April in the Backyard

 The apple blossoms are in bloom.🌞

A butterfly came over.😊

Several Golden-crowned Sparrows have been in my backyard for sometime this spring.

"I am nibbling the new Wisteria leaves now."☺️👍

Mallard Ducks are back a few times this spring.

"My wife likes to nibble the fallen suets here." 🦆🪿😍

(Squirrels make a mess underneath the feeder.)

On a Warm Day

 My old PC crashed during the ice storm.

Now I am using a new photo editor with another PC.   It can make a photo more clear, but the filing system is a bit hard to use.  Technology changed too much, so it takes time for me to get used to it.😰😟🦜

The other day I saw a crocus in bloom in my front yard.  This weekend is Chinese Spring Festival (Lunar New Year).   I already celebrated mine on Jan 1, though.  

On a warm day, even squirrels were enjoying sun bathing.

"I cannot move away from this warm spot."

A Spotted Towhee was taking a bath.

"I am going to get cleaned today."

A young Cooper's Hawk came here to see me.🤩

(Sometime ago, the old hawk was scared of me walking around in the backyard.  

He quit coming here.😢)

"I am new around here.  Are there any meal for me?👀"

(Cooper's Hawks are known to frequent bird feeders.)

Fall Days

Gray Squirrels live in the neighborhood.  Usually 3-5 come and visit my backyard.  Today a couple of them were pesting each other.

"We always have fun here😁."

 

A young American Crow came to have a drink at the bird bath.

"I just grew up in the nest up on the trees in this neighborhood👍👍."

A Downy Woodpecker stopped over after a long absence.   He just returned from the wood.

"I don't know this place well.  I was born this 

summer in the wood.  My mom told me this is a safe place😄😄!"

Rufous Hummingbird came for the last hot days and took off for the south.

"I will miss your flowers😢,  but will be back next spring😙."

Big Foot

At the flooded nature preserve last week,  I saw a couple of American Coots.  Before I always saw them swimming, but today they were out of the water.  Their feet are rather big.

"Yeah, we got big feet."

Back at my backyard.

Gray Squirrel:  "I got a big tail."

Bewick's Wren:  "I got a big mouth."

Fall Scene

The temperature went down to below freezing.  It's been cold.  This year the leaves are extremely colorful due to the early cold temperature we had at the end of September.  

On Sunday, at the nature Reserve nearby, I saw a Bald Eagle early in the morning.

In my backyard, a Gray Squirrel was busy munching the fallen suet.

"This is my favorite."

Spring Scene

Daffodils are in bloom

Day is getting longer and brighter.

"I can clean my tail now."

Bushtits are still flying around in a big flock.

"Spring is here.  I can find bugs and leaf buds."

Autumn Nuts

Early in spring, there used to be several squirrels, but some of them seemed to be attacked by a racoon.  So at this time, I only see two in my backyard.

"Autumn is the best time of the year.  I can find many nuts."

Another nut lover is a Western Scrub Jay.

"I do like peanuts.  But you have not given me much lately."

"So, I just found another nut in the neighborhood."

A Murderer in the Neighborhood

Everyday I used to see 4-5 squirrels in my backyard.  That number has drastically been changed recently.  They garble up the suet and sunflower bird seeds; after that on a nice day they like to take a nap on top of the neighbor's shed.

"I am so sleepy in the sun."

But things changed suddenly.  After this photo was taken the other day, a tragedy has struck.   For one whole day,  not even one squirrel was seen.  Because one of them was killed with its head blown up, probably by a silenced gun, and was left on the lawn in my backyard.

Who did it????  No blood stain at the spot.  The dead squirrel was moved from the site of the crime to my backyard?  Not by a  hawk, who is already gone to Alaska now ....  Any raccoon would have eaten it up better....

Silence filled the backyard and it was indeed eerie.

The next day I saw one squirrel and later another one:  in total only two.  Where are the others who used to hang around here....

We buried the dead squirrel in the backyard.  May it rest in peace.

No Much Food Around

In the low winter temperature in the Northwest, most of the wild food is gone.  So the wildlife need to eat even sour berries in my backyard.

Anna's Hummingbird, female:  "I know this is not sweet, but I can find a bug around here."

Spotted Towhee, male:  "These are still berries, but sour berries."

Gray Squirrel:  "These are called Beauty Berries.  I will try them, too."

The Nesting Season

Spring is the nesting season.  I saw a squirrel collecting the nest materials.

"A busy day for me!"

A couple of Mourning Dove landed, one after another.

"We are together."

The Rufous Hummingbird was here everyday defending her territory for a couple of weeks; however, suddenly it disappeared maybe due to warming her eggs(?).

"No one else is allowed here."

Wisdom in the Cold

The ice has covered over everything for past one week.　It's been chilly.  I admire the animals and birds for their ability to survive in the severe climatic conditions.　Here is the wisdom I found watching them.

Wisdom #1

Gray Squirrel:　"When you are thirsty, just lick it."

Wisdom #2

Ruby-crowned Kinglet:  "In the cold, just go to where the food is for sure."

Wisdom #3

House Finch, male;  "Eat even the sour berries in the scarce time.

Three Meals A Day

The other morning I counted a total of six squirrels.  Usually 3-4 of them are around.  They live  around a pine tree, because they are called ”松鼠” meaning a pine mouse in Chinese.

Together with the squirrels, little birds are busy eating 3 meals a day in my backyard.  Another bird who happened to try the beauty berries was this Spotted Towhee.

"A lot of berries!"

"See, this pretty purple berry."

A Scary Story

This summer I saw 5 squirrels running around my backyard.  Some are matured; others are small and young.

"Hi, there.  I can stand tall like you."

"I'm a little one.  Don't scare me, please."

"Don't worry.   I'm puffed up to scare off

 the other hummingbird, not you."

Junco's Own Child

After having raised a couple of large Cowbird offsprings, this Oregon Junco finally showed up with her own brood.

"Ummm, mommy's food tastes a lot better."

"Today I am on my own.  I just found a bug.  

Am I a good hunter already?"

Nearby a Gray Squirrel just found this summer's fresh sunflower seeds still on the stalk.

"Yum, yum....I think so.  Just learn from me 

to find any goody around here."

Safe Traffic

When House Sparrows were using the nest boxes on the patio, the bird traffic was at max.  Now that the babies left the nests and subsequently the nest boxes were removed, the quietness returned to the patio.

Anna's Hummingbirds think it is now safe to fly in to drink the flower nectar next to the patio.

"I like the quiet patio to enjoy the nectar."

"This bright red is Crocosmia.  I just beeline to these flowers."

Here is another wild thing who is enjoying the calmness in the air.

"Nice and comfy in the morning sun. "

Snow Geese

Early in the morning the sky in Oregon can be pretty.  I hope we are done with the chilly, below freezing temperatures for a while. 

 

A few days ago when it was foggy,  I heard a loud honking up in the sky.  As I looked up, expecting to find Canada Geese,  I saw a band of graceful Snow Geese flying towards the east.

As a Field Guide to the Birds of Western America says, they are very vocal in flight, a lot louder than Canada Geese.  They are  abundant in western states in winter, while in summer they move up to the north such as Canada and the Arctic.


Here is a backyard friend who also appreciates the warming weather.

"Finally, I don't have to put up with the ice.  The fresh rain water is tasty."

This Winter's First Snow Day

As predicted, it snowed during the night and was still snowing on and off until noon today.   Enough snow accumulated on the roof of our neighbor's shed.

It's been around the freezing point and the air was chilly on my cheeks when I was out.  But I can tell the wild animals are made lot tougher.

"I can still drink the ice cold water after running around with my brothers."

"I can nibble a little ice chunk, crunch, crunch..."

"I don't freeze yet."

"I'm not as bright colored as in summer, but I still visit your feeder especially on a snowy day.  Thanks for replenishing it daily!"