Time for the Christmas Bird Count!

For the third year in a row, we are participating in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count.  We have a certain route to cover and on a certain day--today, the 29th--we drive our route a couple times, morning and afternoon, and see what birds we see.  We can also informally record birds we see around here for the three days before and three days after the official bird count day.  Here are some of the roads on our route.

That's Lake Superior WAY up there to the north.

And this is another one of our pretty, wintry roads in the afternoon sun.  To do the bird count, we just watch the trees for any movement there or over the roads and in the fields.  We record the time and location of the sightings.  And...we didn't see a great variety of birds today--crows, blue jays (LOTS of them), pine siskins, chickadees, possible a sharp-shin hawk, ravens (although it's hard to tell them from crows), and an eagle--but he wasn't on our official route.  And that's the moon up there.

And we saw this coyote, also not on our route.  He was sitting right by the road like he was someone's pet and didn't run away until after we drove by.  

When we were done with the afternoon drive, we finished up with a trip down to The Lake, because that's how we roll!  The angle of the sun gave everything a reddish tint.

The ice is back in the channel and near the shore because we're back to being REALLY cold!  And it's hard to see in the picture, but we could see the jagged line of big waves out in the middle of the lake.

I just love those colors!

We were headed home when we saw two fishing boats heading in to the harbor.  And that was strange because the boats that usually are anchored here were already in and tied up.  So we went back to watch them come in through the ice.  First one...

Then the second one.

The second one pushed in ahead of the first, followed by lots of gulls.  We're not sure how the boats decide who is going to park where, but at least they were safe in the harbor.

And then we saw a fitting end to our bird count day!  Hundreds of seagulls!  (And some drops/smudges on our windshield.)  But we didn't record these guys.  Too many varieties of gulls to differentiate and how to count this???

Movers and shakers and smoked fish!

Since we operate a business here in town, we participate in the Port Wing Area Business Association.  The purpose of the group, of course, is to promote businesses in town and to promote the town.  It's only been operating for a few years, like maybe five, so the group is still working out how best to do what we need to do as a group.

Today there was a tour of the three area towns--Port Wing, Herbster and Cornucopia--organized by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and the Bayfield County Econ. Dev. Corp.  The tour was meant to familiarize the new state WECD rep with our area, and how they can help us as small towns that could use some economic development!

The lunch was followed by a lunch discussion with those interested at the Village Inn in Cornucopia.  Our county supervisor for our area, "Bucky," provided the appetizers in the form of smoked ciscoes, fresh from the smokehouse!

He even demonstrated how to eat them--take off the head and tail, peel off the skin, and the meat pretty easily falls away from the bones.  Delicious!  Then for lunch a Lake Superior whitefish sandwich was one of the choices.  Again, delicious!

And the discussion was pretty good, too, although it shows the frustrating levels of bureaucracy that exist in this state, and that the things we want to do will all take some work...and working together.  Maybe that last part will be the hardest!

On our way home today we decided to take "the back way" which is on Touve (too-vee...it's Finnish) Road.  It's the first time we've gone on this road since last fall because it can be tricky to navigate sometimes, depending on weather conditions.  Today the road was great and we saw some cool things, like...

...lupines in bloom.  They grow all over up here near the Lake, also lots of them in Duluth.  Leann always collects the seeds in late summer and has planted them around our house, down in our ravine, and along our road.  She also read the book Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney to her students back when she was working, a book about a woman from Maine who wanted to find a way to make the world a more beautiful place.

Then on down the road, sitting on a fence post in an open field, we saw a bobolink!  Leann said she has seen a bobolink here one other time but that was several years ago.  Don't know if this one was just passing through or staying for a while.

And, an update on the picture shelter, the roof is on and it's almost ready for a picnic!

One more picture of beautiful pinkish apple blossoms.  The petals are beginning to fall, rain is predicted for tonight, so they'll be gone soon.

 One more thing, a couple people at the meeting today said that there is still a large iceberg floating over beyond Bayfield somewhere.  Also, there is still more ice over near Michigan.  It's June! It's nuts!

An indigo surprise

The day is a blur from driving 200 miles to Leann's hometown in central Minnesota, and back home tonight, for the funeral of a member of her extended family.  

But what's clear is our memory of this indigo bunting that appeared on our bird feeder this morning before we left.  What a surprise to look up and see that!  

We made it a quick trip today because we are going back this weekend for a nephew's wedding happening in the same family.  Sometimes things just don't happen according to anyone's plan.

Short blog...tired!  

Birdbrains or Mary Moments

This year our yard is just teeming with birds, especially the last few days.  I'm not sure why it would be different this year than last, but perhaps the cooler temperatures are keeping them around here rather than going on north.  We have 4 pairs of rose-breasted grosbeaks, DOZENS of goldfinches, purple finches, 8-10 blue jays that maybe just hatched(?), the orioles, and all varieties of little brown birds.  All of those goldfinches streaking back and forth from the feeders to the trees is really something to see.  

And I could never accuse them of being "bird brains," because that's what I was--twice--last weekend.  But first I had to look up the origin of "bird brains,"

"A bird brain is an individual who seems to have difficulty focusing on the events that are occurring in the immediate area, or to participate in them in any logical manner. Sometimes used as a designation for someone who is esteemed to be somewhat stupid or ignorant, this idiom can also refer to someone who is known to exhibit a short attention span, especially as is relates to carrying on a conversation. A bird brain is often considered flighty and may even be thought of as slightly self-centered, owing to the sudden tangents that may take place during an attempt at conversations. 

The exact origin of the English saying is lost to history. While references in the literature and media during the 20th century made ample use of the phrase, there are those who trace the origins back several centuries. In general, the term is thought to be applicable whenever an individual exhibits some of the aspects associated with birds, such as quickly landing in an area, jumping about and then just as quickly taking off for another destination. The reference has to do with the small size of a bird’s brain, indicating that the human who is identified with this label is operating on little to no brain power." http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-bird-brain.htm 

My first lack-of-focus moment happened just after we got back in the car after stopping at the Belvidere Oasis on the Illinois Tollway.  "Where's my phone?"  It wasn't anywhere--not in pockets, purse, car console, nowhere.  I tried to remember what I was going to have to do to "Find my phone" and knew I'd have to get on my computer someplace that had Wifi to wipe it--erase all content.  Luckily it's easy to get off and back on the tollway there, so we got off and parked by a gas station.  I got out of the car, looked all over the front seat, and then under the seat--there it was!  After it was all over, I was compared to a rabid dog when things like that happen.  It could be an apt comparison.

The next "rabid" event happened up the road in Medford, Wisconsin after we grabbed a quick bite to eat at the McDonald's.  I went back out to the car, put my seatbelt on, waited for Leann...and I didn't have my purse!  And I knew I had it in there because I had paid our bill!

Now, this is an occurrence that happens way too often in my dreams, or should I say nightmares.  I think the nightmares all started back in 1997 when my purse was stolen from our car at a nature area in Richfield, MN.  Within an hour, whoever stole it had opened a charge account at a nearby store and charged $1500 worth of merchandise, wrote multiple checks from my checkbook, and then went on to do other identity-stealing activities that followed me for the next three years.  So, it definitely left its mark on me.  And it's happened so often in my dreams, that while dreaming it I actually question whether I'm awake or not, hoping I'm just dreaming.

Good thing I was in Medford, Wisconsin and not...other places.  I zoomed back into the restaurant, and my purse was still there on the bench where I left it.  Whew!

I have spent some time the last couple of days since it happened trying to find something to blame it on--low blood sugar, tired from traveling--anything besides having "difficulty focusing on the events that are occurring in the immediate area," or being bird-brained!  Unfortunately, from now on, happenings like this, no matter whom they happen to, will now be "Mary Moments."

Orioles, wild flowers and red squirrel remorse

Now that spring finally got started, it seems like it's "bustin' out all over." (Thank you, Rodgers & Hammerstein!)  All our birds from last week are still here this week only in higher numbers.  But today we had a new surprise!

Meet Mrs. Baltimore Oriole.  Mr. was around, too, but not when I had my camera.  He's much brighter...of course.  Last week we put out this dish with jelly in it because we've heard it attracts orioles.  And...success!  I haven't seen an oriole around here for a long time!

And the wildflowers are also waking up.  We were surprised to see lots of trilliums in our woods this morning, but, alas, no camera.  I had better luck on my rather misty walk today -- wild strawberries, pussytoes, and marsh marigolds, also called cowslips.

Wild strawberries

Pussytoes (I should have zoomed in a little more, but they look like little cat feet.)

This bunch of marsh marigolds is right along our driveway.  Leann dug them up from someplace years ago and planted them in the marshy ditch by the driveway.  They come back every year but it must not be the IDEAL spot, because the bunch never gets much bigger.

And now for my remorse, the red squirrel variety.  Tonight I went to my Feedly blogroll and there was Laura Erickson's blog, Laura's Birding Blog.  Laura Erickson is an expert on birds and kind of a favorite daughter-in-law of our town, and she often comes back for various birding purposes. Her mother-in-law, Helen, now some past 90, was a major force in all kinds of community organizations, especially church and museum, when she was in her best days...which was really until just a year or so ago.   Anyway, in Laura's blog she discusses her attempt to eradicate an insect infestation on one of her orchids, and goes on to ponder other beings that we call pests, questioning our right to fight pests and the possible consequences, as with the passenger pigeons.

Since we were gone several days, one of my first tasks this morning was to fill the bird feeders for all our bird friends.  But who should show up for the filled feeder but a little red squirrel.  He hangs upside down, clinging to the "squirrel-proof" feeder with his little toes, and sucks in the sunflower seeds from the tray.  With gray squirrels, we can always go to the window, pound on it, maybe even open the window and yell, and they run away.  This little red squirrel had no fear.  I was looking around for something to toss at him.  I finally tried a handful of tongue depressors, one at a time - we somehow have a box of them leftover from a school project, I'm sure.  Turns out tongue depressors are way too light and, also, I can't throw very well.  Next weapon was an old ski pole.  I thought I would stand inside the screen-less window and just whack at the deck floor and scare him.  Again, no fear.  So finally I took my ski pole outside and actually walked up to him and whacked at him...a little.  And he ran away down the ravine, but was back with a vengeance later in the afternoon.

So now, thanks to Laura and my friend who also heard my squirrel story tonight, I'm feeling remorseful.  After all, what's a few sunflower seeds??

Finding spring in the Horicon Marsh

We planned our stop last night in Fond du Lac because it was a short trip to see the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge first thing this morning.  The Horicon Marsh as it's called around here, is 22,000 acres of federal refuge and another 11,000 acres of state refuge run by the DNR.  And TONS of cattails!

We saw so many kinds of birds - whooping cranes, pelicans, sandhill cranes, Canada geese and babies, five male scarlet tanagers, yellow warblers, a variety of ducks and all in a beautiful spot to greet spring.

A scene along the "auto tour" through part of the marsh

Pelicans moving in and out of their nesting areas

So many geese, all with a set of babies following them around

Hard to see, but the scarlet tanagers are those orange spots on the reeds

Then after a trip through the Chicago afternoon traffic, we all met up here in South Bend for the graduation tomorrow.  Ellen selected the Evil Czech Brewery for our dinner spot tonight, and we came home to an inter-generational game of Trivial Pursuit.  And my team won!  Yay!

It's time for streaming bird cams!

Note: I inserted several streaming websites below and I don't know how they will all work with whatever computer or tablet you are on.  I also posted all the links for each one, so if they are responding rather slow in Blogger, just copy the link and try them one at a time in your browser.  They are all pretty interesting! (IMHO)  Most have short 15-second ads before the video starts, and some have night vision cameras for after dark.
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Yesterday a blogger I follow has been posting about her days spent visiting friends in Toronto.  After a hike in a forest, she came back to try to identify some birds she saw, and ran across this site below.  And it captured her attention for the rest of the day! (Thanks, LH!)
http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/40/Cornell_Lab_FeederWatch/

Watch live streaming video from cornellfeeders at livestream.com

And that reminded me of some of the other spring bird web cams I've watched through the years.  The first one I remember was focused on a peregrine falcon family high up on some structure at a power plant near the Minnesota/Wisconsin border.  It was back in the late 1990's so it was probably pretty basic but still fascinating.  I remember it was hard to focus on my work while the babies were hatching!

Here is a link to a series of six different power plants in Wisconsin with cameras on peregrine falcons, and they feature a different site all the time depending on activity happening at the time.  So I can't embed this one:
WE Energies Peregrine Falcons

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Another favorite cam is the Eagle Cam in southern Minnesota, unfortunately with a 15 second commercial before it starts. Looks like two eaglets, unless another one is hiding underneath.
http://www.ustream.tv/mneaglecam

Live streaming video by Ustream
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Yesterday we were talking about whether we had ever seen a hummingbird's nest. Below is the "Bella the Hummingbird" site, and may be the one chance to see the nest.
http://birdnote.org/nestcam/bella-hummingbird
Live streaming video by Ustream

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And "Tim's Birdfeeder - in Wisconsin," also with a short ad, is almost too colorful to believe! All of those orioles & gold finches!
http://birdnote.org/nestcam/tims-birdfeeder-wisconsin

Live streaming video by Ustream
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And finally, from Horicon Marsh down in south-central Wisconsin, is the Great Blue Heron Nest Camera.  I just read about this one on Facebook but I haven't see much action here yet. Wait...Mom just showed up!
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/horicon-marsh-great-blue-heron-nest-camera
Live streaming video by Ustream
I don't know how all these embedded videos will work here but here goes! Oh, do you know of any other fun wildlife cameras we can watch?

Hummingbirds (and more) are back!

Some showers during the night left everything a little wet this morning, but soon the sun was shining and the birds showed up at the bird feeders.  First it was a pair of rose-breasted grosbeaks, and later on today we saw two pairs of them fighting off other birds for space on the feeders.  I don't remember seeing any of these birds here before, so this was a morning surprise!

And while I was watching the grosbeaks, suddenly a hummingbird flew up to where their feeder SHOULD be!  I really didn't think they would be back for another couple of weeks, but I made a quick batch of hummingbird juice for their feeder, and they've been coming back all afternoon. (And they are still there now but they must be pretty chilly in our 40˚ evening.  He looks a little fluffed out!)

Also showing up at the BIRD feeders today was this black squirrel.  Red squirrels are kind of little and cute, gray squirrels are just...squirrels, but this black squirrel looked disturbingly like a rat.  But he never reached his way to the feeder while I was watching.  Then we bought a new "squirrel-proof" feeder today, so we'll see.  Now we just have to worry about the bears getting into the feeders.

And on the gardening front, the potatoes are now planted and the straw is strewn.  We got three kinds:  Kennebec, Red Pontiac, and Yukon Gold.

And the last two raised beds are finished and set in place.  Now we just need the dirt and a plan for what to plant.  Isn't that the most fun?  All that promise for good things to come!

Any time is feeding time

Look up and out our living room window just about any time of day now and you can see birds and deer checking out the food situation.  Back in the late fall the deet might only show up after dark, but our motion lights let us know when they were out there.  Now that it is so cold and I'm sure food sources are getting pretty slim in the forest, we aren't surprised to see deer anytime during the day.

Today the deer are especially happy because Leann put out some old apples that went bad on us.  Usually we feed them shelled corn and sunflower seeds.  Since they fight when they get crowded too close to each other, we have to make several little patches of food so it's not just the one we call "Bully" that gets all the good stuff.  While they don't have many distinguishing features, there is one we call "Mouse Ears" because she looks like her ear tips maybe were frozen once, so now they look little and rounded.  She often comes around with a smaller doe who may have been her baby last season.

While we were talking about the deer with guests recently, we realized that the fawns will be born in late May or June (just 3 months away!), so these does are probably all carrying babies.  It's a hard winter for them with the snow being so deep to walk through and the challenges of the extreme cold.  Are we up to 65 days with temperatures below zero?  And more to come.

I guess we can't stop feeding the deer yet.  Or the birds!