Tuesday - 10 Years Ago

 

Some of the September Regulars

It's getting dark now by 7:30pm, so I find that I am stitching in the evenings once again.  All I have left is some back stitching and detail stitches; and this ark will be ready to roll away (it has wheels!)

10 YEARS AGO - I sure wish I had the variety now!

I watch the birds most mornings for a couple of hours and count anywhere from 15 to 27 different kinds.

Lately I've seen a small group of Purple Finches. 

It's very hard for me to tell male Purple Finches from House Finches.

But when a gal shows up and has a white eyebrow (on left), I know that it is a group of Purple Finches.

I am now seeing several Robins in the morning and evening.

I saw my first Fox Sparrow for the autumn. 

 

Note the dark head, and the brown and white breast.

In comparison, the Song Sparrow has a lighter brown head with cream stripes, and cream and brown breast.

I had a male Lesser Goldfinch come by on Tuesday after not having seen one for well over a week.

This time of year he is much more colorful than the male American Goldfinches. 

I also had one young Evening Grosbeak stop by momentarily.

I wish they were winter guests here, but they are just flying through.

I love their big thick seed-crushing bills.

I continue to have lots of Cedar Waxwings.

I expect as long as there are ripe berries in area, they will hang around.

 

I like it when they roost in trees close by... 

...and I can get a good clear look at them.

Monday - 10 Years Ago

 

July Stitch September Birds

After setting aside Lizzie Kate's July Flip-it for several days, my Mom has resumed stitching and is working on the lighthouse.

 

10 YEARS AGO - What a super variety of birds!

September is a pretty good birding month as some of the summer birds are still here, while winter birds are arriving.

The Band-tailed Pigeons will leave in October.

Cedar Waxwings do not migrate, but I do not see them in the winter.

What a group of them at the bird bath!  No wonder there was very little water in it when I filled it up in the evening.

The House Finches and Purple Finches will be Winter Regulars.

While most of the California Quail now look like adults, there are still four small babies.  

I often have over thirty birds in the backyard.

The black throat makes it easy to identify the males. 

Here's a Mama and baby.

Since our latest rain, I've been seeing more Robins.

I also saw a Swainson's Thrush for the first time, but was not able to get a photo. 

The bird bath is a communal place!

I have at least two Red-breasted Nuthatches and there are more down at the feeder in my sister's Dahlia Garden.

After at least three weeks without a sighting, a male Black-headed Grosbeak came by.

He must have booked the last flight out of town!

Sunday's Hummers - Five Years Ago

 

Five Years Ago.

Here's this week's collection of Anna's Hummingbird photos. 

 

Saturday's Critters - 5 Years Ago

 Quiet time around here lately.

 

I did have a doe with her twins swing by.

Barry Buck came by...

This doe travels about with Barry. I wonder if they are siblings.

There was a bunny amongst many quail.

And lastly, one sighting of a California Ground Squirrel.

Six Years Ago

Autumn Stitch Autumn Birds

Design - "Autumn Sampler"

Chart - "Autumn Samplers" #66

Designer - The Prairie Schooler

Fabric - 32 Count Lambswool linen

Fibers - DMC

Started - 10 November 1997

Completed - 25 December 1997

Framed - August 2010

We are getting to true autumn weather here - cooler temps - lows in the 30s his weekend - rainy days and the windy bringing down leaves.

And here is one of my favorite autumn birds.

Cedar Waxwings!

Late September through most of October I get larger and larger groups as they much on cascara, hawthorn, elderberry, and other fruits.

They tend to gather in the morning and evening.

These photos are from Wednesday morning.

Pretty birds against a blue blue sky.