Sorry I was offline unexpectedly. Partly I was away and partly I had internet access issues. So I'd better catch everyone up on what's happened in the past 3 days.1. I've seen the first dark-eyed junco (Sunday). It was only one, no doubt a scout. The timing for its arrival is just about average--2 days earlier than in 2006 but 9 days ahead of 2007 (which was late).
2. The nights are now falling into the upper 30's. I have had a frost. Neighbors in lower areas have had a killing freeze. It's chilly enough this morning that a front moving through could, theoretically, bring some snow flurries--except that it's been so dry and the front is so weak that it's unlikely any precipitation will reach the ground.
3. Action at my feeders is starting to pick up. I haven't had anything unusual yet, just the usual suspects: Red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, black-capped chickadee, Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, blue jay, white-breasted nuthatch. I haven't seen a red-breasted nuthatch yet, though several have been sighted nearby.
4. I have a very annoying grey squirrel at my feeders. I've been wondering why the seed is disappearing so quickly when the feeder action is still kind of limited. Now I know. Jabba the Hut of a grey squirrel sits in the middle of the feeder, lazes back on his haunches and stuffs himself.
5. The leaves continue to fall (hooray!) and I can now see just a teeny little bit of the very top of the mountain to the west of me. Okay, so it's not much yet, but my view is beginning to return. At this point, I'd estimate that about 20% of the leaves around me have fallen. Winter is coming!
Posts
4 comments:
I have admit I was looking for snowflakes today. The clouds had that steel grey look to them. However didn't see any :(
Right now, the wind roaring through here at times. Already the power flicker once, so there's a chance of losing it.
Nice to see you back. We had chipmunks raiding our bird feeders through the summer, but they're hibernating now.
Cathy: i hope you didn't lost power last night. I was trying to talk on the phone with my sister last night, and the wind-caused static was terrible. I picked branches out of the driveway last evening. Glad it's not so windy today.
Carolyn H.
Pablo: I saw the last chipmunk about a week ago. It will be another month or sos before the squirrels hibernate--no nearly fast enough for me!
Carolyn H.
Post a Comment