Crows, Rooks, Pigeons, Quail, and Woodpeckers

I am charmed by The Prairie Schooler's "Sow Four Seeds".  I figured that the sentiment expressed worked really well with my September Garden stitching theme.  I might even manage to finish it up this week.   

While I haven't seen any crows or rooks (except to stitch), a small group of eight or so Band-tailed Pigeons has returned.  They are supposed to delight in eating maple seeds and acorns and we certainly are awash in those presently.

I think I counted 17 Quail the other afternoon.

The 'babies' are now big enough that it is easy to distinguish the males from the females.  In this photo the front three are females and the back right is a male - notice his darker gray chest and more upright top-knot.

I was pleased to see a male Downy Woodpecker eating mullein seeds the other evening. 

Mullein is considered to be an aggressive, invasive 'weed'; and I do battle to keep it in check. 

Still, I like to have six or eight plants as the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers work away on it all Fall and Winter.  

Wildlife Weekend - Part Two

In the last couple of weeks, I noticed that my Rufous Hummingbirds have left for warmer more southern climes.  They are missed as they were my bold, feisty picture-posers.

The Anna's Hummingbirds stay here year 'round.  They are much shyer and more timid than the Rufous (though just as feisty with each other!)    I can't get nearly as close to them for a 'photo op'.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was seeing and hearing more woodpeckers.  This female Flicker has become a 'regular' at the suet feeder.  Unlike the males, she does not have a red band of feathers on her head. 

We still have swarms, droves, mobs of Goldfinches.

And one morning as the sun rose, this handsome fellow happened by.  Hunting season begins the first weekend in October.  Beware Big Buck! 

It is obvious now that we've lost over two hours of "evening daylight" from the plenteous days which surround the Solstice.  We used to stay out reading, cross stitching, cat-wrangling, nature watching, and chatting until well after 9:00pm.  Now the moon reigns and night is upon us by 7:00pm    

Wildlife Weekend - Part One

For most of the past week, this small hawk has made a daily "Flight of Terror" near my bird-feeders.  I keep telling myself that raptors are just predators like Bobcats - everyone eats to live.

But it is easier to have compassion for prey than predators I think.

This fawn has studied under her mother and is learning to stand on her hind legs and empty my bird-feeders.

Though Mama Deer no longer nurses, she still grooms with a loving touch.

Earlier this week they had a face-off contest with Padma-Cat.  They got within a couple of feet of Padma (curiosity!) and he did not back away.  Finally the doe gave ground and slowly wandered away.

Friday Framed Finished 09/21

I stitched "Doodle Bugs" a Blacksheep kit by Ewe & Eye & Friends back in 2004.  The kit provided a very small (5' x 7") piece of Sugared Ginger Lakeside linen.  So when I decided to have this framed, having enough linen to stretch and secure it was challenging.

Fortunately by framers were up to the challenge!  By using a wide mat we overcame the stretching issues.  The metallic purple frame picks up the colors of the two "Doodle Bugs" and that of the inside border.

One more time - back to the Tuesday Farmers' Market I went!

It's a good thing I had my Alabama Chicken and Dumplings last week as the vendor was not there this week. 

But there was lots of pretty produce including Canadice grapes...

and peppers.

Aren't these great looking carrots?

This is some variety of heirloom bean.

At the end of the growing season a few eggplants finally appear.

Lots of ideas for a seasonal meal. 

This pink was was on the corner opposite the Market.

I entered the website address and this is what I found out:

"Our Streets Eugene is a citywide public art installation and zine created by University of Oregon students Nina Coloso and Julian Watts, funded by the city of Eugene, OR. The goal of the project is to tell the stories of the people of Eugene through our urban landscape. By initiating a dialogue with the community through local events, interviews and written submissions, we are collecting and documenting stories that define peoples relationships with their urban space and thus their greater connection to their city and community. We will transform elements of the city infrastructure by creating a series of site-specific art installations that correspond to each of the stories that we collect."

"We will compile these stories into a zine (D.I.Y. style magazine) which will be distributed for free throughout the city. Along with the stories, the zine will include a map of the site specific art installations, essentially creating a walking tour of the city in which each alley and intersection is activated by the narratives and memories of the people who inhabit them. It’s a piece of the community that you can keep, always." Quoted from: http://ourstreetseugene.com/ 

The 2nd Caped Crusader

Design - "Butternut Squash"

Chart - "Farmers' Market" #39

Designer - The Prairie Schooler

Fabric - 28 count Pearl linen

Floss - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 12 September 2012

Completed - 17 September 2012

The stitch is "An Ode to My Sister's Kitchen Garden".  She would point out that it is an immature squash as it still has a bit of green color.  That's the difference between an artist and a farmer!   

  

A couple of observant people noticed in yesterday's post that Parvati had on 'a blue thing'.  Poor Parvati has become a "Caped Crusader"  to protect her left ear post-surgery.  Can you see the stitches on her ear?

This view shows the big staples that are attempting to hold her ear back together once again.  Like her twin brother Padma, she got a large hematoma in her ear and the skin separated from the cartilage. Usually this problem is a sign of severe ear-mites, but in our case, the vet thinks our two Hufflepuffs are genetically predisposed to the condition as their ears were 'clean'.  

Parvati had surgery and now has to wear this cape for a couple of weeks until the skin has reattached and the staples and stitches can be removed. Yesterday we noticed that despite the cape, the ear was swollen with blood once again. Back to the Vet we go!  Parvati is NOT a happy girl!

What's this?!

Oh, it's Mr. Gray Squirrel.

While I've not managed to get a good photo, I have been delighted to see and hear Pileated Woodpeckers once again.

Both times they've been early morning visitors - arriving just as the sun is coming up over the hill - so they are backlit.  I think though that if you click on this photo to enlarge it, you'll be able to see the lovely white and red bands on the head of the bird.

And speaking of seeing and hearing...Earlier this week TWO Great Blue Herons flew overhead.  What a raucous cacophony they made!

A Berry Good Time of Year

Another section complete on "A Rabbit Alphabet".  I'm almost half-way through the alphabet now.  I've stitched enough to decide that my floss color change is working out.  I'm still having problems with a good photo - the linen is not as dark/dirty as it appears.

It's Wednesday and the natives are restless.  Let's take a walk!

We have lots of 'interesting' trees on the property.  This one is my favorite.  It is contorted every-which-way in an effort to seek daylight.  It stretches out over our small pedestrian bridge spanning the big creek.  I figure some winter a load of heavy, wet snow is going to bring down the tree...and the bridge too. 

Some of the wild honeysuckle vines have set berries.  Unlike the blackberries, I've never seen anyone eating these.

This truss of blackberries reminds me of something you'd see in "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady" - a lovely book by the way!

The Vine Maples are providing us with some of the earliest fall color...

and seeds too.  I've heard Evening Grosbeaks in the forest.  A few may have returned to eat the maple seeds. 

The seedpods of the Columbia Lily are dry and brittle.  They've begun to split open releasing the seeds inside.

This was a pleasant surprise!  A small wild Aster of some sort.

I don't remember ever seeing it before, but once I began looking I found nice groups of plants in several different areas.

If I were a farmer and my crop was Oak Galls - I'd be having a land office year!

While the galls out number the acorns, there is a decent crop this year.

The chalk-white color of Baneberries are hard to beat. 

On the other had, the berries of False Solomon's Seal have a wonderful luster!

Snowberries are everywhere too - though once again no one eats them.

We've had several hot days of late, with "bad air" - smoke from a forest fire in Central Oregon.   The winds have now shifted, the air is clean again, the temperatures are cooler, and I am happy!   I hope you enjoyed today's walk.

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