Blue Jay Herald

 

I wasn't feeling well the past few days and didn't get out to set out seed,

so the birds found other places to light down.

But it didn't take them long to come back around when this blue jay started making noise. 

Welcome back. I'll try to do a better job at keeping up.

The Geese Are A' Goin'

I wish I could have taken a picture of these geese as I was approaching and saw them in a big, dark spiral, coming up from the harvested fields. But they were pretty dispersed by the time I got pulled over to get a pic. 

They were making quite a racket!

 

I'm sure this means they won't be around much longer. 

Get ready for them down south of us. Here they come!

Grackles

A lot of people don't like common grackles, but I do.  I think they look rather striking, with their cool, black sheen. 

I don't know if I would want a whole yard full of them, as they can get to be pretty aggressive, but they are pretty cool to look at. 

Walk This Way

Mourning doves are not only lovely, but they can be so funny and entertaining! This one looks like it's doing a little dance.

Winter White

 

Some people think the first day of winter is on Dec 21/22, the shortest day of the year. Others (like me) think that the first day of winter should actually be set at the midway point between the fall equinox and the winter solstice. 

But I would say that our feathered and furry friends, without having calendars to look at, would say that the first day of winter is first day that the icy, cold winds blow, especially if they bring some of that white stuff along. 

This blue jay is looking for a hearty meal, as a ground blizzard keeps people off the roads. 

I'm glad I had just stocked up on seeds and suet.

      

   This pair of squirrels looks very thankful for finding some food on this blustery day.

The mourning doves and sparrows congregate together as usual, 

huddled a little bit closer together. 

Get ready for the long winter, my little friends. 

I'll do my best to keep up with your needs. 

Disappointed Little Nuthatch

Today, I saw my hungry little nuthatch 

scurry down the big tree in search of its daily meal of suet,

 but he was disappointed to find my muffin tin all emptied out. 

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Poor little guy . . .

He looked up one side and down the other, but there was no suet to be found.

Such a disappointed little nuthatch!

So he hopped on over for a quick drink, 

and then scurried back up the tree.

And I put down my camera and added suet to my W.I.N list!

(What's Important Now?)

 

Little Clinic on the Prairie

 

As the sunrise keeps moving south in the eastern sky, moving toward that bend in the ellipsical path that marks the shortest day of the year, I can no longer see the sunrise out the sliding glass door of my little apartment. The sun is currently rising just this side of what I call the "Little Clinic on the Prairie," or the Horizon Clinic of Lake Preston, SD. 

Soon, the sun will be rising behind the clinic and I will have to walk out to the edge of the barren field to get a glimpse of it coming up over the horizon. Then, when it finally reaches the place that marks the winter solstice, it will round the bend and start moving northward again. I suspect I will be seeing it from my apartment again about the same time that the famed groundhog will be watching for its shadow.