I'm not Feeding the Deer. . .Really!

The warm weather reduced the ground snow by about half and that has moved the deer a little ways back into the forest. That is a good thing as deer need to be deep in the woods and not hanging around yards and roads. Ecery Winter a few unluck deer are road kill, but that does feed the Crows, Chickadees, and eagles.

Michigan has a feed ban for deer, but its impossible to stop them from cleaning up under the feeders and stealing a snack from the Turkeys. The only deer I don't begrudge cleaning up is this orphan yearling. This little guy is about the size of my lab dogs and has lost its mom. He tries to hang out with the other yearlings, but most will not have it. Even though its early in Winter, I think that Spring will find this little guy a bit bigger and stronger.

Of Course, Its in the Timing

This, my first Winter at the cabin has been strange. First off, we have received more snow so far this Winter than we did all of last Winter (nearly 100 inches so far). Because the snow has been fairly deep, the deer have already set a routine of raiding the feeders - even though it usually isn't until the end of January in the past.

Yesterday, the air flow reversed and the temperature soared up to nearly 50 degrees which caused much of the snow and ice to melt - now there's only about a foot of ground snow. This morning, the temperature is back down to 30 but the wind is blowing fiercely and small flaked snow is falling.

I had burnt through about half of my wood pile, so I arranged for another load. Ofd course it came yesterday amid the warmth and melted snow. Today it sits out in the blowing cold, waiting to be stacked - or freeze together which every comes first. As I look out the window at the blowing snow, I wait with anticipation to go out into the day and start stacking before it freezes solid!

When You're hot, you're hot; When you're not. . .

Boy, my weather station recorded a low last night of -22 degrees! With the sun shining now its up to a "balmy" -17. The feeders are quiet as everyone must be staying home in the very cold temperatures.

Luckily, unlike fellow birders the Stokes (Lillian and Don) out East, at least I have electricity - theirs has been out for most of the week due to the winter storms that dumped all of our snow.

All of this reminds me why I love the tropics!

Dave

Cold and blustery

Winter has definite come early and hard this year, and the weather has bounced from 40 degrees yesterday to twenties this AM and finally into single digits this afternoon. The turkeys came in for a quick snack and then headed back into the woods to get out of the wind.

The wood peckers have been cleaning out the suet feeders with as many as four pairs of Hairy Woodpeckers dining and several Downies and the Red Bellied waiting a turn.

Everytime I return from outside the deer move into the feeder area hoping to find a meal. The does and their yearlings are getting a bit protective of any fallen seed and work to keep others are bay. Even with the melt in yesterdays warmer temperatures, they seem to have become more determined to glean the easy pickings under the hanging feeders.

A Day in the Life

SNOW! The routines of Winter have set in. We have about 2 feet of snow on the ground and most days are very much the same while waiting for Spring. Generally, I have never woke to the sound of an alarm preferring to wake based upon my natural cycle of time. I like to get a start just before the sun is up regardless of the time.

In Winter the first task is to start the day's fire in the wood stove. I heat with wood and generally the fire needs attention from burning overnight. If I forgot to restock the wood pile on the porch, that also means a quick (cold) trip to the wood shed for a few splits to get things going including the coffee pot! This time of the year, that also means I can sit by the fire and watch the local morning news and weather to see how the day will be. So far this year, that generally means more snow!

Once I get coffee into me its out to top off the feeders. Every morning the Blue jays are massed at the feeders awaking their daily peanuts, corn, and sunflowers to stash out in the woods. Unofrtunately, they (and the squirrels) stash more than they eat. Usually also waiting is the "new" Cottontailed Rabbit and my favorite Black Squirrel. I miss the chipmunk and Ground Squirrels scampering about, but I know they stored enough to get them through the Winter without having to brave the cold outside their dens.

I noticed that a White Breasted Nuthatch has taken to overnighting in a nest box outside my bedroom window and it doesn't take long for the feeders to be over run with Chickadees, both species of Nuthatches, Hairy, Downy, and my single Red Bellied Woodpecker.

The last to come in about mid morning are the five Turkeys who live in my woods. As the snows pile up, I figure the Turkeys need the easy food found under the feeders and will give them a cup of seeds each for their morning breakfast.

Through the day, the birds a few squirrels, and the Cottontail graze the seeds. By mid day the feeders will be nearly empty but I wait until late afternoon to replenish them. Otherwise, the Jays and Squirrels would cache food all day and the seed dependent birds would get little. A little top off of the feeders in late afternoon gives everyone a chance to fill up before dark.

In between watching the birds, I work on reading, writing, and planning for Spring. Some days bread making, baking, and the like keeps me busy as I work inside waiting for the arrival of Spring and the chance to work outdoors in the garden or woods, a chance to go fly fishing, or keeping up with the research projects I have going.