Family Affair

Got some good shots of ALL the birds tonight!

(click on photos to enlarge)

Peek-a-boo, I see you too mama!

Twinsies!

Did you hear that?

Dad was nearby too, sounding the alarm about the weird human laying in the yard taking photos.

Hello, Little Chick!

We have a baby hawk! Just one, as far as we can tell.

We had lost hope that we had any eggs left in our hawk's nest. In late June, the adults were still around, but not sitting on the nest and we couldn't see anything in there anymore. Today Husband said he saw something, and sure enough it was a fluffy white head!

Mom (or Dad) was nearby and squawking plenty as I roamed around the yard to get a few shots. This helped us finally get a good look at one of the adults.

Looking forward to seeing the little one grow!

Backyard Resident

I can't think of a better reason to break blog silence than to tell you about a new resident to our backyard.

For a few years we've observed hawks in our neighborhood, and recently have been hearing some out-of-the-ordinary bird noises. On May 2, Lucy and I were playing soccer in the backyard  and saw a hawk swoop above us and land in one of our trees. After some closer inspection, it appeared to be sitting on a branch next to a nest, or at least a good start to one. A couple more days of watching, and we observed a pair of hawks, and witnessed the bird(s) carrying sticks to add to the sculpture. Definitely some nest-building going on!

After consulting some reputable websites, we suspected that what we had was a Broad-winged Hawk. We sort of got a look at it, but the key was the very distinct call. Through our research we've learned that Broad-wingeds don't usually nest close to humans, so we're very honored this pair chose our Silver Maple!

The past few days one of the birds has been sitting on the nest quite regularly, so we suspect there may be a few eggs. There's quite a racket when one of them is hungry or needs a break from all that sitting. The incubation period is 28-31 days, and while we're not sure exactly when any eggs were laid, we suspect it was within the past week...so we might get a glimpse of some chicks in 3 weeks or so! We're having fun watching them, and have a decent view of the nest from our deck (click on photos to enlarge).

A flurry mid-flight! This was in the nest-building phase. 5-2-15.

Here you can see the banding on the tail,
which provides further confirmation this is a Broad-winged Hawk. 5-3-15. 

Do you spy something looking at me? 5-20-15.

Anyone out there hatch hawks in your backyard? Any tips?

Best Day Ever

I had the most wonderful day yesterday with my little Lucy. I took the day off, and we started off with the usual morning routine, then went to the grocery store to get items for dinner (I much prefer going to the grocery at 6:30AM than other times!) We played for awhile when we got home, then I put her down for a nap and was able to get a few things done around the house that had been long overdue. I assembled dinner in the crockpot and played for awhile longer when Lucy woke up, then we went to visit Daddy. It was so sweet to see Husband showing her off to his co-workers. I see him hold her every day, but I don't know what it was about yesterday; it just reaffirmed what a spitting image she is of her old man. Although people have said lately that they see a little more of me in her, I still think Husband's genes have reigned supreme. It was incredibly cute observing the two of them.

After lunch with Daddy, Lucy and I headed to the Minnesota Zoo. Her first and only trip to the zoo so far was at 3 months. She is so observant and curious now, and can also sit upright in her stroller, so I was really looking forward to taking her again. It was such a great trip on so many levels. I had not been there in the "cold" season before (I say that in quotes because it was a glorious 50 degrees yesterday), and it was a real treat because there were less visitors, and the animals were much more active. The wolves were walking around, moose were up and around and walking right near the fence, and a lot of the smaller animals and birds on the Tropics Trail were right up along the walkway. The first animal that caught Lucy's eye were the otters. I parked her stroller right in front of the glass at the exhibit, and an otter obliged her by circling around, top to bottom right in front of us. She wouldn't take her eyes off him and smiled the whole time.

The real treat for both of us though, was the dolphin tank. Our past few visits to the zoo there have been no dolphin shows and the tank has typically been empty. This time, however, there were three dolphins in the tank, and boy were they having fun! I once again parked the stroller right up to it, and I think the blue shimmering water would have held her attention for awhile itself, but when the dolphins started swimming past right at the front of the tank, she was amazed. I thought it was pretty darn cool myself, and I think she could tell I was excited, because she would look at one going past, then she would just stare at me, smiling. It was the best thing ever, and I think out of our 2-hour visit we spent 20 or 30 minutes just in front of that tank.

I didn't take too many photos - I kind of just wanted to be in the moment with her. She was awake and so alert at the zoo, and she was such a good, happy girl the entire day...she seemed incredibly content just to be hanging out with Mom (and Dad when we saw him). This shot is one of the few, and I think it pretty much sums up the day:


Pretty much the best day ever. Thank you, Lucy. Mama needed that.

Hello, Tom


One of the things we will miss most about the duplex is the wildlife that appears in the backyard. In the 2 years we've spent here, we've seen an outstanding array of backyard-variety birds (finches, grosbeaks, bluebirds, cardinals, blue jays, red-winged blackbirds, nuthatches, etc.); ducks; geese; MANY rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks (including my favorite albino squirrel); deer; and pheasants. This afternoon we were graced with presence of a new friend - a big 'ol turkey.

I'm pretty sure we'll still get plenty of birds in our new backyard, and we can work on attracting the ones we want to see. We've heard ducks have been known to nest in our hostas that come up in the front yard. We may not have the multitude of rodents that we have here (which isn't all bad), but I'm confident I'll get to see some frolicking squirrels now and then. These little surprise visitors may be a little more scarce, however. We do have wetlands and woodlands in the area, but aren't so fortunate as to have them bordering our backyard.


So thanks, Tom, for making an appearance. Happy Spring to you.

Counting Blessings

The blogs have been a little light lately, I know...not a whole lot going on. I did just return from a brief trip to Washington D.C. for work. This was my first big company event, so it was nice to meet some new people and learn more about the company. We have an olympic theme going into 2008, and our keynote speaker on Friday afternoon was Devon Harris, a member of the infamous Jamaican bobsled team (inspiration for the movie Cool Runnings). He gave a very inspiring speech and it was a great cap to the day and half we had there.

Additionally, between the end of my meetings and my return flight home, I had some time to get together with my cousins Jeremy, Lorena and Mackenzie. We don't get to see each other too often, so it was so great to catch up. Mackenzie is a year and a half old, and such a bundle of energy! She didn't quite know what to think of me at first, but by the end of our time I got a "cinco" and a hug and kiss. I also enjoyed talking with Jeremy and Lorena, and discovered that Jeremy has his own mortgage company. He offered to let us bounce ideas off of him as we look for a house. A happy coincidence!

While at the airport I also had a nice chat with my dad, and learned that my grandma is able to return home from the hospital today! Such a blessing! She has had to spend a lot of time away from home over the past couple of weeks. We are glad the doctors found a way to treat the problem, if not entirely diagnose the cause. We are hopeful that everything stays in check and she is on her way to a full recovery.

I'll leave you with a backyard visitor we have had lately. There have been up to three at a time, snacking on the seed the landlord leaves for the little rodents. Kind of fun to see.

Island Invasion

Well, we're back from our little vacation to Lake Vermilion, and it was great. Although we didn't catch many fish (I personally only brought in one very small bass), we had a wonderful time out on the water and around the campfire. It was relaxing to get back to nature and just hang out with Husband and our friend Lowell.
Each year we go up to Lake Vermilion we camp on an island in the middle of the eastern part of the lake. One benefit of this is we don't have to worry much about bears, wolves, raccoons, etc. (although a deer did swim out one year and scare the heck out of me). This year was no different, except we did have to deal with critters of another sort.

Friday night before going to bed, Lowell grabbed our bag of groceries and put it in his tent in case of rain. The next morning he had a tale to tell.

In the middle of the night he heard noises, like something running across the roof of the tent. He thought they were just bugs, but when shining the flashlight on the ceiling, he saw four tiny feet and a white belly. A mouse! Soon joined by another...until there were two mice running all over his tent, up between the rain fly and the walls and ceiling of the actual tent. Unable to sleep for fear of them getting inside, he did what he could to get them to go away, including punching at the tent to get them off. It was a bit humid that night, and Lowell made the comment that it smelled like a bakery in the tent. I guess the mice were hungry! Needless to say, he didn't get much sleep. I did hear some weird noises that night from our tent, but had no idea that it was Lowell punching his tent to get rid of mice! The mice made another appearance Saturday night in our woodpile, and beneath Husband's chair around the fire.

I know what you're thinking...how did the mice get on the island? (FYI this is a very small island) No idea. Do mice swim? Did they make it all the way across the frozen water in the winter without getting picked off by a hawk? It seems more likely that they were brought on somehow. It may be tied to the exorbitant amount of garbage that previous island-goers left behind. Grr.

Another challenge we faced this trip were the bugs. As soon as we arrived and started walking around, we realized we were stirring up hoards of flying bugs that were hanging out in the trees. They left us alone when we were in the middle around the campfire, so we didn't think much of it. Saturday morning, however, around 5:30AM, we awoke to a massive hum. It was these bugs, orchestrating a symphony of simultaneous buzzing. It dissipated as the morning went on, and we went about our business. Saturday evening, when we returned to the island around dusk, the buzz was astoundingly loud, and you could see huge clouds of these things hovering near the tops of the trees. It was kind of freaky, and it seemed there were more of them than the day before. Anywhere we walked, there they were, and we were constantly brushing them off. Winding along the path to the "bathroom" was sort of a Hitchcockian experience, walking through the trees, stirring them up with the drone in your ears...you had to try not to think about it to stay sane. Not to mention protecting the "assets" while tending to business!

This morning around dawn again, the hum was crazy, like the troops were gathering for an attack. It died down again as the morning went on (or did we just get used to it?) I wish I could adequately describe lying there in the tent, listening to it...and also listening to the bugs dropping onto the tent. When we emerged, they were everywhere...the boat was covered, tents were covered. I have no idea what they were, but our guess is some version of mayfly that just happened to be in crazy mode the few days we were there.

Overall it was very relaxing, despite the critters. A definite highlight was the amazing night sky...I went out to sit in the boat to get a full view, and I swear I could see everything. The Milky Way was clear as day. I saw no meteors even thought it was supposed to be prime time, but then again, my watching was cut short...by a bat. Which flew approximately 3 feet above my head.

Critters.

Camp Okoboji – The Long Story aka My Kayaking Adventure

I did add a little adventure to my stay in Okoboji. Sunday morning I got up early to take a little kayaking expedition with my dad. By about 6:30AM we were on the water. It was a gorgeous, peaceful morning and a great time to be out. We detoured away from the lake and explored some adjacent canals and marshes, and just talked and meandered our way, looking for signs of wildlife and just generally feeling content. I particularly enjoyed watching some barn swallows and their graceful acrobatics on the open water. It was quite a beautiful morning.

At one point we were exploring a marshy area filled with cattails and a plethora of bossy red-winged blackbirds. It’s nesting season, so they chattered at us quite a bit and hovered a few feet above us, chiding us for getting too close. Just as we were about to turn around and begin the return trip to camp, we heard a weird bird noise from the reeds, and Dad headed back in to explore.

I noticed a different-looking bird flying away, being chased by a red-winged blackbird. I turned my head to watch as it flew above and behind me. I twisted just a little too far, because...

I fell in.

Kayak full of water, Jess in water, and the worst thing – digital camera overboard. The good news was, the water was only about 2 feet deep. Bad news – my feet sank in disgusting muck up to my knees. All I knew was by the time my feet sank down, I was waist deep in water green with algae and who knows what else, and that muck was stinky. It sucked so hard on my feet that I almost lost my shoes, and even with them off I had a hard time getting my foot out when I wanted to take a step.

Dad reacted like a champ. He took my camera (I did find it) and also my shoes. Although he had a camera of his own, he did not feel the need to photo-document this experience (though in hindsight, we both kind of wish he would have). He was calm and helped me the best he could, without getting out of his kayak, because we didn’t want both of us stuck. I had a heck of a time getting back in that boat. Holy cow was that frustrating! With the muck so deep and sticky, I had no leverage to hoist myself back in, and with the boat half full of water, it was heavy and didn’t offer much leeway in terms of weight before taking on more water. We didn’t have anything to bail water with. At one point we pulled the kayak into some reeds, and I was able to get in by hoisting myself up with the help of some cattails, but the front end was up so high that by the time I got in it, the water in the kayak weighed it down so much that the back end sank! So I had to get out again and try something different.

I pulled my kayak up over the back of Dad’s, which was quite a chore because it was so darn heavy. I got it up high enough to tip it and drain some of the water out, which helped. We pulled it into the reeds again to a more level position, and I figured out that the cattails were dense enough that they had a pretty solid root mass that I could stand on. With that I was able to get back in the kayak, although I was still sitting in the water that we weren’t able to drain out. That was kind of gross in itself (though at that point it really didn't make a difference), but it also made the kayak sit very close to the water, and very prone to tipping. I had to paddle very slowly and carefully so as to not have another “spill.” We found a spot along the bank and although muddy and not very wide, we were both able to get out and fully tip my kayak to finally drain it.

I have to say that although the experience was a little frustrating, and I was bummed about the camera (verdict still out on if it will ever work again), we were both laughing the whole time too. The water wasn’t deep so it wasn’t scary, just really disgusting! I remembered yesterday on the ride home that Dad said to me before we left on our trip, “I hope you’re not grossed out by green scummy water.” I assured him that I was not. Little did I know I would be essentially covered in it by the time our trip was over.
A little kayaking adventure, and a story I’m sure we’ll be telling for years. Apparently I also hold a record, which Dad reminded me of shortly after I splashed into swamp monster habitat. This is the first time that he’s gone paddling with someone who has tipped over. He told me earlier that day that he bought his kayak in 2000, so…there you have it.

Heard This in the Backyard Tonight

http://www.owling.com/gr-hrnda.wav

Juvenile great horned owl. Not quite as melodious as the adult, to say the least.

Holiday Weekend Recap

This weekend we didn't follow the millions of Americans who traveled somewhere, and stayed right here at home. Here are some highlights...

Our niece Hayley stayed with us on Sunday night while her parents are out of town. We went to the park near our house yesterday and today. The highlight was seeing an egret in the marsh, which we actually got to see catch and eat a fish!

















Our friends Jacquie and Alex came over for a BBQ Sunday night as well. Hayley and Alex got along especially well, as she thought he was completely hilarious. I can't imagine why.


Jacquie takes it all in stride! It was a beautiful night to sit out on the deck and enjoy good company.
"I missed Brandon," Hayley told me, "he's my best friend."

All in all a great weekend, with plenty of relaxation time as well. Got some things done around the house, and we also had a "family date" on Saturday, which is always nice. We went to see Shrek the Third (cute, I liked it) and out to eat together. Back to work tomorrow, but only a 4-day week! Hope you all had a good weekend as well.

New Life

We've got a robin's nest under the deck, and she's got four babies that look like they're about ready to fly. The landlord says a robin has been coming back to the same spot for a number of years. Today I got the treat of seeing her feed the little guys. Kind of neat to keep track of them! Soon they'll be gone.

ROBIN UPDATE (Saturday): Today 2 of the babies took flight! Brandon and I saw one venture out this morning, and now 2 of them are flying short, awkward flights all over the place! It's pretty funny to watch them. The third looks like it's thinking about it, and the fourth has stayed pretty much in the nest so far. It's got to be getting pretty crowded in there.

ROBIN UPDATE (Sunday): No more babies. All have flown the coop.

Surprise in the Sunset

Tonight when I got home I took a walk around the wetland behind our place. It's a beautiful evening, and the sun was just beginning to go descend into a subtle orange-pink sunset. I was walking along and heard a familiar hoot...it was the same owl I had heard one night back in March near our house (I actually heard 2 of the same owl hooting back and forth that night, and could see their silhouettes in the trees). I never did figure out what type of owl it was, but today I got to see it first hand! I walked along, looked up, and saw a great horned owl about 30 feet up in the tree! That was close enough, and it was still light enough outside, that I could definitely see the defining ear tufts. It stared at me for a few seconds, but then was greatly disinterested. I was cool to stand there and watch it, and it was pretty vocal. Its whole body would get into the hoot, and I could see it move. Probably calling out to its friend! Click "listen to the call" on this page to hear what I heard.

As I stood there, another larger bird flew into a shorter tree nearby. It had the distinct disc-shaped face of an owl. As I tried to get a better look, it let out a few screeches and then flew away - definitely an owl by the wing shape. I didn't get a great look, but it was smaller than the great horned and the face also looked a little different. It seems that I saw two different owls in one evening! What luck!

I Almost Forgot!

Today Husband and I were out on our deck, sitting there talking, and suddenly he says "Oh my god!" and springs up from the bench. From the way he said it, I thought some bird was on a suicide mission and headed straight for us, so I ducked and headed for the door. But he said "a pileated woodpecker!" He pointed it out, and sure enough, a huge woodpecker with a bright red head was in a nearby tree...a pileated is a rare sight. Husband had seen one only once before, and I never had. It flew down to the ground into some brush, and we got further confirmation that it was indeed this unique bird.

I have heard a woodpecker quite frequently lately when taking walks around the preserve, I wonder if it was our pileated? I've also seen another woodpecker though, probably a sapsucker, going to town on the utility pole out front. But we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for our new friend. Pileateds also mate for life, so maybe there's another around too.

We've had a lot of bird action around here lately; the field guide and binoculars have gotten a good workout. We frequently have chickadees, red-winged blackbirds, grackles, cardinals, mourning doves, plus a lot of other birds I haven't been able to identify...today I also saw a pair of bluejays. Last Saturday night I heard two owls and could see their silhouettes in the trees. Not sure from their calls what type they were, but I love listening to them.

Pheasants and Squirrels and Birds, Oh My!

So it's late and I'm in that state of complete awareness and non-tiredness, even though I know I am completely exhausted. I've had public meetings the past 2 nights and just got home from the 2nd round a bit ago. After jabbering incessantly at Husband for awhile, who was already in bed, I'm now downstairs and trying to unwind.

I definitely wanted to share a special event that happened this morning. As you all know we've been watching our yard very closely recently, as the albino squirrel has been lurking around. This morning when I was upstairs in the bathroom getting ready for work, Husband told me to look out the window at where the squirrel had been before. What was there but a pheasant! And on the other edge of the yard, the white squirrel was also back again and enjoying breakfast near a red squirrel. A I did snap a shot on the camera through the window, but he was pretty sensitive to any noises, and ran down the hill anytime we even cracked the door. The red squirrel would stick around, but chattered up a storm! A few moments later the pheasant, a grey squirrel, red squirrel and the white squirrel, along with some smaller birds, were all eating within 15 feet of each other...our own little backyard menagerie! The last time I looked the pheasant was gone, but a beautiful male cardinal had stopped in. All in all it was a very pleasant morning, and one that Husband and I had the rare opportunity to share. Usually he is long gone before I even think about leaving for work...but today he was here. So I am thankful for the appearance of these little creatures that we both enjoy so much.

Return of the White Squirrel

Today the white squirrel I saw on the trail behind our house awhile back returned! (I assume it's the same one anyway) This time it was munching on some seeds that our landlord put out in our very own backyard. I noticed him when I was looking out the kitchen window, which I often do because we also get a lot of birds, etc. and of course the other squirrels which you all know I find very entertaining.

I did get a good look at him in the binoculars, and his eyes are red, which makes him a true albino (some squirrels have white hair and dark eyes - this is just a color variation and not true albinism). I did creep out onto the deck and watch him for awhile, and use zoom and some photoshopping to get a picture "up close." As you can see, he's definitely not starving.

As I watched, a few other friends joined in too. Look close at the base of the tree trunk, and you'll see a chipmunk. There were a few birds nearby too. A regular little urban forest picnic!

small wonders

To celebrate the good weather this weekend, and because my husband took the initiative to ask, I took a walk with my boys on Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful fall afternoon, the sun was shining, and the bare trees let us see all the bird nests in the trees, and all of the critters crunching around in the fallen leaves. The boys were playing catch with a football along the path, and I caught the occasional errant pass and tossed it back to Brandon. I was promptly told, by my husband, that I threw like a girl. I remember a time when that would have offended me, but hey, I AM a girl. I do admit that when he showed me the "right" way to throw, it was much improved. So I learned a little something.

Sunday I was hoping to repeat the experience, but the boys were distracted by indoor activities so I went alone. I strolled along, listening to the chicka-dee-dee-dees and all the other bird noises and looking up at the treetops to see what I could see, and something caught my eye. A snow-white squirrel.

This was toward the end of my loop and near home, so I hustled back to grab the cam and get a photo. I have to admit, I was a little excited (and I know you're all thinking - what's with this woman and squirrels?) I told Husband and he chuckled, non-impressed. Apparently this is nothing new to him, this albino squirrel thing. Which of course, deflated me like a popped balloon. It's the little things, babe, the little things...these small wonders keep me going. Every once in awhile I like to get back to my tree huggin', John Denver-lovin' self and just look around. It's such a simple way to derive joy in everyday life.

I think he realized the husbandly mistake and tried to act interested, but by that time I was over it and decided if this phenomenon was new to me, it may be new to some of you too. So I walked back, and it was still sitting there, pretty thing.

Anyway, here it is...for those of you who've never seen one, let me know I'm not alone!

Jack-O-Feast

Last weekend Brandon and I each carved a pumpkin. I set them outside this week, but quickly realized that the squirrels liked pumpkins too...to eat. I've been pretty amused by this, and have been keeping track of the gradual degradation. It actually makes the pumpkins look scarier with all the nibble marks on them!














Brandon's pumpkin must have been pretty tasty, because it was getting eaten up fast. So I brought it inside so he'd still have a pumpkin when he got here this weekend. It's been inside for a couple of days and getting a little soft, so I put it back outside this morning so it would be fresh for when Brandon got here today.



I put it outside around 8:30AM. At 9:15, Brett says from the kitchen:




"Uh...Brandon's pumpkin no longer has a face." He wasn't kidding.


Here's the tail-less culprit this morning. He's eatin' good in this neighborhood!