What ever happened to...?

Robin, who is responsible for having found wonderful new homes for all five of my hens contacted me tonight. She sent me photos of Babette, Dove & Godiva enjoying their new home. Oh how I miss those little biddies!

Godiva, Dove and Babette hunting in the straw

To my eyes the Marans are larger than they were when they left here, and Babette she looks like her usual poofy and fussy self.

Babette inspecting the goat pen with her new 'Mommy' *sniff*

 They look fit and happy in their winter feathering. They have a ginormous hen house all to themselves now.

Looks like a Chicken Palace to me!

Well, I just wanted to share how well my three funny little hens are doing. I miss them every flippin' day. Thanks for the pictures Robin!

Blue Gold, Out Back

This morning, I have been doing what I often do, messing about on-line. I looked out the living room picture window and spotted a House Finch in my Hawthorn, a bird I seldom see out back. I noticed another bird and went ballistic - not one, but several Western Bluebirds!  That's a new yard bird, or at least one I've never spotted out back before. They were helping themselves to Hawthorn berries and I saw them also popping onto the lawn, coming up with worms, larvae and such.

Western Bluebird in my Hawthorn, sporting the traditional Bluebird scowl

Who photographs me from yon window?

After staring and taking a b'jillion Bluebird photos, I noticed there were loads of other species around too. The Anna's Hummingbird that enjoys over-wintering here every year was sucking down the sugar water.  She had her back turned to me, which I guess I deserve, as I've been a little slow on refilling HER feeder.

Just as shocking was for the first time I can remember in the b'jillion years I've been in this house, there was two species of Goldfinches at the same time.  The American Goldfinches, currently cloaked in their fawn winter outfits were at the waterer.

For American Goldfinches stripes are all the rage this winter

And their minute cousins, the Lesser Goldfinches were up to thievery, I couldn't believe my eyes. Calmly as you please, Lesser Goldfinches were nicking my Rainbow Swiss Chard. Now, OK, that was actually fine with me, as I've had that Chard there at least 2 years and have yet to pick and eat any of it. Silly birds. Next time just ask, you little sneak thieves.

Lesser Goldfinches Filching the Chard

Yellow-rumped Warbler, working the lawn for bugs

Skippy here, has ravaged the Hawthorn tree for months

A pair of Western Bluebirds bug hunting from the platform feeder

Of course, I can't leave well enough alone. I'm going to get some mealworms and put them on my v. old bird tray feeder just under the telephone line. Bluebirds are suckers for mealworms, and I want to do what I can to encourage them to hang around. Classes up my back yard a bit, you know?

Birds visiting from the Big North

Another day, another search for interesting birdies. Early in the morning, Don and I headed south. It was late yesterday, Don found out there was a bird that was 'cool' in more ways than one, in Monterey Harbor - a bird that a number of years ago, I'd traveled all the way to Attu in the Aleutians islands to see. I didn't get a photo of it there, but now I had a chance at photographing the bird, so I was just as excited as Don to get to Monterey and find the bird.

A narrow bit of Monterey Harbor, featuring a few of its ever-present sea lions

Once there, we slowly waddled our way over iced up plastic boards, to get to the end of a wharf I've visited numerous times before. We scanned the waters below, but no sign of our target - the Arctic Loon. Then, across the waters, we spotted the next wharf down, & at it's point, we spotted at least a dozen birders - easily recognizable for their spotting scopes, binoculars and camera equipment. We headed on over.

It was a long slog for tubby me to get over to the 2nd wharf, but the trek was worth it. The Arctic Loon was bobbing around the harbor, giving every birder plenty of time to admire it's sharp good looks.

Arctic Loon, cruising about in Monterey Bay

The Arctic Loon nabbed a fish, near as big as its head

GULP!

There were plenty of other good water birds in the Harbor. There were a few Northern Fulmars which normally I only get to see on Pelagic trips. A single Harlequin Duck was way over on the other side of the habor, in an obvious attempt at thwarting me and my camera. Silly bird! Could have been showcased here... *harump* Of course there were also loads of Brant, Double-crested & Pelagic Cormorants.

This Pelagic Cormorant floated on a gleaming patch of waters as colorful as itself

With his first lifer of the year under his belt, we headed along the coast, stopping to search for interesting shore birds. We made a stop in Pacific Grove to search for a wayward juvenile Vermillion Flycatcher, but the bird was a no-show. Rats!

Loads of Black Turnstones, a Snowy Egret & lone Surfbird (find the Surfbird!) hold down this off shore boulder

On our way back north, we stopped at Norma's a tiny cafe in Castroville for brunch. Full up, we drove on to some fields just south of San Jose. We were in the middle of nowhere, but still we ran into carloads of birders, all there for a decent look at the same raptor we sought - the Ferruginous Hawk.

A snowy breast with red leggings ID this sitting Ferruginous beauty

Not joking about the High Voltage!

Ferruginous dropping its landing gear for a 2 point landing

There were three of the tundra nesting hawks in the field. They put on quite a good show for everyone, zooming about the agricultural field, in company of vultures & Red-tailed Hawks. I've had close looks at a Ferruginous before, but it was decades ago. This time I had my camera with me and while my photos aren't going to make National Geographic, I feel pretty happy with them.

Ooops - a bit too much tail wind for this bird.

So! It was a good two days of birding - one lifer for Don, and better yet, one lifer for me. No clue what other birds new to me, will show up this year, but here's hoping they're as numerous as they will be exciting.