Birds, birds BIRDS!

So this post will probably be most boring for the majority of you but I hope it brings smiles to a few of you. 

A long time ago, I picked up the love of birdwatching from my parents...mostly my mom I think. It was pretty much a gradual thing....as I aged, I started appreciating them more, and what they offer to my life and the world.

This house is absolutely set up for birdwatching. Every downstairs window offers a beautiful view and the perfect opportunity to birdwatch till your heart is content.  We have birdfeeders strategically placed outside of each window. Raelee has claimed the Crabapple tree in the front...it's HER tree and the birds in it are HER birds to feed and she can feed them whatever she wants.  Within days of moving in, she found a 'pinecone tree' and got my (good) peanut butter, some string and birdseed. You can see where this is going right?  Yep...she has feeders strung up that she refills every few days and takes great pride in them.  I can honestly say that I spend more time looking out the window at 'her' feeders and the birds that gather at them than I do at my computer at my desk.  She sometimes gets annoyed at the birdwatching but every now and then I hear her gasp and say "MAMA LOOK! They like my feeder! That's a WOODPECKER at my feeder. Kewl."  So I know she does appreciate them also...she just plays it cool....it's an age thing, I'm sure.

Our feeders have attracted some new birds for us. The property itself attracts some amazing birds. We are all enjoying watching them.   Let me 'introduce' you to our new friends. Pardon the less than steller pictures. Some of these pictures are taken through pretty grubby glass. I can't wait for new windows!!

Red Breasted Robin of course. They usually don't feed out of feeders but this one decided that the raisins were good treats!

Bluebirds..they also don't typically feed out of feeders but the raisins were too good to pass up. They also like the berry tree that is right outside my office window. I have gotten up close and personal with them there.

Tufted Titmouse. These guys are pretty and fun. They are starting to get their mating feathers in. I think they are prettier by the minute!

I'm not sure who this little guy is...having trouble identifying him. I'm sure mom  knows though. :)

Of course there is the Cardinal. They wake me up at about 6:30 every morning singing right outside my window. Much more pleasant than being woke up by a menagerie of dogs like I used to be!!

Red Tailed Hawk. We watch him hunt in our back field. I have seen him get mice before. Not sure what he has in this picture. Of course these are good and bad...they want my chickens. Not cool! 

Another Red Tail..souring above my chicken coop. :/

I have about 4 or 5 breeds of woodpeckers here. I don't remember which this is right now  but he was fun to watch.  My front yard is FULL of woodpeckers of all types in the mornings.

Meadowlark.  This guy is related to the Oriole. They have a beautiful song. I see these by the dozens in my backyard.  I also have an Oriole hanging out. I saw it a couple of days ago but couldn't see what kind it was.  I'll keep an eye out. They sure have a beautiful song!

American Gold Finch.  I was excited when these guys showed up last week. They are starting to get their mating feathers in and are getting more and more beautiful. I also have the Purple Finch showing up more and more now too but have yet to get a picture. They are scared of nearly everything so movement at the window makes them fly away.

Poor picture but you can see Raelee's feeders and a woodpecker hanging on one of them. There are more feeders up now. She's having fun with this project!

Blue Jay of course. I like these guys more here than I did in Louisiana. Not because the breed is better here, but because they have a lot of chances to eat and not hog one feeder and make a complete mess. They are loud and boisterous and fun to watch.

Northern Flicker.  These guys are ground feeding woodpeckers. They show up by the dozen in the morning and are fun to watch outside my office window.

Canadian Geese. I have a love hate relationship with these guys. I think we only have a couple that show up but I don't know. They hide behind our dam mostly but holy cow are these things LOUD at night!!  Wake you up out of a dead of sleep. I think they are neat but I'm pretty much over them..lol


And of course....birds of a different breed.  Our chickens are loving the new place....I'm working on ways to let them out more. I have beautiful gardens here and don't want them in them. I'm hoping to figure out a way to let them free range and them not kill every flowerbed I have.

I really love peaking out my back door to see my friends greeting me. They still know where home is don't they??

Lexi only gets let out when we can watch her. She's still going strong (for a blind chicken!) and has just started laying again. It's amazing how 'by the book' she is with laying and how reliable she is.  I can expect an egg from her every day typically. Now, where I find that egg is always a mystery and is more so now that we have this big piece of property!!

Now that it's spring..we are adding new girls to our flock...little by little.  Raelee and I are excited...daddy just hopes that they can all see..lol (Meet Margaret. She is a Cochin and is a little weak and needs some help trying to stay alive. I'm hoping she makes it through the night..I would hate to tell Raelee that we lost our baby)

We are loving our place...beautiful views everywhere. I love being at home...I love driving up to my house and seeing our little slice of the world.  I still have a lot of cleaning and organizing to do and am feeling pretty overwhelmed right now but that feeling doesn't last long usually..how can it when friends show up randomly with Raelee's favorite horse so she can ride for a bit while we visit...then she (Mrs. Diane) rides off into the sunset.....literally. I love this picture!

Then you come in and curl up by the fire and watch TV or read.  See? A little bit of paradise.