Signs of new life

The past week or two we have been enjoying unseasonably warm temperatures. As a result, the first signs of spring are popping up. Yesterday I saw the first crocus blooming and this morning a mob of red winged blackbirds descended on the bird feeders. With temperatures below freezing all day and mini icicles decorating everything in sight, today is not very spring-like. But it is just around the corner!

These crocus are the first flowers of 2011. Daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths have all started emerging too.

While I was outside with the camera, I captured a shot of my favorite Christmas present. Brian got me this cool bird bath. It has been sitting in the basement since Christmas, but last week we found it a home on the bank. I look forward to some good photo ops from my perch on Lane's bench (seen at the top of this picture).

Speaking of Christmas, this Christmas cactus is blooming again with another dazzling show. It sure brightens up the dining room at this dreary time of the year!

More than 4 and 20 blackbirds. At one point this morning I counted 30 red winged blackbirds. This is the first day I have seen them this year. It seems large numbers of these pretty birds migrate through here just before spring each year. Unfortunately, they are often quickly followed by grackles and usually they signal the end of my winter feeding.

Speaking of birds, yesterday Susan over at Farmgirl Fare highlighted the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. I had never heard of this before, but it is such a neat project. The count for 2011 ended yesterday, but you can download a list of birds by region and season and there are lots of links to explore. In just a few minutes on the site, I learned that the bird I had been calling a purple finch is actually a house finch. And I was finally able to name some of the sparrow species; well, at least I recognized their pictures. I'm a long way from being able to spot one and identify it, but with this web site as a resource, it may happen some day!

A squirrelly tail

I made more than a few trips from my desk to the kitchen window to watch the birds today. And I knew that squirrels had been eating bird seed (they always do!). But, I had a chance to catch quite the scene today.

  

I think these speak for themselves, but suffice it to say that to survive around here squirrels have to be fast!

For the birds

I enjoy watching birds all year long, but during the winter months when we are feeding them it is especially enjoyable. I could stand at the sink and watch them all morning. So today, I'm posting a few shots of some of the birds that visit our feeder regularly. We could probably attract more kinds if we provided other seeds, but I like to keep it simple and we offer only sunflower seeds.

A blue jay, one of my favorites because of its color, but they do not play well with others.

I took all these photos from inside the house, and the glass was fogging up on me, but I was amazed to see four blue jays sitting together this morning (only caught three of them on camera).

Gold finches and a purple finch (correction: house finch) eating from the tube feeder on the deck.

Some kind of wood pecker. (Correction: red bellied woodpecker. We also commonly see downy woodpeckers and Northern flickers.)

A pair of cardinals perched in the maple tree. They are plentiful and a joy to watch.

A gold finch on the deck railing.

Groundhog Day!

Our Wednesday evening activities at church alternate between fun and serious. When we realized that one of our fun nights fell on February 2nd, we decided to have a Groundhog Day party. We had a lot of fun learning about the history of the celebration, testing our knowledge of all things woodchuck, and just enjoying the company of friends. I made this dessert to round out our 'Feast Fit for Phil' menu.

Inspired by a recipe for groundhog cupcakes that I found online, I made Phil's face from a chocolate rice cake, m&m candies, melting chocolate caps, and a mini marshmallow. He's popping out of a trifle bowl full of dirt made with chocolate pudding and extra cookie crumbs mounded up to form his hole.

It's no custom-decorated cake, but I was pleased with the results!

Snow that is no more

This winter has been so different from last year. Different in a good way. Two weeks ago we had our first significant snowfall, roughly 4 inches of heavy, wet snow. It slowed things down for a day or so, but melted quickly. Now the ground is bare and looks brown and a little depressing. There is mud to contend with, but it isn't too bad yet and is usually frozen in the mornings when we do most of our outside chores. We have only fed hay to the ewes 3 days so far this winter, and it is looking good for making it through several more weeks.

I snapped a few photos of the snow, but the lack of sunshine makes them a bit dreary.

The most photogenic tree near the house; it is a beautiful tulip poplar.

Snow covering North Mountain.

This photo reminds me the sun is still out there, even when clouds keep it hidden.