"I'm a little teapot"

  Mom taught me that little song oh, so many years ago.  The little ditty with its cute little hand motions was a hit with me when I was a tyke. Being a teapot had a certain appeal back then.  Now, I am quite sure it would be offensive as teapots are indeed "short and stout".  I might resemble that part of the song but would never...ever...want to be reminded of the fact!  Still, while I was out roaming the hillside after a particularly hard rain, the song started jingling around in the brain almost causing me to burst out in jubilant melody.  Why?  Well, all because of a bird or several birds, in fact.  You see, a group of Eastern Towhees is called a Teapot of Towhees.  Why?  Well, I have no idea but it just is.

  The towhees were being quite jubilant themselves this afternoon. Several male birds were "singing in the rain" as I slipped along silently on the wet ground.  As I eased up to one fine bird behind the canebrake, I realized the cause of his joy.  His brood of tiny baby birds was taking advantage of the break in the rain.  It was their time to leave the nest.  I stopped short as I did not want to scare the little ones nor did I want to cause undue stress on the parent birds.  Since towhees nest on or near the ground, the little ones were already in the thickets and could hardly be spotted.  Mama Towhee could be heard chiding her little ones to stay far from the open areas but it was that joyful Daddy that caught my attention!  He sat about five feet from me singing his happy song,  The males are such striking birds and with all the racket he was making, it is a wonder that something had not already caught him.  I suppose towhees are just smart birds.

  I backed out of the little family's territory and headed around the marsh edge toward the Bayou.  There, I found yet another male Eastern Towhee high in a treetop.  This was unusual as these are more often found closer to the ground.  This guy was sitting high up in a dead hickory tree.  His call was loud and clear but was more yearning and not happy-go-lucky.  Again and again, he notified all to "Drink your tea!" which is what the experts say the bird's song resembles.  Yep...I could hear that!  I suppose that one call is what lead to their unusual group moniker..."Drink your tea!", said the Teapot of Towhees!  I figured that was a good idea so I picked a handful of persimmon leaves and headed to the kitchen to brew me a mug of persimmon leaf tea flavored with fresh ginger root and a bit of honey.  Thanks for the advice, Mr. Towhee!

Remember our feathered friends!

So a bit of frigid weather has descended all the way to the Bayou.  It is definitely a tad chilly out there, Folks!  Bundle up when you venture outside and this comes by way of experience.  Not that I see much cold weather but merely because I did wander out a couple of times too many today.  Other than trips out to the woodpile, I had grand intentions of spending the entire couple of days inside doing nothing but baking.  Those who know me well will attest that this is my way of preparing and enduring most any storm from a hurricane to an ice storm.  Baking always seems to soothe the rattled nerves and has the added benefit of plying the taste buds with delightful tidbits.  But with most good intentions, things go awry.  I braved cold and headed out into the yard several more times.  Yep, unlike my son, Michael, who wandered the hillside in shorts and t-shirt sans shoes, I was wrapped up tight!  No ice was going to find its way down the back of my neck!

My additional trips outside were mercy expeditions.  As I stood staring at the Winter Wonderland that had suddenly replaced my Bayou, I noticed that a myriad of birds were trying to feed on one partially filled suet basket.  Their voices rang out loud and clear as the birds called for me to serve their breakfast.  I bowed to their wishes and braved not only the cold but the slick ice that had coated everything in sight.  Nigh on two inches of sleet had fallen overnight and made walking the hillside a tad treacherous. If not careful, one misstep could cause me to careen down the ice-coated board path and right into the Bayou itself.  I was smart!  I steered clear of the well-beaten path.  I chose the grass.  Even though it was still layered thickly with the frozen stuff, I did have a bit more traction.  My birds called!  I had to go.

Once the feeders were filled, bellies were rounded and all were happy.  Please do not forget to toss a bit of seed out for these hungry friends.  They can better face the cold with their tummies filled with suet and black oil sunflower seeds.  Oh, and while you are about it.  Fill that bird bath with some warm water. The birdbath here was frozen solid!  Nary a bird could take a drink!  Sometimes our feathered friends need a bit of assistance from us, so lend a bird a helping hand!  Then, once back inside, sit at the window and watch the show of birds come to eat.  It is quite entertaining!

Waiting...

I am sitting here anxiously waiting for my first granddaughter to make her appearance into this world.  My son, Mark, and his wife, Joanna called earlier with news that they were headed to the hospital.  It is time!  While they head to the hospital, I sit here several states away with nothing to do but wait..wait..wait.  I know it is not possible but for some reason, the seconds seem like hours and the hours seem like a lifetime.  I wait.  While I wait, I pray.

I try to divert my attention but no matter what, the birth of this child is always in the forefront of my mind!  As I wait, I sit by the window looking out over the Bay.  I hear a bird singing loud and clear from the treetops.  It was singing a beautiful song..a song of joy.  I slipped outside to find the bird.  There, high in a Black Gum Tree, sat a Rufous-sided Towhee.  The bird was singing with joy of the day..a very special day!  While I understand that birds are not actually just singing for fun, I want to believe that this bird knew that today was to be a most joyous day!  I took my picture and headed back inside so I could be near the telephone.  I did not want to miss a single call.  To my surprise, the little Towhee flew into the tree right next to the window.  Did he come to keep me company?  Was his wife setting on a nest nearby?  Was he singing a song of joy for his babies, too?  I thought of how perhaps the two of us were waiting to hear the same type news!  Little bird, thank you for sharing your song!

And I wait...soon..very soon, I will be a grandmother!

Watching the Towhees!

After a night of steady (albeit light) rain, I was ready to be outside. The weather has either been too cold or too wet to do much prowling about the hillside until today. I took advantage of the sunny, 70 degree day and trekked around all the areas that I have been missing! One place in particular interested me..the Sawtooth Palmetto clump that stands near the end of the pier. I had heard something rustling there on my last visit to the pier but rain chased me inside before I could investigate! Now..I was hoping that whatever was making the noise was still there. I had a feeling that it might have been the young rabbit that grew up under the pier. Perhaps it was making a nest in the Palmetto clump.

As I edged near the large clump, I admired the large fronds. These spiky plants had fronds nearly three feet in diameter! With the sharp points on the ends of each leaf and the jagged "sawtooth" stems, this would definitely protect anything that did nest there. As a rabbit hutch, it would be ideal! A fox or bobcat would be hard-pressed to dive into that mess!

Near the clump, an old boat offered a seating area for me. I would wait here until I heard more rustling. If I was lucky, I would be able to spy what was choosing this area as a home. It did not take long before I heard a movement in the leaves. Today, it was much quieter as the recent rains had softened the dried leaves and muffled any sounds. Still..something was there..moving slowly about in the edge of the clump. To my surprise, it was not the bunny. A pair of Rufous-sided Towhees were scratching about in the mulch. These busy little birds were hunting seeds that might be left from the fall. I sat there quiet as a church mouse as these are rather shy birds. After a bit, the male bird moved on out to the feeders. Once he felt it was safe, he called to her. She joined him under a feeder closest to the Palmetto clump and there they ate their fill of seeds that the Chickadees dropped.

I sat in the shadows watching. I did not want to startle this pair as I hope they will nest in the Palmettos. They are such shy, secretive birds that it is rather unusual to know just where they do nest. Perhaps if I watch, I can find the nest and be able to observe the hatching. I do know that most of the time, Towhees will nest on the ground and that their nest is well hidden. This makes it quite the challenge to photograph the nestlings. Stay little Towhees! Stay close where I can watch you!

This and That...

It was another rainy, blustery day here on the Bayou and I am beginning to feel the effects of being indoors for three days in a row. I miss my garden! I miss the trek to the pier! I miss sunshine! I did sneak out early this morning between showers to check the hotbed and the north garden. In both, the seeds have all sprouted so it appears we will have lots of tomato, pepper, squash and cucumber plants! I am already looking forward to some fresh vegetables..for some reason greens and cabbages don't count as vegetables in Spring.

This rainy weather has caused numerous mushrooms to pop up all over the yard. These pretty little ones remind me of parasols. Perhaps some tiny yard elf has taken to poking umbrellas out because of the constant showers that we have had this week. Actually, these are Grisettes. A type of mushroom that is found in lawns, fields or woods..but just a word of warning..I have been told that they are poisonous! I do not plan on eating them so for the time being they can stay in the lawn. On a side note..they get their names from the early French slang word for a bohemian working girl who may or may not have been as prim and proper as her upper class counterparts.

On another note..the elusive Rufous-sided Towhee that lives in a clump of Palmettos near the marsh was finally photographed! I managed to sit still long enough to capture my friend on film. I say sit still long enough because with the coming Spring..there have come the gnats! The rain today kept the gnats at bay giving me the photo ops. This towhee is one of my favorite birds simply because it is so shy. It is quite the busy little bird that is always scratching around hunting for a meal. This pair have been nesting in the Palmetto clump for the past several years now and I hope they continue to do so.

Some old friends returned to the birdfeeders today. The House Finches have made their way back to the yard. These birds usually do not migrate but I have not seen any for months now. Perhaps there was just enough for them to eat elsewhere and they did not need the easy pickings of the feeders. Still..welcome back, old friends!

Happy Note! The "Parrot Lilies" are multiplying! Alstroemeria is one of my favorite things in the garden and is quite hardy and easy to grow. My start came from my Aunt and Uncle's garden years ago but has had a rough time trying to survive. It has been mowed down, trampled and mistakenly weeded out of the garden. It has gone through hot summers, hard freezes and hurricane floods. Still, it keeps returning and this year looks healthier than ever before! This is in the same grouping as the Inca Lilies and bears a strong resemblance to those from the florist shop. I do believe the humming birds and honeybees like it as much as I do!

A lone White Pelican made its way into the Bayou last evening. Its snowy white feathers gleamed even through the rain and clouds. These White Pelicans are much larger than the Brown Pelicans that usually hang around the Bayou. This bird is huge and can weigh in at up to twenty pounds and have a wingspread of over nine feet! That is one massive bird! In comparison, my Browns weigh around ten pounds and have a wingspread of around six feet. It was nice to see a White visiting!

One final tidbit, I have added a page to the blog. On the top tool bar, notice there is a clickable page called "Cooking on the Bayou". At the moment, there is only a recipe for Bayou Gumbo, but I will soon add many more recipes. I hope all can enjoy some good, old-fashioned Bayou meals from these recipes! Have a great day!