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Monthly Archives: March 2004
Brrr II and birds
It’s early, and cold. We kept the fire going late last night, so it’d warm the house longer, and also make it easier to get it going in the morning. Good thing. When it’s down below freezing, it gets cold in here FAST. There’s a certain edge of chilliness that can’t be shaken from the main floor of the house unless a good fire is in the fireplace, or if the temperature outside goes up in the 60′s or higher with a couple of Sunny days to boot.
We aren’t using our air system at all this past Autumn and then Winter/Spring so far. It needs cleaned out and so we just decided to go with the flow for now. Natural with supplemental windows open or shut just enough, fires when needed, curtains or shades up or down when sun wanted or not. It’s worked out, but definitely showed us that we need a better thing than this silly fireplace. A stove would be a better deal.
Well, for a cold morning, the birds outside are still acting like Spring is here, which it is, just colder a bit today. There were a pair of twitterpated House Finches on the deck a while ago, and I just chased off a bunch of European Starlings which were bothering the Easter Bluebird couple. This is a nice arrangement. I watch out for them, and when I see Starlings hanging out by the Bluebird’s nesting box, I go outside and clap and yell “Shoo!” and the Starlings fly away. The Bluebirds stay. 
Today the Bluebirds were in one of the Apple Trees near the nest box, and Mr. Bluebird was very excited, flapping his wings wildly, while Mrs. Bluebird just sat there a few feet away on another branch.
There is activity in the nest box. They’ve been watching over it all along since last breeding season. I cleaned it out for them last week. There was a big Daring Jumping Spider living in it. They seemed to be thankful for my getting it out, as they now have a small circle of dried grass materials on the bottom of the box … a sure sign that they are thinking of building soon. From Mr. Bluebirds behaviour this morning, I suspect we’ll see lots more of that twitterpated flapping of wings over on the South side of the backyard now.
Brrr!
It’s chilly, only supposed to get to 57 degrees F. today. Much colder than it’s been for awhile.
It was officially Spring on Saturday (March 20th). We had our officialy recognized “Last Freeze Date” on March 15th. Yesterday afternoon it became chilly, as a front was coming through … which is introducing this chilly air. The house became “Too Cold” to live in overnight, so I finally broke down this morning, cleaned the overly filled up ashes out of the fireplace from the last cold spell, and started a fire, mid-morning. Oh, the cheery flames takes the edge off the late fingers of winter penetrating into our wonderful Southern Spring.
Tonight, temperatures are supposed to be around freezing and down to the upper 20′s in some areas around here. My poor Hostas, they are unfurling their leaves, so I’ll need to cover them. I’m not sure about other plants, onions and lettuce … lettuce may need covered, and the cauliflower I planted this past weekend.
We bought tomato plants on Saturday at the feed store. They’ll stay in the garage until a safer day to plant.
I’ll probably trim my chives, lest I lose the nice growth they’ve made the past couple of weeks. Good for cooking already. The Thyme will be fine. But what about the flowering Yoshino Cherry Trees … and all the other trees that have leafed out already? We shall see what happens, I can only protect a few things.
I hope this cold won’t get that cold too fast over night, that’ll give everything a better chance of surviving if it’s mostly only near dawn, but whatever happens is what will happen.
St. Patrick’s Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to y’all!
My Irish eye’s ain’t smiling yet … I’m too tired for that 
Maybe later, when we have Corned Beef and potatoes and a Beamish to drink. OK, now I’m hungry.
(I LOVE corned beef!)
I’m tired and feel so fat. But those are my worst “symptoms” so far. I’m going to find out if I really DO like corned beef today, I mean I know I like it, but will my body say yes to it is another thing entirely.
a. I’ll be able to eat it and eating leftovers will be fine, and I’ll love it and get more to make until I can’t stand the sight of it anymore
b. I’ll be able to eat some of it, but then be filled and wish not to see it again *ever* (which will change after the baby is born at the latest)
c. I’ll smell it cooking and say “I’m not hungry afterall”.
That’s how this pregnancy is treating me thus far. Desire for food or not, loving one thing until I don’t want anymore. Or plain just not liking some things from the getgo. I’m happy to say no nausea or vomiting, none so far. Intense hunger — yes. Intense tiredness — yes. Food aversion — yes. Get stuffed too fast too. I’m feeling so fat, so very, very fat.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! My heritage is partly Irish and therefore this is one of my favorite holidays, but it’s such simple one in how it’s traditionally observed. Maybe that’s why I like it most. Meat and potatoes kind of holiday.
Birds around, and the gardening I’m doing
I thought it’d be nice to write about the birds and behaviour I’ve been noticing of late.
Our big Cedar Feeder, installed on a pole in the yard for a few years, fell over on a day that was compassed by many large gust of wind, and the day after as well, if I recall rightly. (It’s been a very windy March as well!)
The feeder rests on the deck now, until I figure out what to do with it, it needs some ajustment and repairs. So since my feeder is down-and-out, I decided to bring the birds in closer … I decided this on the “snow day” we had this year. The birds were out searching for food that day, so I sprinkled seed on the deck railings that were covered with snow. Some birdies came. The day the snow melted the seeds slowly sank to sit on the actual railing, very neatly. That day and the next, the birds really came to eat.
It’s been a treat to have the birds so close up. Mostly we’ve had Chipping Sparrows, House Finches, and Savannah Sparrows eating. An occassional visit by a Northern Cardinal or a Northern Cardinal Family is a bright event. They don’t seem to hang out long with this set-up though. That could partly be a result of this being straight “wild bird feed” and not the stuff I usually do– mix in a heavy portion of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. In the “old days” the Cardinals would come and eat in the feeder often.
The Eastern Bluebirds are around, as usual, but becoming twitterpated. Guarding their nestbox vigilantly oft times, but not building a nest as of yet. European Starlings bother them sometimes, and the Bluebirds valiantly defend their spot. Spring is a wonderul time to witness how courageous and bold Bluebirds are.
Eastern Pheobe’s are about as well. Both these and the Bluebirds do not ever come to the feeder. Starlings either (if they did, I’d chase them off, as I do Brownheaded Cowbirds.)
Off and on a Red-winged Blackbird will show up.
All in all we haven’t had a large variety of birds, but we have had many Chipping Sparrows, and seeing them up-close makes me appreciate them more. I can see differences in them at this short distance, see them going from winter to breeding phase, and also see the first winter birds, actually distinguishing them from the other Chipping Sparrows.
Oh, we’ve had some butterbutts too, the nickname for Yellow-rumped Warbler’s. They should be around more soon, as well as American Goldfinches (I did see one coming into breeding color last week, and one drab one, but not at my “feeder”).
This is the year of the Robin, I must announce. In our yard, and the yards around us, we see more American Robins this year than we ever have anywhere in Georgia. (we’ve been here since late 1996). Their bulbous bellies plod around the yard, they are here at morning twilight, 25, or more, easily in view at a time, but they are so busy running here and there and lobbily flying over there and back … there are a lot of them, and counting isn’t something one gets too serious over.
Bluejay’s are around across the street, but occasionally we’ll have one in the back yard for a few mintues. They are my second favorite bird, second to the Eastern Bluebird. Is it because they are both blue? Yes and no. It’s so much more than that. I do love blue though!
I’m hoping we’ll see some Blue Grosbeaks this year. Last year we saw one male, once. 
Years previous have had regular visitors. Also Indigo Buntings, but I’ve not seen one since 2002 probably.
I did see a Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female) last year, and have a picture or so of her on my photo log. I have never seen a male of that bird in person though.
Well, Spring is springing up around here, so more birds will be coming through on their migrations soon. I look forward to the first Ruby-throat Hummingbirds (already have their feeders out and filled) of 2004.
Peonies and Hosta have spiky thick shoots coming out of the ground, still close to the ground, but definitely out. My Purple Coneflower plants in the herb garden are sending up leaves, and other plants are doing things too. Pussy Willow has STILL not bloomed though. One of these days.
We were at Home Depot this evening, just looking, and the herbs and veggies they have out are nice, inviting, and I hope to get several new herbs in my garden this year, and lots of tomatoes, and do some potatoes, and sweet potatoes as well. The green beans of course, and some kind of peas, perhaps. Baby delicate peas I can stand. Sugar Snap Peas in stir fry are good too. I’ve not grown them yet though. This Spring has lots of things going on in the garden, bird nest box, and in our home as well.