows in our neighbors yard and hangs its branches over into the corner of our back yard.  As it declared its territory I dare not infringe -  instead I stayed on my side of the yard and used the digital zoom to captured its aria of spring. I was hoping another Bewick would respond.  Perhaps now would be a good time to find a wren box and place it in a safe nesting spot.

I've posted many pictures of the creek path and its wildlife -  as it is one of my favorite places to walk.   How I enjoy the birds! Yesterday at dusk I strolled up the path that was almost abandoned.  Hardly any walkers or bikers.  Hardly any birds. And then I heard the chatter of the Kingfisher.  Try as I could, my attempts to capture its dive into the water did not satisfy.  I think it took pity on me and flew above me into a tree and posed in silhouette. Day 12 of Two Weeks in Autumn Photo Challenge is over at Faye's.

Fall has the capacity to make me sad because I hate to see the birds fly away south.  But, it does become Fall Fun when I get some unusual visitors in my yard.  If you look very carefully at the photo below, taken through the front door, you will see a MacGillivray's Warbler.    What a lucky moment that I spotted it from my kitchen window on an early day in September.  I also saw an Orange-crowned Warbler but didn't score a picture.  They flit around so quickly! Same rock around the same time, digitally zoomed in is below. On the left is a very common   House Sparrow having a swig.  The one  in the foreground acting like she is peaking back at the sparrow, is a House Finch .  To her right towards the back is a Pine Siskin .  I see these birds year round at my feeders. Well, the Pine Siskins do leave in the heat of the summer and I think they head up into the Blue Mountains that frame our valley. The yellow bird center bel...

 Swallowtail  Snake River Sky Snake River - Fishhook Park with Grands (Interloper on far left.. ha ha) Snake River - Leaving the dock Life is Grand (five of them) Fish Pond at night Can you see me? Sparrow Food looking at the camera   Bees with Garlic breath Such is life

There was a lot of activity and vocalizations coming from the owl box just before noon on May 31.  I marked "hatched" on my calendar.  I check late every night and hear the squeaking noises growing stronger.  Karmyn came to visit on June 4.  She could hear the "Owl business" through the open window at the head of her bed. Two nights ago one baby Western Screech Owl peeked through the opening of the owl box.  The photograph is about as fuzzy as the little creature itself!  I believe it's an only child. The father must be hanging out, but I have not been able to confirm the existence of a second owl coming from and going to the box. The female will often sit and look out the hole as we go about our daily business.  She must not feel threatened by the human interaction.  I appreciate that! **** And this is the surviving sparrow in the nesting house in the back yard after Mr. Magpie ordered up lunch for his own muster of chicks. ...

A flash photo of a Calliope at dusk.  The color on his neck is lavender when in the sunlight.  I love their tiny feet!

About six years ago we nailed an owl box in the birch tree in our front yard.  We've watched and waited and been seasonally disappointed.  We've only hosted the starlings and house sparrows that duke it out and take turns raising their broods in the box. Two days ago I noticed some debris under the birch tree.  This morning there was a new pile of garbage that I could see from my kitchen window. When I took my plant starts out of the garage to greet the sun shining down on this morning, I determined to also clean up whatever that mess was.  As I surveyed the material, I recognized that something had cleaned out the owl box.  I looked up to see this face peering back at me.  A Western Screech Owl!  The grandchildren run and play in the yard, so I'm hoping this little owl has determination and stays with us.

I haven't joined Carmi's Thematic Photo challenge for quite some time.  This week his topic is Far From Home. The Eastern Blue Jay is a beautiful bird that is seen in eastern and central Canada, and in the eastern United States.  It isn't supposed to be in my back yard. Several times in the last six years I have had one or two of these beautiful birds visiting my feeder in the middle of winter. This fellow truly is far from home . Click here to see others far from home choices. Or better yet!  Post your own!

While six grandchildren were visiting this weekend, we had an opportunity to go for a short walk on the creek. Just turned 8-year old Goober Evalina and I were doing a little bird watching. Goober:   OH!  Grandma!  Look at those! Grandma:  Uh huh.  Two Canadian Geese. Goober (Sighs, and in a disappointed tone):  I thought they were short Ostrich. Then she walks ahead of me and I hear her add quietly, "Or Black and White Flamingos."

Bird watching was another entertainment I pursued on our recent road trip,   I documented and added  twenty-one new sightings to my 'Life List."  I also saw many familiar birds along the way. A Western Kingbird in Eastern Oregon.   I've seen many  Kingbirds during my bird watching excursions....but never so many at once.  We stopped at a rest stop where the trees were full of them and the yellow feathers were especially vibrant.  ♪♫♪♫♪♫  "Yellow bird, high up in banana tree..."  ♪♫♪♫♪♫ A first sighting!   Rock Wren on Antelope Island, The Great Salt Lake. I yearn to return  ---  with insect repellent.  Antelope Island is a sanctuary where, during migration, birds find plenty of flying insects to fulfill their energy requirements for the rest of their journey.  In the meantime, those pesky bugs thought I was on the menu.  Pamela Cream Pie. Another first!  Broad-tailed Hummingbird.  Fl...