Thursday, April 30, 2009

Lots of Bird Song and Activity.

We had a few flurries yesterday and this morning everything has a thin coating of the white stuff. It won't be long disappearing once the sun is up. We picked up the paint for the outside of the house yesterday afternoon so the first few warm sunny days in a row we'll be ready to go. In a way I'm excited about it and another way I'm sort of dreading it. I expect I'll start on one side and himself will start on the front.

There has been lots of bird activity this past while. Crows were here all day yesterday and I expect they are nesting close by. Again today in the early morning they were back again so 6:00am. I was mixing up some food for them. They really seem to like the new feeder we put up.
I have to say that they are one of my favorite birds. I managed one picture. Isn't he or she beautiful.


There was an old box in the bushes just up behind the house and one of the chickens decided to lay her eggs in it. After I got the first egg, I got some dried grass and put some in the box to make it more comfortable. I figure if it makes her happy to lay eggs in the box, why not let her.



I happened to go outside around dusk two nights ago and way up in a large Birch tree very near the back door was a grouse. I knew they could fly up in trees but didn't know they could get up that high. I got two photos though not very good. The second one is just to show the colours in the feathers. She or he then flew down on the roof.



I think this is a Purple Finch but not entirely sure.



I'm not sure what this bird is either. Probably a Pine Siskin.

The male and female Pine Grosbeaks come back and forth together each day. Another nest close by I expect. They make a lovely couple.


Female.

Male.


That's it! If it warms up today, I'll be out in the garden.

6 comments:

Nan and =^..^= said...

Sure hope it warms up so you can work in the garden and good luck painting your house (what color?).
That's something we should probably be doing. Too many things need to be fixed around here!
Aren't grouses beautiful! We had one living in our yard 2 winters ago and the first time I saw it up in a tree I thought it was a hawk!

oldcrow61 said...

Nan, I'll have to take a picture of the colours I'm painting the house. Will blog it. It's the same here, so many things that need fixing. For an instant seeing this grouse so high up in the tree, I thought it was a hawk, lol.

Tricia Ryder said...

What a wonderful selection of birds you have visiting OC. Lovely pictures. Whether or not it's a purple finch, it's a wonderful colour!

Sounds as though your chicken has a mind of her own Lol

Sounds though you're going to be very busy.....

Jan said...

Great photos, love the one of the chicken, makes me wish I still had some. The expressions on their faces when they are concentrating on laying always makes me laugh.

Yoke, said...

Look forward to pictures of the fresh painted house (including the stories, LOL)
Great picture of the Crow.
Nice to have the Grouse visiting.

Looks like there are still plenty of customers at the birdtable.

Ali said...

All that sunshine in the photos is wonderful! Your grouse reminds me of the cock pheasant my late parents "adopted". Charlie, as he was named, showed up one day, took a shine to the house and vegetable garden and was with them for several months. He disappeared one day, they never found out what happened to him.

Ali @ Moon Garden