HUMMINGBIRDS

We have two Hummingbird feeders hanging in front of the kitchen window.  In the past we have usually had 2 or 3 birds coming around.  However, this past week there must be some migration of the Hummingbirds starting because we have had as many as 6 or more around at the same time.  There is some cooperation among them to use the feeders at the same time and a lot of chasing each other away by some of the birds.  They are fun to watch in all their buzzing around.  The following pictures were taken this morning as I tried to get as many of the birds in the pictures as I could.

This first picture is of a female that was sitting in the cedar tree that is next to the feeders.  They do that often and many times will come out and chase another bird away that tries to use the feeders.

This is a picture of a female on one of the feeders just resting.

This picture has 3 birds in it.  One just landing on the right and the other two thinking about it.

Another single on the feeder eating undisturbed.

 This picture actually has 5 birds in it.  One is out in the distance on the right and is just a little red spot out there.  One is on the back side of the right feeder and you can only see a wing.  The others are the two eating and the one in the air on the right.

 Again there are 5 in this picture.  You can see 4 plainly and there is still the one out to the right edge of the picture that is not real plain.

Only 4 in this picture.  Three on the feeders and one in the lower right just coming in..

Patrick

New Bluebird Feeder

We had an old feeder that had been converted from another use that we were using to keep Meal worms in for the Bluebirds.  It had a solid bottom and filled with water when it rained and that caused the worms to rot.  So, this morning I constructed a new feeder out of Cedar with a metal bottom that is full of holes so the water can drain right through.  The picture below is of the house the Bluebirds are currently using to raise another batch of little ones, the new feeder and a Mister Bluebird sitting up on the limb above the feeder checking it out.  They almost always sit up on this limb and then drop down to the feeder.  Many time they go from the feeder directly to the house and feed the little ones.  Fun to watch.

Patrick

DUCK HERDING

We have lots of ducks that come up and feed below our bird feeders.  They do a quick job of cleaning up the bird seed that is spilled on the ground by the birds.  When there gets to be to many, we step out on the deck and normally they either fly or take off running back to the river.  Tonight, there were 13 hens, 12 young ones and Mom.  Pat went out on the deck to send them on their way and they ignored her and kept eating.  So, she went out the back service door in the garage and that always gets them to take off.  These ducks ignored her again and kept eating.  So, she started herding them toward the river.  The pictures below show this process.  She had to stay with them all the way to the river and then they tried to come back.  She herded them back again and warned them with a couple rocks.  It was only about 15 minutes and they were back up by the feeders.  This time I herded them with a broom all the way to the river and thought they had moved on as they headed for the neighbors shoreline.  Again it was only about 15-20 minutes and they were back.  Guess we will have to put up with them or keep escorting them back to the river.

Patrick

Restaurant

While on a short road trip yesterday, we went by a restaurant that I didn't know existed. It is called Mabel Murphys Restaurant and Irish Pub. It is near Fergus Falls Minnesota. My mother was Mabel Murphy and would have gotten a real kick out of a place with her name. You can access the web sight here for the place: http://www.mabelmurphysmn.com/ Looks like a nice restaurant. May have to make a trip back just to try the place out.

Mabel Murphy's – Restaurant & Irish Pub

Recent Pictures

The following pictures were taken in the last couple weeks around the house.  Mostly bird pictures, but a couple of pretty flowers.

A Blue Heron recently visited our dock amd checked out the pontoon.

Goldfinch

Cardinal

Mr. Bluebird

Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird

Mallard hen and three little ones

One of our hanging baskets of flowers.

Lilac tree blooms.  The Butterflies are real.  The tree is right outside our bedroom and really has been providing a lot of nice aroma.

Another hanging basket of flowers.

That's the show.

Patrick

Completion

As was mentioned in a previous blog, we have redone our decks to both enlarge them and to get good new lumber installed.  All of the new lumber is Cedar.  The project was finished a couple weeks back and I am now getting around to this new posting.  Also included with the new deck pictures are a couple bird pictures and some house pictures.  First will be some house pictures and then the deck pictures and then the bird pictures.  Hope you enjoy.

This is the back side of the house in total and showing the new deck off our bedroom and the Gazebo.  Pat used my new camera with the wide angle lens to get all this in the picture.

This is a shot of most of the front of the house.  The third garage is cut off.

Another shot of the front of the house.  If you look closely, you can see the two new plant holders I made this past winter.  They are on either side of the walkway.  Also up on the porch is the plant holder made by our friend Chuck Sachs for us a couple years back.   We just put them out with new flowers this past week.

This is a wider angle shot showing most of the front of the house.

Close up shot of the front RED door.  You can see the plant holders much better here.
 


 This is the main deck right after completion.

Walkway around the Gazebo coming from the main deck above.

Wide angle shot of the deck.

Main deck with our new Glider and the two new side tables I made out of the scraps of lumber from the redo of the deck. We also have a nice table and four chairs for our future outside dining.  Didn't get a picture of them.

I call this one the kitchen deck as it is right off the kitchen area.  It is about 5 feet longer.

This is the kitchen deck with our grill in place and the new bench I made for this deck, again out of the scraps from the redo.

This is the male Bluebird that has moved into one of our houses.

This is both the male and the female Bluebirds that are in residence now.  She is the lower one and he is in the upper right corner.

This is a shot of a Baltimore Oriole that visited for a couple days.  It is one of the best and clearest shots I have seen of any bird we have pictured in the past.  Pat took the shot.

Patrick

Latest

Several things going on around our place recently.  The following pictures cover them including one project that isn't finished yet.

This is our Crabapple tree in full bloom which happened this week.

This is our deck without the railings  The first step in rebuilding it.

Another shot of the deck without railings and floor boards.

Last shot of deck being readied for rebuilding.  The debris pile is growing. 

This is the small deck off the kitchen without it's rails.  Floor boards will come off next.

We got the pontoon home and on the lift.  We have been out for one ride already.

Close up of the Tulips I just picked from the flower bed.

Tulips in the vase.

The guys came this moring and took down the pine tree at the head of the garden.  It was causing problems and wasn't that great of a tree anyway.  We still have two others.

Here they are just starting to take down the dead Apple tree.  The apples were never any good anyway.  We will replace it with a good apple tree.

That's the latest.  More on the deck when it is all finished.

Patrick

Bird Houses

Last fall I took down all the bird houses to refurbish them.  Yesterday I put them back up again and they are all ready for the birds when they return.  There are a total of 10 of them, 3 of which I put back up last fall before we left for Arizona.  The following pictures are of the 7 houses I installed yesterday and the 3 that were already up.

These are the 7 that I installed yesterday.

This is a new house that replaced one that was not worth repairing.  It is made out of Redwood scraps.

One of the repaired ones.

Another of the repaired ones.

 Good for another season.

Hope some pair of birds like this one.

Another new one made from Cedar.

This one had Blue Birds in it last year.

This is one that was put back up last fall.  It has had Blue Birds in the past.

Another one installed last fall.  It is built for Wrens.

The other one installed last fall.  It is also a Wren house and has had Wrens in it several times.

That's the group.  Hope the birds like them.

Patrick