Lucking on Some Good Photos

Despite choking dust these last few days, I managed to get 

a few good photos. 

This has been such a banner year for bunnies, and I am still seeing lots. 

I still take such pleasure from sitting on the deck and watching the wild birds at the old house. 

There was a Fed Ex truck in that cloud.  

In the last week, I realized I am seeing fewer and fewer of my friends the Turkey vultures. 

They do not stay here during the winter. 

Then, last night, I was maybe a half-mile from home with the dogs, and on a busy street which, for once, was empty of traffic... I was able to stop and take a picture of a lone vulture sitting in a tree by the road. 

Today dawned cloudy, and ended up storming. 

I saw some beautiful things on the way to the old house, though. 

The rain settled the gravel dust for a while.  I drive by this field daily, and they just cut the hay in it a few days ago.  Do you see the landing strip?  It was hidden by the hay.  Notice it is trimmed down nicely, and has landing lights.  I have never seen a plane land or take off on it. 

Mr. Bluebird was back. 

And Miss Woodpecker. 

Lilly was surveying her domain after the rains. 

On the way to the old house, I saw something in a field.  I stopped the car and backed up. 

Look whom was watching me! 

On the way back, I saw a bird sitting on a hay bale next to the 

landing strip, and I knew it wasn't a crow. 

It was a juvenile red tail! 

I just barely got a couple of pictures of him as I stopped the car... and

then my eye caught something on the ground. 

I missed the huge leaps and bounds, doggone it. 

She stopped to look at me. 

I saw our friend in the pond on the way home, too. 

It was a good two days for photos! 

Baby Blue Jay

I sat on the porch one morning last week and noticed two jays at the suet. 

I finally figured out... it was a parent feeding an almost grown baby! 

Baby had trouble holding on. 

But mom (or dad) was very patient with him. 

Lil and I went to the "farm" this morning, but without Jester, who was a little under the weather. When it came time to go, he snuggled into Keith a little bit further. 

Guess what we saw? 

Uh oh. 

That's one of the two very late Hereford calves I showed you the other day. 

O.U.T. 

I called the sheriff.... I did not want him out in the middle of the road, getting killed or someone getting killed.  

I would have helped him in but.... 

Don't look now... Dad has joined the herd. 

Uh, I'm not going to argue with him. 

Several people passed by, and then one very nice young man stopped.  He was going to help, when a lady stopped and said she knew who owned them, and she would go tell him. 

This gentleman came down, had us crowd the calf... and through the fence he went back to mama. 

And all was well that ended well, as you see by the picture I took this afternoon as we went by. 

No, this isn't some crazy tree face. 

It's our new Wildgame camera. 

Every night, something has been getting into the chicken feed... and this morning 

when Lilly and I got there, there was no feed in either bowl outside, and the 

inside bowl was completely empty for the first time.  I should tell you that when we lived at the old house, I went out about 8:30 every night, counted heads, and closed the chicken house pophole doors. 

Now, I leave both open, as I don't go out at dark. 

Whatever ate everything last night did not kill any chickens. 

I decided I needed to see what we're dealing with, so I know what to do. 

I think the wild birds have been busy during the day, too... as evidenced by the spilled pellets everywhere.  But... we'll see.  We're all fixed up for tonight, and this new, improved camera will work for a long time on four batteries, instead of the eight the older camera used to use. 

I can't wait to see what is visiting us. 

So far, everyone is still present and accounted for! 

A Bird Post

I intended to do a post about the Flora and Fauna of Leavenworth 

County today, but I had so many good bird pictures I decided to change it. 

Keith and I came across this guy after doing chores Sunday morning... he was 

perched on the fence pole where I have seen him several times before, outside the 

big horse pasture I pass twice daily.  There are woods nearby, for cover, and 

he has a lot of room to see the little creatures he's hunting. 

He's a modest owl.  

This group of two toms, two jakes and a hen also had about four more hens out of camera range on the right.  

Yes, the hunters are out... and yes, that bird in the picture got away. 

As we were leaving the old house this afternoon after getting the eggs and doing chores... 

I saw something in the sky and grabbed the camera. 

Crows do not like hawks.  

Three crows were out to get this guy. 

They meant business. 

The hawk was diving and jeuking around. 

All of the sudden, the crows fled! 

And a pair of vultures flew over, in lazy circles. 

The thing was, they were very, very low... and I had already had a scare at the henspa. 

You may have to biggify this to see it.  Around the lower part of the six foot high henspa fence, there 

is a "layer" of poultry wire, zip-tied to the chainlink.  I bent about six inches out as it hit the 

ground, so that the dogs could not dig through.  I obviously did not pay attention this morning... 

something tried to dig in, and the poultry wire was loose in this area, which is right by the gate into the yard.  The zip ties were two years old, and popped off... so... I pulled the poultry wire to 

the chainlink, zip tied everything anew... and put something over the hole that had 

been dug that canine paws cannot move. 

You probably don't remember, but these crazy chickens I am watching are not like my flocks, they do not go inside at night, except for one hen that IS roosting inside (I can tell from the poop) and 

one hen who is brooding eggs.  They sleep in the dog house that I kept in this yard for the ducks. 

I'm hoping I don't go out there some morning soon and see a yard full of feathers. 

I have been leaving the front gate open, I may have to close it now.  

Could have been a fox, too. 

The wild birds are still coming, too. 

And this male cardinal looked like he was telling me to GET LOST! 

A Friday in Spring

First, I have to talk about Thursday night! 

I got the word late in the day that there was a spring program 

at my youngest grands (on my side) school. 

Jax's (in red) program was last night... they drummed on Lowe's buckets... LOUDLY. 

And then they sang.  It was a lovely program. 

Paiton's is on Tuesday evening. 

Daily, I go by a big field where there were 13 horses and five cows all winter.  I have showed them to you several times.  

Two weeks ago, only five horses and one calf were left in the field. 

The man who owns these lives directly across the road, and he had moved some. 

He works for his family's construction company, and also is a trained farrier... he used to trim our pony and minis. 

This morning, as the dogs and I came around the bend, I saw NO HORSES or calf. 

I was stunned... and as I came along the road, I found ONE horse left, who was 

clearly a nervous mess, looking at her mates who were now across the road in the big 

pens around the main barn.  I figured they had gone over to be trimmed. 

She was clearly upset. 

When I came back this evening, five were back in the pasture.  I still never saw the calf. 

Here were some other horses I saw this morning.  They were both 

clearly laughing at me.  

Magically, nine horses appeared in this pasture a week ago. 

Part of them. 

This red beauty wasn't a bit afraid of me. 

Nor was his friend. 

A crane flew overhead.  It wasn't until I cropped the picture that I 

saw the stick that was being carried! 

Somewhere, a nest was being constructed. 

This jay was high up in a tree, and did not look like a jay! 

When he took off, I could see the blue. 

Someone rolled in something STINKY. 

And had to ride next to me on the way home.  

Someone else thought about it, but didn't do it. 

I've been checking for morels daily... we are to have 

seventies again tomorrow, and then warm rain on Sunday. 

I think we'll have our yearly morel meal on Sunday or Monday.  

Last night I ran to do the chicken chores alone, after the program at school. 

I saw two does in a pasture, but the darn camera kept focusing on the grass along the road. 

I was able to get only a couple of one doe in focus... does anyone know why she has the 

two bulbous swellings on her hocks? 

The other doe was very shy, and went for the trees. 

I saw a big turkey cross the road in front of me this evening while we 

were on our way out... but not in time to get the camera up (and stop the car). 

And speaking of the chickens, here's Rooster Cogburn, looking hale and hearty 

after two weeks with his girls. 

Rooster Blooey and his two girls are over in the old 

henhouse, but STILL haven't gone out in the run! 

Pictures of them in the next few days.