Count down to winter

Well, even though the weather can never be trusted to be as expected, I'm in countdown mode for the first heavy snow storm. We could get several inches from the storm chasing up the Mississippi over the next 24 hours - could even be double digit snowfall between here and Bay City (where I'm driving to on Saturday!). Then again just a few degrees to the east and we'll get more rain and a little snow dusting on the way north. Sigh if I could only predict the weather!

Weather turns the corner

Well, today on the weather front, all bets are off as by the end of the day, the rain was just beginning and the temperature is scheduled to drop into the 30's over the next day or two. By Friday, the weather service has already warned of up to 6" of snow if the storm stays on its current track! every though the sky looks threatening, its still warm enough that its just raindrops on the lens.

Crazy weather - record temperatures

After waking to frosty cars and shrubs the crazy weather gets crazier with record temperatures by the time to come back home after work. Here's the view from the parking lot at work with the temperature in the middle 60s and its the end of November!

Unpredictable weather

The last few days the weather has been at extremes for November. This morning when I left for work, everything was covered in frost. I used to hate frosty car windows, but now, with remote starters and electric window defrosters I really don't notice them any more.

Thanksgiving Week Vacation

(I've been off travel to family and friends for the week, so posting has been impossible. However, everything returns to normal again starting Monday. )

This time of the year is the time for harvests and reflections. As the plants begin their wind down to seelp away the winter. Plants like the Milkweed burst forth with a flurry of seeds that must be frozen over the winter to germiniate in the Spring. As they float away on puffs of wind, mymind floats away dreaming about what Spring will bring for me.

Death on Wings

While I finish out this week's set of postings on favorite birds, I thought I'd share one of my mother's "least favorites". When this guy flies into the yard all the smaller birds flee into the cover of shrubs and underbrush. The harborer of "Death on Wings" is the resident Cooper's Hawk that cruises past our feeders almost daily - always on the look out for a "too brave" sparrow or dove.

Another Favorite Bird

About the time that Autumn begins to overtake Summer in October, a cheerly little ground sparrow appears at our feeders. Often heard singing their "home sweet Can-a-da Can-a-da Can-a-da" song before flying to the ground below feeders, the hop and peck among the spilled seeds, gleaning what others have dropped. There are two different "variations" - a white striped and a brown striped. Can you tell which is which?

Favorite Birds

Usually, my favorite bird is the one I happening to be looking at! Still some birds always make me smile when I see them.

Chickadees are that way with most birders. Small, active, stately in black and white and gray - but not overstated, friendly by not harassingly so, and always with a cheerful song.

Having attracted Tufted Titmice (or would that be titmouses) to my balcony feeder and have the bonus of having them at "my other place" up north, they have become my new favorite bird - at least for right now!

Gray Tuesday

Today was one of those gray days of Autumn. Looking out the window all day it looked much colder and like it was going to snow mountains of snow, but not a flake was seen. It was the kind of day that by 4:00 PM everyone is yawning thinking its well after dinner and getting close to bed time - only to discover they're still at work.

Oh well, snow will be here soon enough and so will the gray days of Winter when there's enough snow to cancel the world that day and we all get to sit at home drinking warm drinks and thinking about what to plant this Spring.

My Favorite Bird Photograph

Back in the days before digital photography, I took lots of pictures with my 35mm SLR film camera. That meant that one had to wait and wait to see if the photos were any good or if you missed the moment entirely. I have drawers full of black slides, blurry images and empt tree branches.

However, here is my all time favorite picture from those days of old. This Black Capped Chickadee was so intent on getting to the grub in the end of the branch, that it didn't notice me shooting away. Somehow in the flurry of clicks, this picture came to life.

PHOTO Black Bellied Whistler - hunting photo!

Well, I've found the pictures and this is definitely a Black Bellied Whistler.

I've also confirmed that this would be the first state sighting for Michigan, so now the Records Committee is picking up the ball and making direct contact with the hunter in question in order to properly document this bird.

The bird was taken in the Nayanquing Point Game Area on the western shore of Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay.
While it is "unfortunate" that his bird was harvested, there is hope that the species may be seen again in the area under similar circumstances.

I happy to have played at least a small role in getting this bird into the record books. Let's hope we see more Black Bellied whistlers here in Michigan in the future.

UPDATE Black Bellied Whistler

Well, it seems the plot thickens. I've been checking and I can't find a record at all for this species being this far north - EVER. However, with the hurricanes of last year in the deep south, anything is possible. I'm going to check further with the Audubon Records Committee regarding this sighting - so stay tuned! This could be a first!

Interesting bird report from a Hunter

I was talking to my brother this weekend - an avid hunter - and he was telling about a fellow duck hunter who had an unusal bird that he "harvested" on the shores of upper Saginaw Bay. It seems that this guy bagged himself a Black Bellied Whistling Duck - normally a far southern duck. I'm tracking down pictures to verify for myself. I'll post details as they become available.

When North is really South

While its a little early, I think, I have already had reports of Snowy Owls who have moved south from the range in the far north. In fact, (follow me closely here), north of Ann Arbor, about 100 miles north, Snowy Owls more often than not come to Tuscola County for our balmy, only slightly freezing winters. While I have to travel north to see them, they, of course have traveled south to be seen. Well, you get the picture. Speaking of which, here are two of last years regulars seen on telephone poles along Bradleyville Road in Tuscola County.

Cue the Scary Music

Good Evening!

Every year its like a bad Alfred Hitchcock movie (ok, that dates me!) The Starlings, like the rude house guests that they are, gather in huge flocks of hundreds and thousands to literally strip the fruits and berries off from trees in minutes. This shot is one of several "tree fulls" that I came across as I left work after watching the snow lazily fall all day. They would swoop in a massive synchronized flock into the smaller trees and shrubs at ground level and strip the fruits as if they had eaten in months! Kind of scary how quickly they come in a empty a fruit ladened tree in seconds - and the snow is barely sticking on the ground!

It had to happen Sooner or Later

Even though those of us who barely tolerate the winter wish we could, sooner or later the snow begins to fall and "stick" on the ground. Such was the state of the weather this morning when woke. As you can see, the closest flakes appear to be larger dots in the photograph, but looking across the parking lot, you can see the snow beginning to gather in rows across the street. Sign, I guess it will happen no matter how hard one wishes.

New Morning visitor

The Blue Jays and Crows that stop by in the early AM for breakfast have been stopping around for a few years now. I'm always excited when "somebirdy" new joins in - even if only to see what's so interesting on my balconey.

Well the last few mornings a Titmouse has jopined in to pick up any peanut bits that fall out of the shelled peanuts I throw out for the others. Because they are a little shy, I'm posting a picture I took from one of my many walks in the Arboretum behind my building.

I'm hoping to get a picture from the balconey door soon.