Here's my woodpecker, who visits sometimes.Along with my cardinals, mourning doves and
sparrows, there are tiny little birds with white
underbellies & black/gray backs, and their
beaks are orange/red.
What are they?
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78 comments:
Don,
in response to the topper tv show, it was a
series like the movie in the 50's, cosmo topper, the banker & the husband & wife ghost,
robert sterling & anne jeffries (I think they
may have been husband & wife in life) not sure
who the banker was though. will go look it up.
Just so you know, we were one of the first families to have a tv, my mom worked at GE, the
set was like 5" with a giant bubble & all the
kids in the neighborhood came over to watch, guesss? I'll tell you later, if you are right.
Solar,
those mickey rooney movies. I think you mean
the andy hardy series. was judy garland in those too.
Sounds like one of two great ways to get myself into trouble. Both involve a woman's age. So I'll guess Lassie, which covers a nice, wide range. Superman is more likely to draw the neighborhood, but I'm sure you're not old enough.
One of our first tv's was a color philco with a round tube. TV came really late to Colorado.
The woodpecker is a red bellied Woodpecker. I spy Cardinals and some juvenile Cardinals, some Blue Jays. There are other big birds I can't ID. Can't tell the little birds but your birds up there are a lot fatter than our birds down here. Maybe they have on a heavier coat of feathers for the cold.
Your pics are pretty clear but not enough light at that distance to clearly identify colors except for the Woodpecker.
Coreen,
Yes, and I still would watch them today..Judy Garland was on a cpl of them.....there are some Spanish ones like that also..they are a lot of fun..I like them for the old music...mostly on Saturday's that were a little slow..or just felt a little lazy and stayed in..and lounged all day...had fun today...catch you later Murphy.!
Carol, the bigger birds are the mourning doves, like pigeons, they are the ones I think
the hawks grab in flight & eat, since I have
seen their feathers in the grass.
The tiny ones are in there, with the white underbellies & black/gray backs, but have no
idea what they are.
They come to eat at daylight & again in the
afternoon, I throw seed out twice a day.....
I am a child of the 60's born in the late 40s
makes me 60+, not quite ready for medicare or
social security...
and no to the guesses, so far...any more, it was a classic......
U were born in 1949, probably in July also....
I'm not giving out any more info, until some of
you come up with more stuff...
Very nice photos of the birds. We're getting those small birds this year too Coreen, I've been wondering what they were. I've never seen them before.
Our cardinals love to bicker and chase each other off much more than they eat. Only one pair at a time usually eat.
The Jays love to make lots of noise. We have year round Robins that don't eat seed but makes sure all the other birds play fair. They're like adult chaperones.
:-))
More clues....the ultimate children's show,
NBC, every week day...its.......
spin and Marty
Well, Puppet Playhouse Starring Howdy Doody and Lone Stranger would run about those times. Other than that, I'm out of guesses. Before my time about 10 years, I'm a 59'er.
Don,
Your guess, I was way too fast on the trigger.
No robins here Don, pretty sure they left til
spring....
The jays are very spunky, the cardinals are
just so beautiful & their chirping is very
distinctive. The doves are calm & serene,
I have brown sparrows, but those little guys,
no idea..they land on a tree & the holly bush
in the front windows, I'll try to snap a better
view.
Everyone gets to eat here, so no need to hog
the area.....
And I could go on about old movies & TV shows,
but I think that is for another day.
It's pumpkin time, so good nite everyone.
Oh Bingo.....It's Howdy Doody time, that ran
right into color tv. I think the late 50's
maybe even 1960...
I couldn't get to it fast enough...Howdy Doody.
Nite everyone, past my bedtime. I like your bird family Coreen.
And of course, I Love Lucy.
We have a lot of birds over winter here. We're a zone 8, so we don't get that much cold. I love watching the titmouses and nuthatches. I'd hoped to put in a koi pond with a nice webcam by the feeders, but it will have to wait until I migrate south.
I'm off to bed too. I stayed up to late watching the HC drama last night.
Coreen's "little unknown birds" appear to be Dark Eyed Juncos or, as I call them by their "old name" Slate Colored Juncos. They are a very sweet uninhibited winter visitor, not as abundant here in the south, but welcomed nonetheless. I think they are also sometimes called "snow birds" but there doesn't have to be snow for them to appear.
Dark Eyed Junco bird
I'm pretty sure in the last photo I see a White Throated Sparrow. I love them and hardly ever get to see them in this neck of the woods.
White Throated Sparrow
Here are some more images of the Dark Eyed Junco from the same link as above.
more Juncos
Now I am off to hit the hay since the rest of you have already. Don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I am always glad when we pass the winter solstice because it means the universe has "turned around." Each day the sun will extend its stay a little longer from now till June.
The junco looks a lot like the birds coming through here. This is the first year we've seen then, but we have a lot of firsts here. Even the natives are remarking on all of the new birds.
Thanks Ivy, now I know who to contact for my mystery birds.
BTW, in honor of the wonderful photos of snow I've put on a nice, rich hot cocoa with small home made marshmallows. Help yourselves, I'll probably go back for a nap.
And maybe some oatmeal cookies to go with that hot cocoa.
Thanks Ivy for IDing the birds. I couldn't even ID the doves, even though they looked familiar and Coreen labeled them right next to the pics. Of course I was looking at the pics before I read the captions.
Her birds are so fat. We must have thin birds, unlike our people, down here. I do my part to fatten them up but they don't eat gumbo and chocolate.
I brought all my leftovers to work yesterday. It fed all the nurses and I'm sure there are still leftovers.
I didn't take the spinach artichoke dip. I ate the rest of that myself. I often have a real craving for it but can't eat it unless I've had a party and there's some left. I make enough so there is sure to be some left.
Solar was talking about some spinach tortillis the other day. I bet I'd like that too. I used to make spinach manicotti. That's good but you need to have hyperthyroidism to eat it. I dreamed up my recipe. It's really rich and fattening.
I cook my spinach and then saute the spinach with lots of garlic in butter. Then add a little flour, just a dusting. I take that off the heat and add that 5 (or 6) pizza cheese and lots of feta. I stuff that into the cooked manicotti shells.
I place the stuffed manicotti in casserole dishes. I saute some more garlic in butter and add lots of whipping cream. I pour that over the manicotti and then add more of the 5 or 6 pizza cheese on top. Bake that in the over and don't forget to schedule your gallbladder surgery. It's most likely to explode after you eat a helping of that dish.
I sure hope you are feeling better Jan. I do wish you would get a chest x-ray just to see how extensive your lung problem is before you head out. I think you need the cruise to relax. I also think that your body is telling you it is time to retire. You have many things you like to do with your spare time. You will find that there is no spare time even when you retire.
When I was teaching I never had time to be sick. There is no one to take my place. No one could jump in and do my lecture for me. No one could read my notes. I couldn't just let the students go without that material either so I just never got sick. But then a vacation came along and on the first day of vacation, I often fell apart. I must have held off the ailments until I had time. At least then I did have those semester breaks.
It's the same now but I have no semester breaks. I still don't have anyone to take my place so I just stay well. It's mind over body.
There was another interesting phenomena I found when I had this unexpected time off. For most of my years I worked at least a job and a half. Also went to school off and on.
When I left the ER after my first NP job, I had 4 months without a job. There were not an abundance of NP jobs around and I wasn't just going to do anything. I was so anxious. I'd never had any time off in about 28 years. Never been without a job.
I didn't know what to do with myself and was so anxious that I couldn't just enjoy my first break. I sat at my computer and wrote a book on self diabetes management just to keep myself occupied. I didn't do anything with it.
I found that I eventually learned to occupy all my extra time and wondered how I ever found time to work. I did finally even start to find some fun things to do and just as I did, a job found me.
The interesting phenomena is how things seem to occupy the time you have until there is no spare time left. You do lose a certain amount of time management skills but the more you have to do, the more time that seems to become available to do it. It stretches to meet the demand and shrinks if you don't need it anymore. It's early and I may not be making any sense.
Good morning,
Ivy, nice going, it sure looks like another
mystery has been solved. The pictures of the
juncos, sure seem to be those little
guys that are here. And they do hang out in
that big holly bush that is in my pic with my
Cassie looking out the side window & the last
pic of the bay window with the small tree & lights on, from the Winter Wonderland/White Christmas pics.
And I will keep a lookout for the sparrow with
the white throat.
We also in the spring in particular have a flock of black birds with either a yellow or
orange stripe on their wings, no idea what they
are, they swope in a big group & devour all my
birds food.
I'm going to try to keep an eye out for the different guys here. Oh, & the one bird I saw
when I first moved to this house was a bluebird, really a blue bird, not a jay, but sadly have never seen any in years. They would
dart from tree to tree & then be gone.
Like the way that Ivy pointed out one of the best parts of this time of year (once Christmas is over)
"I am always glad when we pass the winter solstice because it means the universe has "turned around." Each day the sun will extend its stay a little longer from now till June"
Not sure if those of you in the warmer areas
experience the early start of the dark that
we get starting in November. By 4:30 pm in December it is dark.
So I am also glad that after the
shortest day of the year, a minute or so of
daylight is restored as we head through the
longest part of the winter.
Coreen, Beautiful bird pics. Carol's right, your tiny birds are much fatter than ours down south. I think that's because of the cold weather. Nature makes sure they have more padding to get them through the winter.
I wondered why the birds I'd look up on line often looked so much fatter than the ones I see here. Now I know. You'd be so surprised to see how tiny our tiny birds really are Coreen. And hyper, not sure I could ever catch a good shot of them.
Oh...and that woodpecker looks like the same one we have down here, doesn't it Carol? I've seen them many times at a distance, but never gotten real close to them. I can always make out that red cap easily though.
Coreen, I too had just copied part of what Ivy said, then saw that you had too. But I still have to comment on it, because I was so impressed with the way she put it.
Ivy Green said... " I am always glad when we pass the winter solstice because it means the universe has "turned around."
So am I Ivy! So that's why things always get better in January. Glad you mentioned that, because I never thought of it that way.
"It stretches to meet the demand and shrinks if you don't need it anymore. It's early and I may not be making any sense."
That made perfect sense to me Carol. You do what you have to do, and make do with what you've got.
Oh, and also 'use it or lose it'. All these little sayings say so much.
Chloe, just came back in from getting the papers & feeding the birds, it is really cold
still, but sunny.
As soon as I approach them they all fly away
into the trees & wait. I will try to get some
better pics of the birds, the ones I put up
are taken from inside the house with the lens
magnified, that is why I don't think they are
sharp.
And I agree that Carol made perfect sense too. We learn to just get up & do what has to be done, since if we don't, it doesn't get
done.
Good Morning Coreen! I think your pictures are great. Better than any I could ever take.
Also, I finally caught up on last nights posts, and what Solar said about you being an important part of the fun last night is completely true. The silliness and fun was everyone. I was laughing so hard, it took me a while to get sleepy, once I got off line. I had to read my book longer than usual.
Don, I am so glad you brought up those old movies last night. Most of them were made in the forties, and they used to run reruns of them all night back in the old days. I think I saw them all, over and over again. I loved the old movies, and think they had a strong influence on who I am today. Like you said, they just don't make them the same any more. Those old movies gave us a good picture of where our parents came from too. A good sense of a previous generation, and of a set of values that were changing as we grew up. I feel so lucky to have been born at a time when things were changing, and to be a part of all of it.
Mornin' y'all. A link to this article was in my in-box. C'est moi ("naming all the species of birds we encounter?" lol) More synchronicity?
The darn article won't let me link, so I'll just quote liberally.
"...it can be tempting to focus our awareness on 'doing' something: taking pictures; getting a certain amount of physical exercise; traveling from point A to point B; naming all the species of birds we encounter. While nature photography is a lovely craft, and we need to exercise for good health, and understanding what lives in our environment is a valid part of deepening our relationship with the land, these activities can separate us from a more intimate experience of the natural world. It is all too easy to forget to actually experience with all our senses that which we are busily capturing and identifying."
"The natural world invites us out of our world of fixed concepts and into a closer proximity with reality—what Buddhist teachings call 'nonconceptual awareness.' Experiencing the natural world with nonconceptual awareness means that, rather than seeing a [small] black bird and thinking, "That's a starling, a nonnative bird introduced from England several centuries ago," we stop and see each particular bird's incandescent blue-black velvet feathers, piercing amber eyes, and delicate, wiry feet. Instead of encountering the world through a filter of ideas, memories, and labels, we connect deeply with the unfiltered and vital pulse of life in that moment."
Coreen, I guess they were writing about the two of us...lol. I don't think we're alone in this space. Birds of a feather flock together, as the saying goes.
Speaking of flocking feathers (again), I have found that going out to where the birds are, standing quietly, or making a small chirping sound may bring the birds in for a closer look at who's making that funny noise. They want to see what kind of "bird" you are, and that works both ways. :)
Coreen,
Back to naming the birds. Your spring-time black bird is almost certainly the Red-Winged Black Bird...the males sport both a red and a yellow epaulet on their upper wing with the red more prominent...hence their name. Do you have a wet or marshy area nearby? That is their habitat.
Black Bird Black Bird
Ivy,
Just checked in before I leave for errands,
food shopping, & looks like you are right again, black birds. Not sure if I ever saw
the stripe as clearly, but will look when they
return in the spring.
And yes, I have lots of 'wetlands' on my
property. Chloe had asked if there was water
behind one of my pics of the pole lights, & there is but it dries up at some point in the
year then comes back, hence wetlands, but not
a flowing stream all the time.
Will check in later. Today & tomorrow will
be busy on the roads here, especially near
any shopping areas, whether food or mall type,
luckily I don't have to do any more Christmas
present shopping, just food, & pick up the
fish tomorrow...
Part of our not quite 7 fishes for Christmas
Eve, Ivy.
"The natural world invites us out of our world of fixed concepts and into a closer proximity with reality—what Buddhist teachings call 'nonconceptual awareness.' Experiencing the natural world with nonconceptual awareness means that, rather than seeing a [small] black bird and thinking, "That's a starling, a nonnative bird introduced from England several centuries ago," we stop and see each particular bird's incandescent blue-black velvet feathers, piercing amber eyes, and delicate, wiry feet. Instead of encountering the world through a filter of ideas, memories, and labels, we connect deeply with the unfiltered and vital pulse of life in that moment."
Ivy, I love what you said in that post. And I completely agree with it. The reason I don't know what things are called: birds, trees, etc., is because I don't want to know. It just doesn't matter to me. I'm more interested in seeing the beauty of them, without any preconceived ideas or putting them into a particular category. That was a great post for today Ivy. Thanks!
Oh, and this:
" I have found that going out to where the birds are, standing quietly, or making a small chirping sound may bring the birds in for a closer look at who's making that funny noise."
Yes! I agree with that too. It's so rewarding, to stand there quietly, and take in everything around you. There's always a surprise.
I'm about ready to go out to do the same things you're going out to do Coreen, errands and shopping. I have a hunch there'll be plenty of traffic for us to fight our way through.
What would this time of the year be like with no traffic though. Be brave!
ps ... and be careful in that snow. I guess you're used to it though.
Jan, I'm poking my head back in before I leave, because I meant to ask if you're feeling any better this morning. Also, something I said last night bothered me a lot afterward, because it was misleading. I said to 'demand' what you want from the doctor, but the word should have been 'suggest'. Suggest to the doctor what you think you need. I would never dream of making any demands of anyone. Besides, as we all know, making demands rarely works. Bad wording on my part last night.
Coreen,
It's not odd that you wouldn't have noticed the red and yellow stripes. The male blackbird will often "hide his stripes." When he does show his colors, he's preening. There is only one creature for whom he cares whether or not it's visible, and that is the female blackbird of his choice...actually he's not that choosy, as long as some passing-by girl notices him. lol
going to be a looong winter. Just finished snow shoveling my driveway...one more to go.. bring it on; the daylight is getting longer now..so it's all down hill from here..today is my new years day.....
bring it on?? not don't bring it on...what am i saying HA.!
Carol, not ignoring your question, but will take a little more time answer.
What's important Solar is that you understand it. When you get in upstairs, just hold the door open for me.
And that "bring it on" didn't work out too well for George.
Since we have all these good cooks around, I think a poll is in order. I want to make something different for Christmas dinner.
Favorite unusual side dishes or desserts? The most I've come up with so far is cranberry muffins. Unusual around here because about the only bread item you can get in the south is biscuits.
Another gem from my favorite aunt (they're all my favorite). Those little devils say the darnedest things. lol
Angels as Explained by Children:
I only know the names of two angels: Hark and Harold.
--Gregory, 5
Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore. I forget why, but scientists are working on it.
--Olive, 9
It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to heaven, and then there's still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes.
--Matthew, 9
Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something else.
--Mitchell, 7
My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for science.
--Henry, 8
Angels don't eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows!!!
--Jack, 6
Angels talk all the way while they're flying you up to heaven. The main subject is where you went wrong before you got dead.
--Daniel, 9
When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten. And when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado.
--Reagan, 10
Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth, an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go north for the winter.
--Sara, 6
Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his Son, who's a very good carpenter.
--Jared, 8
All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go for it.
--Antonio, 9
My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on helping me while she was still down here on earth.
--Katelynn, 9
Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and pets. And if they don't make the animals get better, they help the child get over it.
--Vicki, 8
What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in love, they shoot arrows at them.
--Sarah, 7
I think all those kids have it right Ivy. Aren't they cute.
I think Solar and Don might agree that angels are all women and they are busy telling you where you went wrong all the way up to heaven. I can just hear them saying "Oh my God, it never stops".
Don, how about Rocky Mountain Oyster corn bread dressing? That would be unusual. I don't have a recipe for it. But I could make one up for you if you decide it might be what you want.
Very funny Carol.
We used to take my grandmother to a buffet in Loveland, CO. I remember when they put a new item on in the table, the RM oysters. My dad and brother both took them and my mother and i almost choked from trying to hold back the laughter until after they'd finished.
Angels can't be women, because angels are very good wrestlers.
Don, did you ever taste them?
No, though I have had sheep's testicles. The Turks loved ordering odd dishes for me to see the shocked look on my face. I actually liked them though.
Carol,
"What's important Solar is that you understand it. When you get in upstairs, just hold the door open for me. "
You can't follow me.!!!
Im going the other way; where it's good and hot. I get bored easily.
O what their joy and their glory must be, Those endless Sabbaths t he blessed ones see.
Jan, Como estas?
Hi folks, just checking in before I read all the comments.
I am much better this afternoon. I went to bed at 8 pm last night - did not feel like any TV. Was still coughing some this morning but as the day progressed I began to feel better. Those antibiotics I am taking are- Azithromycin - you take 2 to begin with and one each day for 4 more days - so this afternoon I had my 3rd one. I have coughed very little this afternoon and can breathe really well now. I used the medicine in the inhaler last night and this morning. I feel I am going to be ok now.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support.
John said a special prayer for me last night too.
I must change my statements about God that I made the other day. Right now I am feeling he or she is a personal God after all. I keep remembering the saying "there are no athiests in foxholes." I am certainly not an athiest, but occasionally wonder how personal God is. There is certainly some truth to the fact that I call on God more when during times of illness or stress.
Coreen, I love your little woodpecker in the first picture. We had one just like that in Little Rock just outside our bedroom window that was on the 2nd story. We enjoyed watching him so many mornings.
I see he is in your 1st & 2nd pic.s
Solar, I can now say "bien ahora"
Jan, one of the best therapies is looking forward to getting to do something really fun and your cruise is going to be fun. And we can give God credit too, just to cover all of our bases.
Ivy, I love the things the kids said about angels. I especially love this one - "My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on helping me while she was still down here on earth." Brought a little tear. That grandma must have her wings now.
"The Jays love to make lots of noise. We have year round Robins that don't eat seed but makes sure all the other birds play fair. They're like adult chaperones"
I love this blog - companionship and some interesting info I did not know before. I wills sure watch those robins more carefully.
Jan, one of the sad things about the English translation of the Old Testament is that your statement should read "I am feeling he and she is a personal God"
He was used for the masculine characteristics of God, and she for the nurturing.
It's interesting that it's often reported that when you follow God, you feel her spirit within you. Even David talked about this. But people who diligently pursue God come to a point where they lose this awareness. Maybe like training wheels that are removed, or on our way to more completely being created in his image?
Jan,
I've been seeing small flocks of robins all week. Also, I have some very mixed-up spring bulbs that are already poking their heads up through the dirt. They are in for a chilly surprise. lol
Chloe, Thank you so much for your concern. I understand completely - the docs here are doing fewer x-rays and scans - with all the new info out about the potential of their causing later cancers.
Carol we don't have anyone to take our place here either and I don't like to take off b/c I know the students will be shorted some experience. We do web-enhance our courses - so if I can post assignments on web if I have to miss a class - but you can't do that for clinical experiences.
I love all those old movies too.
There is an old movie I saw when I was very young and it took place in Europe. It was about a newlywed couple and she disappeared while they were honeymooning. I don't know who the actors were. I don't remember anything else about it. I have dreamed about that movie and would love to know the name of it. I think it must have been made in the 1930's or early 1940's. If anyone knows the name of it, let me know.
The only TV show for kids that I remember when I was a kid was "Howdy Doody" When you look at that name you have to wonder, "who thought of that name?"
Coreen, we had one of the 1st TV's in town (about 3,000 pop). We had a "picture" window in front and kids would gather outside the picture window to see the TV. I felt very uncomfortable with this and wished we didn't have a TV. I seldom watched it. My dad loved it.
I miss seeing cardinals. I don't think I have seen one in NM.
Jan,
It sounds like you've been struggling to feel better. I hope you are on the mend.
Here's a pome I just read for the first time in my little "Comfort Prayers" book.
The Angel Appears
"Sometimes the angel appears in the form of a
friend who says exactly the words we need to hear that day. Or you will unwillingly act as an angel to someone else, tossing off a message so casually that, though it saves another person's life, you hardly remember the moment at all."
Sophy Burnham
Growing up, one of my aunts lived in a neighborhood that was next to a drive-in movie. We could easily watch the screen from the swing set in the back yard. Of course, we could not hear a thing, but we still thought we were getting a free movie. lol
Jan,
I don't think the cardinals are in the west. A bird-watching friend from the east who moved out to Denver misses the cardinals most of all.
"For every man the world is as fresh as it was at the first day,
And as full of untold novelties for him who has the eyes to see them."
Author: Thomas Henry Huxley
Vvy, Thank you. A lovly pome and so very true.
I loved drive in movies when I was growing up. It was a great family outing. When I was a teenager, my dad would sometimes let my sister and me sit in the area that was in front of the concession stand.
What a lovely memory sitting with your aunt and watching the "free" movie. You could make up your own words.
I just had a less than fond memory of one of my trips to the drive in movie. One of my best friend's wanted to go out with her boyfriend to the drive in and her mom wouldn't let her go by herself so her boyfriend fixed me up with one of his friends. The guy's name was Elwood Grub and he was considerable less attractive than his name.
My friend and I were using sign language to communicate about the guy and it turned out he also knew sign language. What was the chance of that? We had learned sign language so we could talk in class without anyone knowing what we were saying.
To top the evening off I got drunk on some cherry flavored vodka and barfed in the poor guys car. The evening turned out to be a real blast.
Tonight I found one of the Thin Man movies online. I fell asleep watching it and woke up when the jail called about one of my inmates.
The Thin Man (1934)
Chloe,
Did you get your Christmas tree up? Is Emma enjoying the lights? I hope you get a picture of Emma and your tree. I look forward to all the decorations posted because I didn't put any up this year. If my son and d-i-l would have come, I would have decorated the place but I'm working on Christmas and here by myself so I skipped it this yr.
I might try to get a picture of Petey with his Christmas bandana on to post. I'm waiting for his beard to grow back. The groomer just about shaved his face.
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