Sunday Brunch

This group of four deer comes by almost every morning.

It is composed of this year's twins (both boys), last year's fawn (a female), and the doe / mother who rules the group.

The two females bicker a bit, otherwise they are pretty harmonious.

I attempt to wait until they've moseyed on before setting out food for my ground-feeding birds.   

Otherwise the deer gobble up everything before the birds even have a chance.  

Squirrelly Saturday

I've had lots of squirrel activity of late including my reclusive California Ground Squirrel.

The Eastern Fox Squirrel has been working the feeders in the front of the house.

The chipmunks are hanging out on the woodpile near by largest bird feeder.

There are fewer of them active as the days get shorter.

But I still see two or three scurrying about.

They are pretty hyper-vigilant with the continued presence of a Sharp-shinned Hawk in the area.

I hadn't seen a Western Grey Squirrel for a while, but this one was in the backyard under the feeders Friday afternoon.

Ready Set Go!

Ready!

Set! 

GO!

I think Mrs. Robin is headed off to do her Black Friday Shopping!

Thanksgiving Memories

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Name: Tom Turkey 

Date:Circa 1947

Artist: My Mom

Name: Tom Turkey 

Date:Circa 1964

Artist: Me!

Another Turkey...Start

Yep another turkey start!  This is called "Thanksgiving Sampler" and is a design by Twisted Threads.

Some of us are gearing up for a big Thanksgiving meal!

This really long lean cat is Solomon.  He's been off the antibiotics for a couple of weeks now and seems to be holding his own.   

Skeins of geese continue to fly over head.  

And a Red-tailed Hawk took temporary ownership of the Acorn Woodpeckers' granary tree. 

So the Acorns hung out in the dead top branches of a Big Leaf Maple.

There are four birds in this photo.

And four birds again - but the one on the lower right corner is a 'new bird' - so there were five birds total in the tree. 

Where just last week groups of Pine Siskins stormed my feeders, now it is the House Finches. 

Here's a male.

And a female.

I'd pretty much decided the Pine Siskins had left the area, but when I examined this photo I found a straggler.

I still have a couple of Lesser Goldfinches as well. 

And there are more Juncos than I can count.

I'll leave off with another "V" of geese.

The Smallest of Starts

I've made the smallest of starts on Cottage Garden Sampling's "November's Chrysanthemum". A turkey and a couple of leaves.

I usually see Downy Woodpeckers at the suet feeders.

It was a pleasant surprise to see one at a feeder in the backyard.

The bird was sheltered from the rain under the plastic feeder's dome. 

Note how he is clinging to the seed cylinder rather than the feeder's edge. 

I've never had more than one Downy at a time at any of my feeders.

And it has been over two years since I've seen a female Downy.

Come on buddy, next time bring your friends and family!

Be Ever Thankful

Design - "Harvest Blessings"

Designer - Heart in Hand

Fabric - 30 count R & R Flax Fields

Fibers - GAST & WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 20 November 2014

Completed - 23 November 2014 

Words to live by.  

On a wet and windy day, a squirrel found my front feeders.

(Please excuse the raindrops on the window) 

The suet feeder seemed to be the favorite.  

He had no problem nibbling away at the suet. 

The peanuts were harder to get, but worth the effort.

Some folks call squirrels "rats with fluffy tails".

He is looking very "rodentish".

"Who me?"

"Yes you. I'm talking about you!"

On cold and wet days, Parvati likes to hang out on the clothes drier vent.

I'm Late With a Post

Today has been a lovely day and I've been outside.

The deer in particular have enjoyed a break from the rain. 

The other evening as we came home they were bedded down at the edge of our driveway under a group of Oak trees sheltered from the rain.

As you can see they look pretty fat and happy.

Wind and Rain and Rainbows

Friday was a very blustery wet day.

Not a very good day for bird watching because of the weather... 

...and because of this guy!

My Steller's Jays spent a great deal of the morning mobbing this Sharp-shinned Hawk and attempting to run him off. The hawk is about the same size as the jays, but they do respect his sharp beak and talons.

The jays would manage to drive him off a tree only to have him perch on another nearby. Then jays would then fly off in pursuit.

They were not particularly scared of the hawk, more just annoyed by his presence.

I counted a totalof 15 jays working together to rid the area of the hawk.

I think the hawk finally left only when he had grown tired of being constantly disturbed.

Here was my reward for a stormy day.

A rainbow!