Monday, September 10, 2007

Hasty Brook Feeders

Red-breasted Nuthatches were happy takers at the feeders over the weekend. They're beautiful little birds with big attitudes, happily chasing larger birds from the sunflower hearts. Their aerial acrobatics were a treat to watch.
There was a flock of twenty or so White-throated Sparrows always staying just beyond the clearing.They were very flighty and wary of us. This is the only picture I could sneak. Please check out Laura's Birding Blog for some interesting information about the white-striped and tan-striped plumages and the corresponding behaviors of these sparrows.
Always happy to help clean up spilled seed, this little chipmunk quickly became comfortable with our presence. He's on the picnic bench about 2 feet from where I'm sitting.
These two crabby geese were hanging around the little lake down the road. We brought John up to the lake to do a little fishing and these guys tried to bully him away. Don't they look like they're wearing full, dirty diapers? Maybe that's why they were so crabby! Migrants stopping over? Escapees from a farm? It's hard to fly wearing Pampers.
This little Downy woodpecker spent twenty minutes just hanging there in the sun. It was only 45 degrees so I'm thinking the sun felt good. I thought I'd creep as close as I could.
At about four feet away she turned around to give me the evil eye!
I didn't see one single warbler in the woods this weekend. There were nearly as many Northern Flickers as grasshoppers in the grass along the dirt roads. I did see one lone bluebird on the power line overlooking the hay field at the farm south of us. The winds were roaring out of the north Sunday morning and by noon there was a near constant stream of raptors riding the wind, barely visible with the naked eye. Safe journey.

11 comments:

dmmgmfm said...

Wow, great photos. Sounds like a bird watchers dream weekend.

Deb said...

Those geese look just like the three domestic Toulouse geese we have, and they are mean! About all they are good for is providing a LOUD early warning when someone is approaching in the driveway. And, they're hardy bastards; ours are four years old and have little shelter against -40 degree winter temps.

I cleaned the chicken house on Saturday, which meant going into the enclosure with the geese, but after I made a few threatening gestures with the compost fork they left me alone. :)

RuthieJ said...

Hi Lynne,
Lots of nice pictures from Hasty Brook. Your story of the "filled diaper" geese and Deb's comment made me LOL.

I've gotten that woodpecker evil eye before too...

Susan Gets Native said...

45 degrees?
Do you guys up there even HAVE an Autumn? Or do you just jump into Winter?

Mary said...

"Hard to fly wearing Pampers..." You are a hoot!

Yeah, 45 degrees. What's going on up there? Next week, SNOW?

Fabulous photos, Linne. You did good.

dguzman said...

Wow, that IS the evil eye! My downies always fly away when I even make a move toward their suet cakes. Guess yours is a little more (ahem) assertive!

Jayne said...

LOL... "The Angry Downy!" He looks as if he'd say, "Hey! Do you mind?" Love seeing the offerings at Hasty Brook. :c)

Larry said...

Nice photos!-I can't wait to get away to a nature spot myself.

LostRoses said...

Love the "evil eye"! I don't know how you even get within 4 feet of the birds, except for the chickadees, they flee at the sight of me!

Anonymous said...

OMG the downy picture makes me LOL

Anonymous said...

I really love that last picture. You looking at me?!