Woke up to this scene in the backyard:
Musta been a big critter. Is a deer big enough to do that? Probably. My first thought, and Jen’s first thought too, was a bear… I don’t think we have bears around here. I’m 99.999% sure we don’t. Still… a bear would be big enough. I’m probably overreacting to the size requirements though. I bet it was a fox or a coyote. Maybe a deer. Who knows.
I just know I need a new bird feeder post now. Oh well. To amazon.com we go.
I took this picture this morning. Lily is on top of the mountain.
Now for an unrelated story that involves both cats. I have the windows open next to my desk. The cats have been hanging out, sitting on the window sill, enjoying the breeze and the warm-ish Spring air, and stalking the birds and the critters hanging out by the back yard bird feeders.
They were sitting there, minding their own business, and I was sitting at my desk working and minding my own business when BAM! Both cats ABSOLUTELY FREAKED OUT and ran out of the room as fast as their tiny, furry, little legs would carry them. What the hell, thought me?
I looked out the window and there were no creatures by the bird feeders. What there was though, and I only saw it for a split second before it disappeared into the woods behind our back yard, was the back of a red tail hawk. I think the hawk saw our bird feeder as a fast food take out joint and stopped in for a snack. I couldn’t tell if it had anything in its talons in the instant that I saw it, but if it had something I hope it was a squirrel and not a bird. The squirrels try to steal the bird food from the birds and for that they have earned my hatred. Jerks.
I fully understand why the cats went nuts. If I were a little furry guy I would have flipped my lid at the site of a hawk hunting for lunch too. Yikes, babie. Yikes.
The birds seem okay with the new bird feeders. So far, at least.
Unrelated note, my step daughter is coming over for dinner. She was in Connecticut with her step mother yesterday so she’s stopping in at our house for a Mothers Day visit with her mother and me. She’s on her way. It has only been a week since we’ve seen her but I don’t care. Every visit is a happy experience and I can’t wait.
Additional unrelated note, the sky looked cool over Home Depot in Salem, NH today so I took a pointless picture just to pointlessly share with all of you. Bless your hearts for putting up with my pointless drivel.
They are bigger. I don’t think the birds will be able to pop the covers off of these. Are they better? I don’t know. They feel a little flimsy, but the price was right. Let’s see how they hold up to the rigors of back yard bird feeder life.
The windows all over the house are open. It is a gorgeous day outside and the cats are transfixed by the outdoors.
In slightly related news, I got an email from amazon today stating that the two new bird feeders I ordered over a week ago finally shipped but won’t be delivered until Friday. Friday? Really? Ugh.
I was saving a bag of bird seed but I just said screw it and filled up the old, decrepit bird feeders one last time.
Also, no sign of life in either of the bird houses I hung outside. Oh well. I guess you can’t win ’em all. It’s still early in the season though… sort of.
First there is this…
Both of those bird feeders need to be replaced ASAP. One of them had a big chunk crack off just because I tried to lift the lid. They are literally crumbling in front of my eyes.
Second, there is this stupid thing…
I cleaned the holy crap out of the window, and still the suction cups that hang this sucker barely stuck. I 100% expect that within an hour or two I will check on its status and find that it fell off.
Until then, here’s a view from inside…
I suspect this puppy will be filed under “dud.”
Today is an absolutely gorgeous early summer Sunday in New England. It’s perfect out there right now. It will stop being perfect once the predicted thunderstorms show up, but for now it’s ideal.
It’s time for a bird house check. There are three. Two little ones and one bigger one. One of the little ones has had a nest pretty much since the first day I hung it on a tree. I can’t tell if it’s still active or not, but it was for a while at least.
I am very happy to report that the second little bird house also has a nest! This is the first time I have been sure that the house is in use. Or was in use. Again, I can’t tell if this is active or not.
Finally, the bigger bird house, the nicest of the bunch, which is hanging on the front of our house is still completely unused. No sign of tenants at all. Oh well. Maybe next year.
In closing, Robin still doesn’t have a clue what to do when she sees me outside.
A few minutes ago, as I was typing up the last post, Jen called out to me to come upstairs quick. There was a baby deer in the yard!
I grabbed my Z5 and dashed upstairs, all dramatic-like. I got into Harry’s room just in time to watch the baby deer and it’s mom walk into the wood, completely out of view.
Damn. I missed them.
Oh well. I stuck my camera out the window and took a pic of some birds. Just so it wouldn’t be a waste of time, right?
If you zoom in on the image it definitely looks like there is a twig in there. I haven’t seen any birds hanging around it yet, but it sure looks like it’s had some attention.
The other bird house in the back yard is the one I caught a picture of a bird working on it yesterday. No bird luck today though.
The bird feeders are full though, so any bird house residents should be able to adequately feed their growing families for today at least.
Bird house number one is hanging in the front of the house. No tenants yet. Bird house number two was hung on a baby pine tree this morning.
Bird house number three was hung on the tree right outside the bedroom door, which is also the first tree in the yard to start coming alive. Green!
Finally, for now at least, the bird feeders are full. It’s Spring, babie! Enjoy!
Inside the Red Head's Head 