meadow
Deeply Rooted
Somehow I've got the cartoon Road Runner sound playing in my head... "Meep meep!" The baby killdeer in your photo is sooo adorable! It must have been a lot of fun to be there in person. 
stubbed toes and mud pies
- Thread starter flowerbug
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meadow
Deeply Rooted
omg, the new photo is even more precious!!! 
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- #533
flowerbug
Garden Master
omg, the new photo is even more precious!!!
the scientific name is very apt - Charadrius vociferus. as in, they make a lot of noise. little meep meeps at the first few moments change into louder peeps not too much later. sometimes late at night if a raccoon is around one of their nests they can wake me up with the racket they'll make.
in the end though they win out with me in terms of cuteness and character. i always like this time of the year if i can see them when they do hatch and i like to sit by them for a few minutes to talk to them so perhaps they'll imprint a little bit and know who i am. it sure makes for a quieter nesting and early gardening season if they do not react so loudly to us being out in the gardens.
and, i'll stand by precious too as it was so super soft and fragile like only a baby birdie can be.
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- #534
flowerbug
Garden Master
i was standing there watering the strawberry patch when i saw a bird fly into the top of this wood stove that we only use as a decoration. i think it was a female cardinal and it was heading in there with something in its mouth to feed the babies. my question is how in the world are those babies ever going to get out of there?
in other strange sightings news there was some kind of creature running up the driveway towards the garage and i think it was a mink, but i'm not sure. i've not seen anything like that here before so now i'm curious what it might have been. from looking at pictures on-line it probably was a mink, not a very old one, but it for sure wasn't a weasel or anything else that fit how it moved and how it was shaped. perhaps the 2nd mink i've seen here since they built the place. Mom asked me if they eat groundhogs.
in other strange sightings news there was some kind of creature running up the driveway towards the garage and i think it was a mink, but i'm not sure. i've not seen anything like that here before so now i'm curious what it might have been. from looking at pictures on-line it probably was a mink, not a very old one, but it for sure wasn't a weasel or anything else that fit how it moved and how it was shaped. perhaps the 2nd mink i've seen here since they built the place. Mom asked me if they eat groundhogs.
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digitS'
Garden Master
Those baby birds may need you to open the door at some point in time.
When I was living in the sticks, I once walked out my driveway and met a Marten on his way down the road to visit me. I remember him as being very red but maybe those in your area wouldn't be so distinctively colored.
Steve
When I was living in the sticks, I once walked out my driveway and met a Marten on his way down the road to visit me. I remember him as being very red but maybe those in your area wouldn't be so distinctively colored.
Steve
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- #536
flowerbug
Garden Master
she was so pale and i only had a brief view of her, but i can't think of any other bird of that size and shape that would fit. the cat birds have just started to show up and they are darker and it would be too soon for them to have a nest and young to feed.
considering that stove is normally a wasp/bee home i never open it and i'm not even sure it would open. i'll keep an eye on it and see if i can get some other views of the family.
imagine growing up in such an enclosed world and then suddenly having the view of the whole world to cope with. at least the eggs and young are safe though until that point where they have to start flying.
digitS'
Garden Master
Uh oh 
I wasn't talking about a Purple Martin, the swallow cousin.
en.m.wikipedia.org
I wasn't talking about a Purple Martin, the swallow cousin.
Marten - Wikipedia
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- #538
flowerbug
Garden Master
Uh oh
I wasn't talking about a Purple Martin, the swallow cousin.
Marten - Wikipedia
my mind was in birdland for sure.
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- #539
flowerbug
Garden Master
this morning i knew wasn't going to be much fun. i had to crawl under the house to replace the air-filter in the furnace. also did an inspection of the things down there to make sure there were no "Bad Things" that needed to be dealt with. all ok. crawled back out. this is not easy on either of us to do. bad knees and the entry is a hatch to be crawled through.
the worst part though is the smell when opening the hatchway cover. the mice have been in there and using the corners as a potty. not just a few potties. so after getting everything underneath the house done and coming back out i'd already planned on sweeping up the mouse droppings and then cleaning up the potty stations and removing the nest they'd started to build in there again.
first thing was to get rid of as much sand, mouse poops, and any other bits of pine needles or whatever were in there on top of the concrete. it's not super smooth but the small whisk broom and dust pan i used were able to get almost all of the loose stuff out of there including everything from the frame that holds the metal hatch door out of the slot. a lot of sand and bits of whatever in there over 25yrs worth and some mouse poops that got in there when the hatch was opened. i made sure to hold my breath as much as possible as i sure didn't want to breathe that crud into my sinuses and lungs.
then it was a matter of getting some bleach and water and getting the wet pee/poop conglomerate gunk from the corners and the track cleaned out completely and that was done with bleach, water and some rag towels that went right into the trash bag. an old paint brush also helped with some scrubbing down in the track. a few rounds and a last douse of bleach water and left it all to dry out before putting the hatch back into place. and as a final parting gift i took a 1 pint wide mouth jar and poked some holes in the lid so it could vent and filled it part ways up with bleach to hopefully discourage any further mouse adventures.
i'll check it in a few weeks and see how it is all doing and to make sure no more nesting is going on in there. plus i should put out some mouse traps again. i know the mice are always out there, so i really should always be trapping any new adventureres looking for new territory to set up a home. the AC and hatch for the crawlspace have been used before and likely will be again.
weeded the onion patch and that was enough for today. i can putter around later. sunny and 84F out there with a nice breeze. it's nice to be able to be warm again, but too warm too soon means you have to be careful while your body builds up tolerance again. so a nice siesta and a break is good.
the worst part though is the smell when opening the hatchway cover. the mice have been in there and using the corners as a potty. not just a few potties. so after getting everything underneath the house done and coming back out i'd already planned on sweeping up the mouse droppings and then cleaning up the potty stations and removing the nest they'd started to build in there again.
first thing was to get rid of as much sand, mouse poops, and any other bits of pine needles or whatever were in there on top of the concrete. it's not super smooth but the small whisk broom and dust pan i used were able to get almost all of the loose stuff out of there including everything from the frame that holds the metal hatch door out of the slot. a lot of sand and bits of whatever in there over 25yrs worth and some mouse poops that got in there when the hatch was opened. i made sure to hold my breath as much as possible as i sure didn't want to breathe that crud into my sinuses and lungs.
then it was a matter of getting some bleach and water and getting the wet pee/poop conglomerate gunk from the corners and the track cleaned out completely and that was done with bleach, water and some rag towels that went right into the trash bag. an old paint brush also helped with some scrubbing down in the track. a few rounds and a last douse of bleach water and left it all to dry out before putting the hatch back into place. and as a final parting gift i took a 1 pint wide mouth jar and poked some holes in the lid so it could vent and filled it part ways up with bleach to hopefully discourage any further mouse adventures.
i'll check it in a few weeks and see how it is all doing and to make sure no more nesting is going on in there. plus i should put out some mouse traps again. i know the mice are always out there, so i really should always be trapping any new adventureres looking for new territory to set up a home. the AC and hatch for the crawlspace have been used before and likely will be again.
weeded the onion patch and that was enough for today. i can putter around later. sunny and 84F out there with a nice breeze. it's nice to be able to be warm again, but too warm too soon means you have to be careful while your body builds up tolerance again. so a nice siesta and a break is good.
- Thread starter
- #540
flowerbug
Garden Master
late is better than never. i got some of the onions (small bulbules and seeds) planted today, and some peas. both a bit later than i was hoping to get done. we'll see how they go.
i got some of the onions (small bulbules and seeds) planted today, and some peas. both a bit later than i was hoping to get done. we'll see how they go. 
