Coffee Clutch with Dutch Henry: Juncos are here!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Juncos are here!

The Juncos are here, and the white throated sparrows and red breasted nuthatches. Robbie and I have been on the road a lot the past few days and every now and then I thought I saw juncos on the roadside, sometimes mixed in with cardinals,chipping sparrows and bluebirds, but had not seen any here at the feeders yet, so I wasn't sure, they were here yet.

I'd scarcely settled into my "coffee with Kessy chair" this morning when I saw a small bird land in the branches above the chicken scratch, then another. I suspected it would be juncos, and sure enough when it hopped down to dine on cracked corn, barley and wheat it was indeed a tiny "snow bird." Along with it was a single white throated sparrow ... Two pilliated woodpeckers flew over calling "yak, yak, yak," and a small flock of cardinals swooped into the chicken scratch with such gusto it scattered the chickens!

Gone are the hummingbirds, although we still maintain a single hummingbird feeder as the latest a migratory hummer ever drifted by was Nov 15, so we figure we'd best keep a refueling station at the ready, just in case. Gone too are the phoebes, although I thought I'd heard one two days ago at coffee time.

Ravishin' Robbie was the first to spy the red breasted nuthatch at the black oil sunflower feeder yesterday morning. Then, before we hit the road, I went to fill it and didn't that tiny blue, black and russet bird land on the feeder as I held it in my hand! For a second we were inches apart, eyeball to eyeball … What a treat! I called Annabelle to share with her all the bird activity. She loves to hear all about it ... Says it gets her out of the nursing home room.

I'm reminded of last winter when I'd be calling the chickens as I scattered their scratch how the juncos would gather in the trees waiting to dive in and dine before the chickens waddled in. Today there was only one junco, I wonder how many days before the whole flock checks in?

Have a beautiful day!!

1 comment:

AnonymousOctober 24, 2012 at 10:32 AM
I also used to feed the birds, and I enjoyed watching them, and looking up the ones who were new to my feeder. But alas, the cost of bird seed has become so expensive that I can no longer affored to feed them. I really miss watching them. I can see some as they ladn on the ground foraging for is available in the wild. Luckly I`m way out in the country, so they don`t rely on my for their servival.
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Welcome to the Coffee Clutch

Welcome to the Coffee Clutch, a happy place to visit. I write uplifting stories about a wide variety of subjects from horses to birds and nature, to love and family and friends. Sometimes I'll post excerpts from stories I've written for Equine Publications. Sometimes I'll post about writing itself. Coffee Clutch got its name because I often write while enjoying my morning coffee in the barn with my mare Kessy, and all our critters. Join us here for fun conversation and stories I promise will make you feel good.

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