On His Own

   Well, it was bound to happen and now it has.  It is time to buck up to the times and get on with life.  Well, at least, the little bird needs to go about his business of being a bird.  The little cardinal that was coming to the feeders with Mom and Dad Cardinal has now been officially booted from the nest.  He is on his own and will have to start "adulting" if he is going to make it.  Mom and Dad are not going to be there for handouts any longer.  The little fellow was taught where to find food and water and how to find shelter.  It is up to him.

  In the avian world, life can be tough on little ones.  Once the parent birds have taught their brood the basics of survival, they literally give them the boot.  In fact, this being a young male, he will most likely be chased from the territory eventually.  Right now, he is chased from the feeders if the adults wish to eat.  Life is not easy for fledglings that are accustomed to being fed or, at least, led to food.  Once parent birds are ready to nest again, the fledglings are out!

  This little one has learned its lessons well.  He comes to the birdseed and, more oft than not, feeds below the plants.  He knows that the local hawk could easily swoop down and grasp him.  Hopefully, that will not be the case and this little cutie can grow to be a handsome red fellow like his dad!  Good luck, Little One!

Father Knows Best

  I have taken the notion that physical therapy should be done outdoors when the weather permits.  Not only are you exercising those muscles but you are breathing fresh air and have the added bonus of watching the wildlife.  That said, I take my little weights out to the garden to indulge in the act of healing.  This is perhaps as "holistic" healing as it gets.  The body, mind, spirit and emotions can become in perfect balance within the confines of the Small Gardens.  I am a firm believer that it takes all of these to come together before true healing can be obtained.  Besides, I would much rather be outside even if it involves therapy.

  This morning before beginning the routine, I put out a bit of bird seed for my fine feathered friends.  It only took a few moments before a beautiful male cardinal alighted on the garden bench holding seed.  Ahh, my sweet friend has come to visit!  Then, another cardinal came to eat.  My first thought was that this was the male's ladylove but, on closer inspection, I realized that this was a juvenile bird.  Daddy Cardinal was teaching his offspring where to find food.  The brightly colored male did not feed the youngster but made a big fuss over picking seeds from the plank.  The youngster sat cheeping and fluttering its wings but to no avail.  Father knew best.  Let the youngster learn to eat by itself.  Finally. the little one gave up hope of being fed and started eating on its own.

  Seeing this interaction brought smiles.  Not only was the father bird teaching his offspring where to find food but he felt safe enough to bring his little one to the feeder.  From my vantage point of 6 feet away, I was delighted to view the birds and felt honored that I was trusted.  This, my friends, added to that emotional care...now if only the physical therapy was that easy.

  As a little note here, juvenile cardinals greatly resemble the females and it is somewhat difficult to distinguish which is which.  The easiest method is to check the bill.  A female has the bright red "cardinal" bill whereas a juvenile has a grayish or almost black bill.   

Brats will be brats

  If I do not get to the garden by ten minutes past sunrise, I get a rude scolding.  A pair of blackbirds start shrieking for me to come fill the feeders.  These are two of the most impatient birds to ever visit the gardens,  Most birds will politely call or even sing until their breakfast is served but these rascals literally shriek.  They will both perch themselves in the dead black gum tree, shriek at the top of the voices and then hop from limb to limb.  If I still do not come, the male will venture into the porch arbor and yell at the door.  That shriek is deafening under the canvas top and I think he realizes that it can be heard all the way to the kitchen!  Once I fill the feeder and toss a bit on the ground, this pair eats and then flies back out to the marsh.  

  The redwing blackbirds often hang purely in the marsh but this pair has gotten brave.  They spend a good bit of time at the feeders and will often stake it as their territory.  Then, no other birds are allowed to feed.  Beside being extremely rude, they are bossy!  How unlike the other blackbirds and the other birds, in general.  I am not sure why these are so rude but it has now become quite humorous for me and I have a tendency to even venture out without their breakfast from time to time.  Their reaction is one of disbelief!  I think they belong to this "me" generation...you know, the ones who think everything should be handed to them.  In the human world, these are the ones who never got their butt beat because parents were afraid to be parents. Perhaps the same thing happened in the avian world.  Brats will be brats.

Gimme Breakfast!

  Since my early mornings are limited to the garden area until I get the ok to venture further, I have discovered a whole new pastime.  I watch who comes to the bird feeder.  The feeder is not actually your normal, cutesy bought feeder but an overturned glass tabletop set atop of an old wicker end table.  It works, in a fashion, and the birds do not seem to mind.  They only fret over the quantity of seed and the pillaging squirrels.  In fact, the birds will start to call if I am ten minutes late in filling the tray.  

  One of the earliest visitors is a male red-winged blackbird.  This handsome fellow will perch himself on a fence post or a low branch and screech until the seed is poured.  If I do not move quickly enough, he gives me a good fussing.  I am assuming this is the new "boss" of the blackbird world as the others will linger on their branches until he has eaten his fill.  Then, they come to dine. 

  This is not the Old General that has been here for years.  This is the New General.  The change of command took place this spring.  I was truly sorry to see that my old friend was no longer with us as he and I became quite close friends.  The bird was rather tame and, as a commander, was always fair.  The New General is still a bit leery and is ruling with severity.   Perhaps he will mellow once the others cede to his powers but, for now, he still has to declare his leadership occasionally.  There have been a few spats among the birds for territory but, as it always does, it will work out to be satisfactory on all parts.  For now, I shall be happy with having him as my first morning visitor.

Meanderings, Baby Birds and Commonsense...

  While out in the gardens or roaming the marsh lines, I observe.  It seems that is what I do best. I am a watcher of sorts.  I investigate everything...plants, critters, weather...whatever catches my eye.  Mostly, I watch critters.  The animals around the Bayou have not flourished as they have by being stupid or ignorant.  (And, yes, there is a difference.  Look it up.)  People of the world should take note.  Animals are smart. They know how to take care of themselves and don't go whining about their lot in life.  The tiniest mouse has just as good of a life as the huge alligator.  Neither are up in arms about the other.  People are not so smart.

  Today as I piddled in the gardens, I could hear a family of blackbirds as they came up from the marsh to get a bite to eat at the feeders.  I was pondering why it took them so long to make the 300 ft flight but then I realized that they were coaxing their young along the route.  The parent birds were not only encouraging their young to fly but were teaching them where they could find a free meal at times.  The mama blackbird would fly to a tree and call to the little ones.  Once they made it to the tree, she would do a short flight to another branch.  Never did she let them actually reach her until they were finally at the feeder.  Then, she and the papa bird pecked furiously at the seeds.  The little ones peeped, fluttered their wings and begged to be fed.  Mama and Papa pretended not to hear but kept pecking at the seeds.  It was only a short time before the little ones got the idea and tried to mimic their parents.  The lessons were a success.  Baby birds only have a couple of weeks to learn the ropes to being an adult bird.  Flying, finding food, finding shelter are all lessons that need to be mastered before the mama bird takes to the nest again.  It is this way with most critters. Very few spend more than a couple of weeks or, at best, a few months caring for their young.  It seems that humans and elephants are just about the only ones who baby their young for any length of time.  

  It got me to pondering a lot of things watching the birds today.  It has not been that long ago that human kids were put to work at an early age.  Families depended upon it.  If you were able to toddle at all, chores were assigned and were expected to be completed.  Maybe that's what is wrong with society today.  Kids are mollycoddled too much for too long.  They become dependent, lazy and have a "me" attitude.  They expect to have everything handed to them or they pitch a fit just like the little birds at the feeder.  Gimme!  Gimme!  Gimme!  Thankfully, those parents had commonsense.  They led their brood to the feeders and expected them to start feeding themselves.  No more handouts!  That, my friends, is commonsense teaching.  That, my friends, is what is lacking nowadays.  No one thinks for themselves anymore.  'Nuff said. 

Who Makes Up These Things???

  It is sort of humorous how tales change from person to person.  I am supposing a lot of it has to do with cultural backgrounds but a lot is hearsay.  My interest in the critters of the Bayou leads me to do a lot of research.  Not only do I delve into the lives of the critters but into their symbolism as told by folklore.  Many times, a critter is pretty much universally recognized by one idea of what it represents.  Owls, the world over are seen as a representation of wisdom.  The same with eagles (all sorts) as they are widely seen as "strength".  Cardinals are a symbol of a connection with the "afterworld".  And so on.

  Today's critter research involved the woodpecker.  This fine bird should be the symbol for preparedness.  When times are plentiful, they store seeds and nuts for later use and build several exits to their tree hole nests as an escape from predators.  They are prepared to face what may come.  But...this is not what they symbolize!  According to research, woodpeckers represent a balance between goodness and vigilance.  They are letting us know that we should be aware of our surroundings but not let caution keep us from doing good.  Another source stated that a woodpecker sighting is a declaration that we should protect what is dear to us.  Yet, another says that a woodpecker's drumming is a heralding of death.  Finally, one source proclaimed that a visiting woodpecker brings good luck.  It seems that the symbolism of a woodpecker sighting changes with whoever sees the bird.

  There is a Red-bellied Woodpecker that visits the feeder (also known as an upside down table top makeshift feeder) each day.  The bird loudly announces its arrival before dropping in to scare off most other birds.  Only the cardinals will hold their ground and eat alongside of the woodpecker.  The Red-bellied will eat a dozen or so seeds before carting off dozens more.  The seeds are being stashed in the bark of a pine tree down the hill  Whether or not this bird will retrieve those seeds this winter is questionable.  A wily squirrel has been watching the bird's every move and may just be crafty enough to steal the seeds.  

  Whatever the woodpecker represents, I am happy to have it come to visit.  I love hearing the calls and drumming.  I love the fact that they nest nearby and bring their little ones to the feeders when the babes fledge.  Life is good/

The Brazen One

  One thing or another has taken out my bird feeders.  The raccoons literally stole the suet baskets, termites ate the box feeders and squirrels ruined the "squirrel-proof" hanging feeders.  Now, I have an old glass tabletop sitting upside-down on a wicker table.  It serves the purpose and can feed dozens at a time.  Birds flock to it even though I am working the gardens just a few feet away.  There is also one brazen squirrel that continually fights the birds for rights to the seeds.  This squirrel is not the only one that comes but it is the one that chases off the birds.  The others simply share the space and are happy to have breakfast.

  Today, the foul-tempered rodent was chased off numerous times within an hour but kept right on returning.  After about a dozen times of me shooing the rascal off of the table, he got a bit too insolent!  The squirrel would not even leave!  I shooed.  He stayed. I opened the garden gate and shooed.  He stayed.  Finally, I had enough and stomped my way to the table. The Brazen One hopped to the dead black gum tree, climbed about four feet off the ground and turned to bark at me! 

  Yes, this is the same squirrel that scolded me for breaking up the "bar brawl" a week ago but now he is not even making the effort to scamper out of reach!   All I can say is that this rascal better watch his step as I am just about to the point of getting a trap and relocating his sorry behind all the way to my daughter's house.  She has made the remark that there are no squirrels on the property where she lives.  That may change real soon!  (She probably will not appreciate my rodent donation, however!)

Another Tiny Visitor

  Our rain continues which is normal February weather down here in the Deep South.  Fog, warm, rain then a short cold spell and back to fog again seems to be the routine.  This year, however, those cold spells seem to forgot to come.  As a rule, it is warm enough to be called spring but we are all holding out on the thought that there will be one more "freeze" before the gardens are planted.  Critters, on the other hand, have already declared that spring is here and that love is in the air.  Nesting has begun.  

  Braving the drizzly rain this morning, I put more birdseed out on the tray on the lawn table.  I still have no feeders but the birds do not seem to mind.  As long as they are getting free food, they are happy.  As I stood just a few feet away from the table, a pair of chickadees popped in for breakfast. These tiny birds are often found flocking with their buddies the titmice and sure enough, I could hear them in the nearby cedar tree.  The little chickadees are more vocal about demanding seed if I dare forget to fill the feeders but the titmice express their elation when I do.  

  Here, we have the Carolina Chickadee which closely resembles the Black-capped Chickadee.  Really, the only visible difference is the Black-capped Chickadee has deeper grey on its back and more pronounced white wing edgings.  Our little Carolina Chickadee has greyish wing edgings.  The songs are different between the two birds which helps somewhat but the biggest factor in knowing what type Chickadee is found here is the range maps.  Black-caps do not range this far south and Carolina Chickadees do not range far north.  Their ranges do overlap a tiny bit and the birds are not overly concerned.  They get along fine and will often hybridize.

  Chickadees of all types are very approachable birds.  If you have enough patience and the gnats are not too bad (our bane), these tiny birds will often land on your hand to feed.  Put a bit of seed in your hand, sit still and wait.  Soon the little ones will come to visit!  

  Chickadees are cavity dwellers just like the titmice.  They will, however, create their own holes in rotted wood if no empty holes are available.  The male and female bond and stay together for many years. During courtship, the male will bring food to the female.  Both build the nest and both share parenting responsibilities.  Folks, fill the feeders and watch for these sweet birds.  They are perhaps the most adorable birds to visit and will be happy to visit a spell with you.  

Teeny, Tiny Birds!

  For the past few years, we have been battling termites.  They came in with Hurricane Katrina so many years ago and decided that since they liked the Coast so much, they would stay.  We are not the only ones facing these little demons.  A good many homeowners have been fighting the same battle as us.  These "homeowners" are not just human.  A lot of my animal friends have had to deal with the same menace.  Some have benefited as they feast on the insects when there are huge swarms.  Lizards, frogs, birds, other insects all can be found having a hearty meal during the swarms.  But a lot of animals have lost homes to the wood-munchers.  Not only have my birdhouses been demolished but trees (dead and LIVE!) have been totally destroyed by the insects.  Recently, all of the arbors and the garden fence had to be removed.  Yep, termites in all of the posts.  I was heartbroken but it was a necessary chore to tear down the whole lot.  Then, I realized that the wooden bird feeders had also been attacked.  NOTHING is sacred!  Egad!  To remedy that situation I merely started putting birdseed on a small outdoor table near the garden benches.  The birds seemed to be accepting so now I have a clear (and near!) view of the birds.  This afternoon after the feeder (uh..table) was filled, I sat down to watch my friends enjoy their dinner.  A good number of birds came but none were so sure that I would not hurt them as the Tufted Titmice who would literally wait on the arm of the bench for their turn to visit the seedy buffet.  

  Titmice are some of the tiniest birds on the Bayou yet they are some of the bravest.  Weighing around a half of ounce and being about five inches in length, you could easily hold one in the palm of your hand.  They are calm little birds but are feisty if the need arises. I have seen them attack a four foot long rat snake raiding their nest and have watched as they would chase squirrels from their food cache.  Male squirrels are notoriously lazy and would prefer to eat someone else's stored food that go find their own.  Titmice are equally noted as "preppers".  They work hard to store food for lean times.  Carrying one seed at a time, they will stash the food in crevices of trees.  Each seed is carefully hulled before it is put in their "larder".  

  Titmice nest in holes in trees or bird houses, if available.  They do not create the tree holes but use naturally formed ones or will use a vacant woodpecker hole.  Once they choose a nesting site, the birds will carry in twigs until a snug home is made.  Then, the nest is lined with hair!  Animal hair or even strands of human hair can be found inside the nest.  These tiny birds will go so far as to pluck hair from pets!  When Ms. Ezzy, the Bayou Dog, was alive, several times I witnessed the titmice land on her back as she was napping outside.  Ezzy was a kind soul that loved all animals so she did not mind the titmice "grooming" her loose hair.  Back and forth between dog and the small bird house on the rose arbor, the birds would go.  They would busy themselves gathering their nest-lining as long as the old dog was sleeping.  

  If you are one who fills the bird feeders in your yard, take a seat nearby and get to know your outdoor friends.  It won't take long before the birds and squirrels will know that you can be trusted.  They will all come to the feeders to get their daily meal.  While doing that, they will definitely entertain you with their antics!

Morning Wakeup Call

  Even though I awake before dawn, I now have my own personal alarm clock!  Each and every morning for the past month, a beautiful male Northern Cardinal worms his way out of the jasmine vine where he and Mrs. Cardinal spend the cool nights and sits upon the fence.  He begins a sort of high-pitched squeaking call which echoes throughout the room even though he is a good twenty feet from the window.  Since I know he will be calling, it has become my habit to sit nearby just to hear him.  This is my wake up call!  In fact, I do believe he fully has that in mind.

  Since mid-December, it has been my habit to step outside and put a bit of birdseed out for my fine feathered friends.  I figure food may be getting a tad scarce so giving a helping hand seems to be in order.  This was always done as I headed out the door for my morning hike about the place.  The birds have gotten accustomed to having breakfast served just a few feet from their nightly roosting spot  and now fret if I am a bit late.  

  I have been putting the seeds directly on a low table but that is all about to change.  This morning, there was a feral cat hiding just a few feet away under the front steps.  That rascal was eyeing up my birds!  I shooed it away but it kept returning.  I had no choice but to sit outside in the icy north wind to keep it at bay. Son promised he would build a bird feeder and put it up out of the cat's reach.  Perhaps my sweet friends will be safe, then.  

He's Not Doing His Job

  Mr. PJ, the old dog that we are fostering for our son and daughter-in-law has made it clear that he is NOT a working dog.  He merely wants to lounge on his bed, be fed and be doted on for his every whim.  He does not want to help out around the place.  This bit of laziness comes from not being raised on the Bayou.  Here, it is understood that everyone pulls their own weight in one way or another.  This has always applied to even the animal residents so I am not used to the apathy shown by the dog.  Cats have always had the chore of keeping the gardens and Little Bayou House free of rats and mice.  Dogs were to protect the fruit trees and gardens from marauding critters and, of course, they had full charge of protecting the Little Bayou House from intruders. Ms. Ez would even help out by bringing us tools on command, guarding the bird feeders and tending to any of the other animals that were ill.  It was second nature to her to be helpful.  She was a working member of the family.  Mr. PJ seems to be in full charge of....sleep.  That's it.  He does nothing else.  The only time the dog moves fast at all is when food is involved. Then, suddenly he comes to life and is full of vim and vigor until the food bowl is empty.  After which, he falls back on his bed for a nap. Granted, he is old but still....a little effort on his part would be appreciated.

  For the past week or so, the bird feeder has been positioned just outside of the front doors,  This was done to discourage the hawk from making a daily meal out of one of the fatter birds each day.  So far, that has worked but it has not deterred the squirrels from trying to raid the feeder.  Each day, six or more squirrels try their best to figure out how to obtain the sunflower seeds that are just out of their reach.  The feeder dangles precariously from a shepherd's hook that has a nicely greased pole.  The squirrels try to climb the skinny, slippery pole but slide back to the ground.  It works rather well but the squirrels are diligent in their efforts.  They have taken to climbing the screen doors in search of a way into the feeder.  

  All of this is taking place just inches away from Mr. PJ and his nice, comfy bed.  Not once has he tried to guard the feeder.  Not once has he even noticed the squirrels.  Not a growl, bark or even a whimper.  He sleeps.  Ms. Ez, on the other hand, would have had conniption fits at the very sight of a squirrel!  She knew that it was one of her jobs to chase the squirrels from the yard.  It was the highlight of her day.  Mr. PJ's highlight is a nap.  He is slacking on the job and the squirrels have already figured out that he is not a threat.  Even when he goes out the door, the squirrels just step to the side and let him pass.  Slacker!!! 

Scared Stiff!

  Early this morning while I was outside painting the new screen doors, I heard a familiar sort of "cackle".  Ahh, yes, Friend Hawk was visiting.  It stands to reason that the hawk would be nearby because I had filled the squirrel...uh..bird feeders yesterday and a good dozen or so squirrels were munching the sunflower seeds.  Occasionally, a bird would get a chance to grab a morsel but, more oft than not, the squirrels would chase the birds.  A few birds had gotten smart and were searching the ground under the feeders for errant seeds from the squirrels' foraging.  (Squirrels are not the neatest diners.)  One smart bird was the Red-bellied Woodpecker.  The bird would hunt for a seed on the ground then poke it in a hole in the post to crack it.  

  Not only was the bird smart for finding food in this way, it was far wiser in another way.  As I heard the hawk cry, I turned to check the feeders.  I really did not want to have set the doves up for an easy massacre even though I love the little Cooper's Hawk.  Let that hawk catch a squirrel!  We have far too many of those rascally rodents.

  Nope, there was nary a bird in the feeder nor on the ground.  Even the squirrels had scampered to safety.  The only bird near the feeders was that woodpecker and it was playing it safe.  The hawk was on the south side of the feeders in an oak tree.  The woodpecker was on the north side of the post and was being as still and quiet as a church mouse.  I watched as the bird hunkered down close to the feeder's post.  Hmm?  I eased my way down the board path toward the feeder.  This movement made the hawk a bit skittish and it flew back toward the canebrake.  The woodpecker, however, was not moving a muscle!  It was scared stiff...or just being overly cautious.  If the technique worked against a hawk, perhaps it would work against this intruder (me), as well!

  I decided to let the woodpecker be and headed back to my painting.  After a bit, there was a bit of a skirmish in the feeders as the squirrels had returned and the woodpecker tried to chase them!  Smart bird.

Fat and Lazy!

  I have the fattest squirrels here on the Bayou!  Of course, some of these "fat" squirrels may be in the "family way" as it is about that time of year.  Other than that, the only contributing factor I can see is that I feed the birds.  Feeding the birds is fine and dandy but those rascally squirrels raid the feeders.  They chase the birds from the feeders then gorge themselves on the sunflower seeds.  This, too, is fine and dandy as I really do not mind feeding the squirrels.  They are cute, furry and downright fun to watch.  The only problem I can foresee is that by getting fat, the squirrels are also getting lazy and lazy critters run into trouble at times.

  Early this morning, the first hike of the day was in a dense fog.  This is our usual "winter weather"..fog, humid and hot.  That fog, however, makes for interesting hikes as it shrouds things from view and the dampness muffles the footsteps.  Critters have just the same problem as I do.  They cannot hear nor see a predator until sometimes it is too late.  A hawk, owl, fox or bobcat can have breakfast with ease on such mornings.  The fat, lazy squirrels are easy targets for all of the predators that roam the hillside in search of food.  This morning, I walked right up on the squirrels feasting in the bird feeders.  When they finally did decide to scamper, it was more of a leisurely stroll than a hasty retreat.  Then, one particularly fat squirrel decided to stop and rest just a few feet above my head on a small twig.  This choice of perching spots made it an easy target for a marauding hawk or owl.  

  Thankfully, the squirrel was safe this morning as no predators (other than me and, obviously, I mean them no harm) were out and about in the mistiness.  Perhaps I should stop stocking the feeders but, then, there is not a lot out there for the critters to eat this time of year.  Most of the squirrels have already gone through their stockpiles of stored goodies and the migrating birds need a bit of sustenance before they start their journeys.  Those fat and lazy critters need to keep a wary eye!  

No Hopes for Adoption

  Since our mid-days are now seeing temperatures in the high 90s, it seemed far more comfortable outside than in the Little Bayou House. Even with all of the windows open and fans turning, it felt almost stifling. So, I toted my project outside to work on the little deck.  My "project" is part of the upcoming Clue Hunt on the Bayou and consisted of quite a large piece of plywood, a dozen or so tubes of paint and a handful of paintbrushes.  Of course, I could not step foot outside without sneaking the camera out, too!  As I whiled away the hours painting, I kept a close eye on the bird feeders.  Something was just bound to happen!  I knew it!

  Sure enough, I eventually heard the plaintive calls of a baby woodpecker.  Ahh, I thought...a mother was teaching her little one to come to the feeders!  I peeked up from my work to find the little tyke. Sure enough, there was a small woodpecker in the far feeder but the parent birds could not be found.  Hmmm.   This was strange.  The little one kept calling but received no answer.  Then a gorgeous Redheaded Woodpecker lit on the old driftwood post that held a makeshift feeder. Perhaps this was the mom?  Nope...wrong family of woodpeckers.  The baby was a Redbelly Woodpecker.  The adult Redheaded picked up a sunflower seed and proceeded to crack it open.  It then called and its little one flew in from the oak branch above my head.  That baby made all sorts of screeching as it begged for food.  The adult bird dutifully poked the shelled seed into the open mouth and picked up another.  This went on for some time with each seed being given to the baby.  Meanwhile, down the hill a ways, the baby Redbelly watched.  Poor little one was hungry and had no parent bird poking food in its open mouth.  It decided to beg for food from the only adult there and flew up next to the baby Redhead. 'My heart broke a little because the adult Redheaded Woodpecker literally smacked the little intruder hard enough that the bird fell to the ground.  That parent was not about to feed the offspring of a rival woodpecker!  The little Redbelly made a wobbly flight to the fence post and cried. 

  We hear all sorts of lovely tales of how even different species of animals adopt orphans but here one woodpecker would not help out an innocent babe.  Not once did any bird attempt to feed the hungry tyke. Not once did the true parents come to rescue their little one.  Not once was any mercy exhibited toward the hungry tyke.  It makes me wonder about all of those stories....were they forced adoptions?  It definitely did not happen by chance here!

  After a bit, I noticed the little Redbelly Woodpecker was back in the far feeder.  It was attempting to forage through the seeds for something smaller and softer than the sunflower seeds.  At least it was eating! Hopefully, the little one will be ok.  If it is truly on its own, it will have to be extra vigilant of the hawks that are constantly patrolling the area.  I wish it well.

Helping My Bird Friends

  It is always a happy day for me when I can find juvenile birds visiting the feeders.  This means that at least some of the previous nestlings survived to carry on the population.  With all of the predators that now call the Bayou home, it is a rough go for nestlings.  With their inability to fly, their veritable unprotected status when both parents are out hunting food and the sheer number of predators, it is amazing that any are able to grow to adulthood.  Then throw in the fact that some of these are ground nesting birds and the danger multiplies tremendously.  The Eastern Towhees are such birds.  They nest on the ground in a tiny, cup-shaped nest that is a mere four inches in diameter at the outer edge. The inside rim is right at two inches and the bowl is not more than an inch and a half deep.  Those tiny birds stay in this tiny nest in thickets that seem to be perfect hiding places for the many watersnakes that crawl about the place.  I watched one nest closely for the past month.  The nest was in the middle of a clump of palmettos making it impossible to photograph but I was at least able to partially peer through the blades to see the little birds.  To start there were four eggs that hatched into four little ones.  Over the first few days, one after one of the babies went missing until only one remained.  It saddened me to know that the little ones fell prey to what I assume was the nearby nesting Rice Rats.  It is not beyond their capabilities to kill a newly hatched baby bird.  Once the remaining baby Towhee grew and became stronger, the rats (presumably) found other food and abandoned the idea of a bird dinner.  That one baby bird grew to maturity and is now following its parents about the hillside in search of food.

  This morning while I was out and about, I heard the familiar call of the Towhee.  Its plaintive calls echoed over the Bayou.  Thinking this was the adult male, I eased my way around to the front gate of the garden.  There I had a perfect view of the feeders.  It was unusual to find a Towhee visiting the feeders as they are out in the middle of the yard and usually these birds are more apt to stay in hedgerows or undergrowth.  It is not their usual habit to venture out in the open areas. When the bird did finally swoop down under the feeder to pick at the fallen seeds, I realized that this was very young male and not the dominant male that usually "patrols" the territory.  Perhaps this is one of last years hatchlings!  This would explain the unusual behavior.  It was just not sure of its surroundings as of yet.

  I do hope that this young bird fares well.  What with the hawk on watch at all times, it stands to reason that the reckless action of coming into wide open is putting the young bird in danger.  The Towhee's dining habits might just improve the hawk's dining pleasure.  It would be a wise move on my part to add a bit of cover near the feeders.  Perhaps a few potted plants or at least a few cut tree branches would provide an escape for the birds.

Be My Guest!

  With this whole winter being a bit crazy, it seems that the critters are a bit off as well.  The lack of freezing nights and cold days is going to prove to be our undoing this year.  Bugs will rule!  Just today, my oldest brother informed me that he was bitten by a tick.  Considering the warnings we all hear about tick bites (and I am glad we are informed!), he immediately drove down to the Little Bayou House for a "consultation".  Yep, I have a lot of knowledge about ticks...nope, I do not and I tried to tell him as much.  He was a bit panicky over this bite even though it did not seem to be inflamed.  It seems that the tick was only on him for a few minutes and just started biting when he discovered it.  Still, I guess the thought of another brother contracting Lyme Disease worried me a bit as well, so I told him if it made him feel better, then, by all means, see a doctor.  A visit to the urgent care clinic left him with a handful of antibiotics and a more peaceful mind.  The doctor there did not seem to think the bite was bad.  Still, those bugs are all out there and ready to bite us at any given time so I guess it is better to be safe than sorry.

  It is not only the insect world that is topsy-turvy.  I noticed that our spring migrating birds are filling the yard and feeders. This is a bit early for the birds to be heading north but I suppose it is only natural considering the warmth.  They are here and are hungry! So I feed them!  It is a steady job to fill the feeders and bring them in at night.  (If I leave them outside at night, the raccoons steal not only the seed but the entire feeders!)  While out this morning, I heard a lot of twittering at the feeders so I left the garden and slipped around the side of the house.  Birds were everywhere!  The feeders, however, were being dominated by the House Finches.  Those little rascals were gathering in such numbers that no other birds were allowed to eat.  The migrating birds were going hungry while these local birds ate their fill.  Well, now. This would never work! Explaining to a bunch of local birds that the migrating ones are our guests and should be treated as such did nothing to correct the situation.

  I hurried in to get more seed and fill another feeder.  Son watched as I shooed the finches away to allow the buntings and grosbeaks a turn at the feeders.  "I see now why you want a bigger feeder." he said.  I turned and nodded.  Bigger feeders and MORE feeders!  If we cannot keep the House Finches away, we will add more feeding stations so everyone can be happy!  Even if they are a bit bossy, I do love the House Finches so they can stay....as long as they play happy with the other birds!

Friends gone missing....

  For a number of years, the bird feeders were visited by numerous birds during their migrations.  In the springtime, buntings, finches and grosbeaks would set for a colorful display.  I enjoyed watching the birds and kept the feeders well-stocked.  We keep a variety of seeds and suet on hand to fill any sort of appetite.  For the past few years however, the feeders have attracted not much more than Red-winged Blackbirds, Mourning Doves, Cardinals and the ever-present Blue Jays.  Not one Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting, Goldfinch or Rose-breasted Grosbeak has dined at our many feeders.  It saddens me but I am at a loss of what to do to encourage their return.

  The Rose-breasted Grosbeak was one of Mom's favorites among many. She would always delight in the occasional visit of one.  Mom did not have many feeders so any visitors were viewed with great happiness. My grandparents, on the other hand, had many feeders.  Granddad made a six foot long feeder out of an old sliding board and mounted it beneath the large picture window on the south side of their house.  This large tray feeder drew all sorts of birds and my grandmother could watch them through the window.  I recall how Mom loved to sit at that window when she visited her folks.  Seeing the birds always thrilled her and she came to recognize them not only by their plumage but also by their calls. She and Grandmother would watch the birds often...just like I do.  (I guess I come by this critter watching naturally!)  But now the birds are not making their annual migration by way of the Bayou.  Their route has changed.

  Once all of this purging of the excess from the Little Bayou House is completed, I have grand intentions of building more feeders.  Perhaps if I make a large tray feeder like Granddad's, the birds will return to the Bayou.  I will have to put a roof over the feeder, though, as I have a lovely Cooper's Hawk that will dine upon the fattened birds that I draw to the feeders.  This bird does get its share of the "not so bright" doves. When the hawk is in the area, the doves' major defense is to "squat" which makes them ready targets. 

  Hopefully, I will have the new feeders ready in time for what should be the spring migration. It would be nice to see some familiar faces back here again!  I would definitely welcome some Rose-breasted Grosbeaks!.....As an added note, did you know that a group of grosbeaks is called a "Gross"?  And did you know that the bird gets its name from the French word "grosbec" which translates to "large beak". Did you know that they use that large beak to eat berries, nuts, caterpillars, insects, flower parts, seeds and fruit.  Well, now you know!

Not your average "hummingbird"!

  I filled and hung my hummingbird feeders this past week.  I admit that I am a tad late in doing this but figured it was better late than never.  The hummers have been visiting the Red Buckeye, Wisteria and roses for quite a while now so they have not been going hungry.  Still I thought I would offer them a bit of nectar from the feeders to supplement their diet. I was surprised that I have not noticed any visiting the feeders when I would be out and about the gardens.  My first thought was that they needed to find the feeders but then realized that this should not be a problem as I hung them in the Rose/Herb Garden.  Hummers were busy working the roses so why were they not at the feeders?
 
  This morning, I found the answer to my question.  As I let Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog, out to do her business, a flutter of wings caught my attention. Aha!  Were the hummers busy this morning after a most stormy night on the Bayou? All hopes were dashed when I realized that this was no hummingbird!  My nectar feeders were being raided by House Finches!  A pair of finches were filling their tummies with the sweet nectar.  The male finch sat high on the hook holding the feeder while the female tried to balance on the feeder.  There she would sip and swing!  He kept a close watch on Nycto, the new cat!

  Having the finches grab a sip or two from the nectar feeders did not bother me in the least.  If the hummingbirds were not going to make use of the free offerings, why should the finches not?  Several times today (between the rain storms), the pair came to one feeder or another. Usually, he sat standing guard while she fed.  After a bit, the two would fly away only to have him come back to feed.  I suppose she is trying to hatch another batch of eggs and was afraid to let them cool too long.  Once the rains started nonstop, she never returned.  Well, if this helps her a bit, then I am all for it!  Help yourself, Mama Finch.  You will need your strength to find food for your little ones soon enough!

The "Dead Tree Forest"

What do you do with driftwood that keeps washing in to shore with every storm that hits the area?  I am hesitant to toss driftwood of any size on the burn pile simply because it is so very interesting.  Think about it...where does this stuff come from and how long has it been floating around out there in the water.  Or if it was laid up in the marsh, what storm put it there?  Each piece has a history whether we know it or not!  So, that said, tossing it is out of the question!  Still..what do you do with it all?  Some of the pieces that I have been saving, are quite lengthy.  These are more like downed trees instead of what is normally thought of as driftwood.  No little two foot pieces for me!  I love the gnarled and knobby trees!

Michael had put in a few pieces for me a few years ago.  He more or less "planted" the driftwood pieces along the board path so I could hang bird feeders and wind chimes on the knobs.  While he was planting the pieces of driftwood, a friend came over and asked "What are you doing, Michael?"  He deadpanned back simply.."Planting a Dead Tree Forest."  Chris looked at us like we were crazy!  "How do you expect those to grow?  They are dead!"   Michael looked at him and merely answered.."Exactly.  How else are you going to have a Dead Tree Forest?"  And that ended that! Son continued planting our  "dead trees".

Today, we added to our forest!  Michael and I dug holes and put in another six or seven "trees".  After getting the upright ones in place, we positioned a few shorter ones horizontally between the branches to add more "hanging" space.  Now I will be able to hang a couple of dozen more feeders for the birds.  Their dining possibilities just multiplied tremendously!  This was necessary as at any given time, there are usually thirty to fifty assorted birds hanging around the feeding stations.  I continuously fill feeders!  Perhaps with the added area, the seed will last at least through the day!

I like my "Dead Tree Forest"!  The driftwood pieces are being used in an unique way.  The lining of the board path adds a bit of interest to the yard.  What normally would be a wide couple of acres of grass, now has a Dead Tree Forest right in the middle!  And..that makes me happy! (Not to mention, it confuses a lot of people!)  Son and I will continue to add to the "Forest" every time a new piece of driftwood washes ashore!  The idea is to edge the entire hundred feet of the board path! Our Dead Tree Forest will get larger and larger with every storm!  And who says our Dead Trees Forest won't grow?

The "Leisurely" Escape!

Ok, so I was just talking about how many rabbits we have around here and, then, wham!..the coons are starting to take over!  Now there is an overabundance of rabbits, coons and squirrels!  All of this should be enough to keep Ms. Ez busy chasing critters for the entire day but, alas, she has grown weary of the game.  I let her stay outside all day in hopes that she would at least keep the critters out of my bird feeders.  That seed is supposed to be for the birds not furry critters!  I put whole corn and sunflower seeds out for the furry bunch with the hopes that they will not tear into the bird feeders.  It has not helped one bit!  They want it all!  Poor Ms. Ez does not know which critter to chase first..so she chases none.  She snoozes!

This afternoon, I opened the front door to see a fat raccoon wedged into the house-type bird feeder.  That fat guy was not going to leave there until it had munched every bit of the seeds I had put there just a few hours earlier.  Aha!  I quietly whispered to Ezzy.."Get 'im!"  She roused from her nap on the steps and raced down the hillside where she turned in circles all the while looking hugely bewildered!  The raccoon, in the meantime, decided to amble down the post of the feeder and make a leisurely escape to the marsh.  Although the coon was only ten feet away from her, Ms. Ez never noticed the fat raccoon.  Ha!

I am not sure if the dog is just getting far too old to patrol the gardens and feeders or if, perhaps, she has befriended the critters.  Maybe she feels that it is just far too hot to do much running since the temperatures push the mid-nineties each afternoon!  The raccoon did not wander far before stopping to see if it was being chased.  Once it realized that the big, lumbering dog had already plopped back down on the steps to continue her nap, the raccoon returned to its meal.  Now, that is a fine Howdy-doo!  My dog has become lazy!....and the coon has become fat!