It may seem like a tight space, Claire, but I think it's perfect. Pretty sure they do too. Glad they're back to share your space with you. A couple of weeks ago, I had to slow way down hundreds of feet away because there were hens with poults crossing a nearby road. Must have been 50 of them - largest flock I've ever seen. Bobcat is back at my neighbor's a 1/2 mile away; her backyard June-July squirrel population of 12 is down to 5. She witnessed the bobcat's successful hunt, but was kind of sorry she did.

Winter wrens, who live in the new birdhouse I erected on an outdoor umbrella stand, now help clean worms from various trees and shrubs. They have a bath, then preen outside my window.

Jane

A young titmouse plucked a tiny, rolled-up leaf off the cherry tree. Titmouses, wrens, chickadees have been faithful larvae gleaners on the birch, cherry, chokeberry, et al, during this relentless humidity. This little chap watched intently, perhaps for some worm movement inside the leaf, before he chose a very small one. I could see his intention strengthen from the pluck to landing on a branch just outside my window. His fervor over this leaf stoked expressions of high expectation - at least on my part. The result is what I've seen before.

Yuck

After watching PBS cooking shows for years, I keep hoping for Martha, Lidia, Jacques Pepin, somebody who tastes what they make just to tell the viewer how good it is - I await the day for one of those chefs to take a bite and wear a face like this titmouse.😂 Julia Child would have.

Jane

I'm imagining Julia Child unwrapping a leaf and biting into a caterpillar on television....

Claire

I was out in the yard this afternoon doing my usual refilling of the feeders, etc., and I was stopped by a young hen with at least one very small poult. The hen blocked my way, looking as if she was ready to protect her baby (or babies) from me but really really hoped she wouldn't have to. I said the usual reassuring things (it's OK, turkey, I won't hurt your babies) and threw some birdseed on the ground The relieved hen accepted the goodwill gesture and started eating.

I moved on and the poult(s) probably came back to her. I enjoy hearing the hens clucking to the youngsters to keep them organized.

This was a different family from the ones I saw yesterday (I think they were here earlier today),

All of this happened in spite of the noise from a Bobcat (machinery, not cat) operating up the street where a lot was just sold.

Claire

With luck, it will be just one house or building, Claire. For 70 years there was a horse farm up the street. The horses went late last year, the barn was razed this Spring, and now 28 houses are to be built on multiple cul de sacs with one entry onto our street on the 37 acre parcel - so I've heard. Nobody but the builder is thrilled. Meanwhile, due to the land clearing, maybe your turkeys will visit more frequently.

Here, it's the same daily visitors with their variations. Could be me, but I don't recall seeing a male ruby-throated with a gorget as high as a turtleneck. I guess they are, but this one just seemed to be higher. Shot quickly through a dirty garden window, so. . .

It's a popular place...

The kids have gotten used to feeding themselves, but now they are in the land of indecision.

Jane

That hummer's gorget does seem to be higher than usual. Maybe the gorget is evolving into a mask in case of an avian pandemic. I'd love to have a mask that looks like that.

The new construction will be a smallish residential home which should be in keeping with the neighborhood. The lot was bought by a local couple and the house shouldn't really impact the neighborhood too much.

There's a wildlife trail that runs through one side of that lot and is heavily used by turkeys. I don't know if the new construction will remove those trees, but the turkeys have many other options so they should still be able to travel freely.,

Claire

I have been awol due to a couple much enjoyed family visits and am just catching up. Interesting chat on the bunnies in PM2’s beds. I will be waiting to see if there is further news. It is difficult to let nature take its course, whether it is predation or deserted nests. And a thoughtful reflection on wildlife photography. I find that I am mostly unsuccessful and most often just enjoy watching them. I don’t have feeders or bird baths, and so rely on the garden itself and overall surrounding habitats to attract wildlife, and that often isn’t close enough for reasonable photos. There were two momma turkeys who hung out with a dozen or so poults for about 10 days, and though I saw them frequently and they left feathers where they were dusting in the paths of the veg garden, I didn’t get a single good photo of them, though I tried.

I had an interesting chat several days ago with a fellow doing waterfowl surveys on the river for the federal government - who knew that they did that. I only see waterfowl during migration, and the rest of the season it is either wading birds or flying fisherfolk like kingfishers, heron, osprey, and eagles.

Swimming in the river last week we saw three eagles and a heron, sandpipers and a kingfisher. And I am starting to see the early beginnings of the wave of migratory birds: a few warblers, gold finches, and some of the sparrows who don’t seem to nest here. They may not actually be traveling yet, but it seems that they have raised their nestlings and are now footloose and fancy free to fatten themselves in preparation for travel.

Like Claire I am hoping that there will be good rain soon; perhaps the coming tropical storm Isaias will set itself up to drop a good dose of rain without damage.

You have a great place for visiting family, NHBabs. So many things to do and see with the river and the land. I'm sure the family enjoyed the visits as much as you did.

I wonder if the fellow doing waterfowl surveys was funded at least in part by the Federal Duck Stamp program. According to Wikipedia:

"The Federal Duck Stamp, formally known as the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, is an adhesive stamp issued by the United States federal government that must be purchased prior to hunting for migratory waterfowl such as ducks and geese.[1] It is also used to gain entrance to National Wildlife Refuges that normally charge for admission.[1] It is widely seen as a collectable and a means to raise funds for wetland conservation, with 98% of the proceeds of each sale going to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. "

I have a collection of these stamps even though I wouldn't consider hunting birds.

I'm getting concerned about the track of Isaias which is going farther and farther west and the rain forecast is getting lower and lower. This morning they're saying around 50% chance of 0.4 inches of rain, and not all that windy either.

I was out this morning before breakfast watering the doublefile viburnums. It's unnerving to see a 9 foot tall viburnum suddenly wilting. It was OK yesterday - I watered a few days ago.

I'm eating breakfast now on the deck watching the viburnums recover and I'm not sure when lunch will happen.

Claire

It was a great place for family to come during this time to get a break in a spot that didn’t have health risks; they did the drive in one day each way. We spent a lot of time literally in the river staying cool as well as eating seafood and fresh garden produce, doing puzzles, and playing games. I got quite a bit of walking in early mornings with their dog which was lovely as well, and the dog learned to swim, something she hadn’t previously had a chance to do though she enjoys sprinklers and a wading pool at home.

I am finding myself considering watering ornamentals for the first time in years, though I have regularly watered the veggies. Nothing looks too dreadful yet but unless Isaias sends some our way, I may need to.

NHBabs, Our well is 75' deep and although it has not run dry in its 67 year existence, I am unwilling to spend water when, for so long, there was no rain in sight. The areas of this yard that were once never dry, are now hard from the drought. The little brook that ran along the back border and amply fed the back half of the yard, is now a memory. Yesterday, we got 2" of rain in about 90 minutes, but the doublefile viburnum, the persicaria polymorpha I planted in 1998, and the golden shadows dogwood have paid a dear price. When they were planted in 2018, the new evergreen border trees all had soaker hoses placed around them. The soaker hoses that once watered the aforementioned shrubs and plants, were destroyed by chipmunk chewing. I used to buy 6 hose repair kits at once, but got tired of repairing hoses as life presented me with more pressing challenges to manage. So, as a mostly retired gardener now, I hope that those old friends will live, and that tomorrow's storm will keep all the branches on the trees. Gusts of up 70mph are forecast, so soaker hoses may not have made any difference anyway. But, after that 2" of rain, they all are showing robustness where they weren't crispy. I crossed over the CT River today, and I've never seen so many sandbars revealed so far from the riverbank. Maybe 150-200 feet out from the bank in some areas. 😢

Memory is selective, but it's been the worse year in my recent memory for heat and dryness. They look better today...but not the brown parts, of course. I said next year I will plant silk plants - tired of losing so much - and CTLady asked if I was planning on silkworms, lol. Might as well!

~~~~

On a happier note, the male cardinals get all the oohs and ahhs, but she is darn pretty IMHO.

The bluish spots around her tail are cleome blossoms I had to shoot through.

Under the blue arrow is a nuthatch that literally danced his way around the heritage birch in search of protein. I watched him for 5 minutes or so and thought he could use a little deerstalker cap - he was so thorough!

The birch bark waves and rolls give all the little birds as much challenge as my neighbors seek with every 1000 piece puzzle they do. At least the birds get a full tummy. 😊

Jane

At least you're getting some rain, Jane. None here recently and the latest forecast says 0.17 inches of rain from Isaias.

We're in moderate drought now in Plymouth, MA:

I wish that the storm's calmer and wetter disposition would drift over all the dry areas of New England and bring much needed rain to everyone. Bless the farmers.

As whatshisname storm comes closer, the wind speed is increasing, so I went out to get the mail, which, of course, had not yet come. However, the female monarch was busy in the Streetside Meadow. That little meadow has the most concentrated patch of milkweed of any spot on our 2 mile long street. What could I do? Back into the house for the camera while thinking, this is what separates the digital nature nerds from the pack: That desire to share the experience and the impetus to get the camera. 95 pictures later, I have some shots that show fairly well that this gal was doing exactly what instinct tells her to do - lay eggs on milkweed.

Definitely female - no black dot on either side of her wings. Have you noticed that on whomever or whatever those dots or globes appear, trouble usually follows? Anyway, her wings show a little wear, so we know she wasn't born yesterday.

From the dogwood respite, off to the milkweed. That's an infinitesimally small caterpillar I've circled in blue. The white dots are eggs.

Keep in mind it was windy, so the shots are not clear.

Laying some on the milkweed seedpod as well. I should go back with another lens and see how well I can get those developing eggs.

It just started to rain, so I'll try on another day. I keep thinking about getting an electric scooter. No, it has nothing to do with butterflies.

Jane 🦋

I started wondering why butterflies are called butterflies and got a variable answer.

WHY ARE THEY CALLED BUTTERFLIES?

It's getting windy here with a tornado watch but nobody seems to believe we'll really get any tornadoes. Or much if any rain. Lots of acorns falling onto the deck.

Time to go feed the birds. At least it's cooler.

Claire

Interesting. I like etymology and word origins. Under a tornado warning.This is a very weird storm, lots of cleanup to do already...sigh. Power interrupts, but still on so far. Once we’re past 10pm, it should calm down. Skies are strange. Hope the butterfly is low and safe. Two hummers met at thr feeder, big wind gust came and they both dove down under the boxwoods.

It has been fairly quiet here with more wind than usual (I had to use a bunch of bamboo poles to prop up a large tomato plant that was acting as a sail and uprooting its oversized cage.). But we got less than 1/4” of rain by dark, and by then the storm was almost to the Canadian border. I don’t expect to lose power or even see much damage.

Well, the morning after a wild party seldom looks good. Glad I got the monarch egg-laying pictures before Isaias redesigned our yard. Hope some eggs survived the wind-whipped ride they took. The milkweed had been standing tall; now, not so much.

Got lucky, a 20' limb just missed the garage and landed in the driveway and out back, parts my favorite sugar maple are no longer watching clouds roll by.

Multiple neighbors lost whole trees. Last year, half an oak pierced my neighbor's roof straight into the living room, so it could have been worse. Chainsaw sonatas are now playing in the 'hood.

Jane

We got a minor amount of rain that went through pretty quickly without much fanfare or thunder. Oddly in the space of 20mins, just as the rain was starting, we had 4 planes fly low over our house. We could still see them through breaks in the cloud cover. There is a small airport about 20m from us, and it's a mystery why we had this influx of flights, which we don't normally have. Maybe they were redirected.

The rest of the evening, was wonderful. It was really blowing out there and we could watch the front Maple being whipped around, wondering if we were going to have any branches come down. We did have a large one come down off that tree in the spring. I didn't think the wind was that strong really, just a few gusts that were probably significant. I haven't noticed any downed trees or branches in the neighborhood.

Lots of leaves on the lawn and the Bronze Fennel went right over flat on the walkway. I haven't taken a tour yet, but that's all I noticed so far.

We were just enjoying the wind, with the windows open once the rain stopped. Great breeze coming in the house. Finally some relief from the humidity and we had lower temps. We shut off the a/c for the night and had the house fan on. It was great! But, sun came out this morning and the a/c is back on.

Our son, is trying to talk us into getting a generator. I always think, well, we can survive a black out in the winter for even a week or so, if we have to, but now I'm thinking, what if we get a power outage in the summer and have no air conditioning. Not sure we'd tolerate that so well. So maybe getting a generator is a great idea. Being more self sufficient seems to be on our minds more.

Update on the baby bunnies. Nothing. I have not seen any rabbits in the yard, since the day after it happened. Neither has DH. I am going to investigate where the nest is on the weekend and see what I can see, but so far, we've not seen anything at all. I'm starting to wonder if because the burrow was disturbed, the rabbits have decided our yard is not safe. Either that or the bunnies have left the nest?

We got rain! A local personal weather station reported 0.64 inches and that's consistent with my rain gauge. The wind was gusty but no major branches down that I've seen.

The whole house generator came on for a short while but then power was restored. I remember the nor'easter before we had the generator when we had no heat for 4 or 5 days and it got really really cold in the house, This was late fall or winter so unless you have a wood-burning fireplace, PM2, I would reconsider the winter need.

Claire

Claire, we do have a brick fireplace in the LR, but, we don't like to use it too often because it leaks a little bit of smoke into the room, enough to smell it a little but not see it. But we could certainly make do. I tried to think through an emergency after that storm where we were out of power for 5 days too. We ended up going to a local motel.

We have down comforters, sleeping bags, and normally I would use 'hot socks' to keep the beds warm, but you need a microwave for that. [g]. So I bought hot water bottles. And we have a gas grill outside with a burner that we thought we cold heat water on and cook. Or we did. It had deteriorated and we don't have it any more.

So, yes, time to think of getting a generator. Do you have to install a generator outdoors?

Jane, sorry to see you have some clean up there. Glad it wasn't worse. LOVE your Monarch photos. We haven't seen a single one since May when I think I saw one, twice and that was that. All I have seen in the garden are those white cabbage butterflies.

PM2 - thanks. I'm lucky, I have a chap who will come this afternoon to clean the yard and haul the brush away. A chronic left arm and hand situation prohibits me from doing all that I used to do, so I am fortunate to have a good fellow to call. My days of wielding a chainsaw have ended.

I found this -unwanted-to-me - bug plowing through the milkweed this morning. I think it is named 'soldier bug' - assume it is in reference to the shield mark.

Seems the monarchs have many enemies these days. Monarch enemies

I'll be away from houzz for a little while, stay well.

Jane

PM2: I'm no expert but I believe a whole house generator needs to be placed outdoors and needs to have a fuel source, propane or natural gas, nearby. There are, of course, all sorts of rules about vegetation, etc. that are best answered by an expert installer.

Claire

Yes, I think that's part of the reason it went to the bottom of my list, Claire. Thanks. :-)

Jane, Thanks for that link. I'll have to keep my eye out for Monarch enemies. Maybe I have something in the yard that is keeping them from thriving here. I do have a lot of milkweed.

We have some tree branches rubbing against the roof of the garage that we were going to try to take care of ourselves last weekend, and got up the top of the ladder and decided, maybe it was time to call a professional. [g]. So, you are not alone at getting to that point. [g]. We never use a chain saw. One of our son's loves to use one, but we hate to see him with one in his hands. He bought us an electric saw, that we do use. It is much easier to use, but, it really vibrates your hand. It's great for quick jobs that are beyond the lopers and the hand pruners.

Hope you will be away from Houzz, doing something good, Jane. Stay out of trouble! ;-)

I've mentioned that I feed a neighborhood cat on my deck and that I also feed a raccoon out in the yard. Well, the storm yesterday brought them together.

I've suspected that the raccoon eats the leftover dry cat food on the deck in the evening when the cat is gone. I have no problem with that - it's not wasted.

Yesterday when it had started raining I looked out and saw a wet raccoon walking across the deck over to the cat food dish. The cat was still there but in a dry area under the overhang. The cat charged over to the dish, spitting and yelling as cats do.

I grabbed the camera and stepped out onto the deck. They both ignored me.

The raccoon was under a partially collapsed chair eating the dry food and the cat was glaring at it with ears back and fur fluffed up. I was ready to break up a fight but I didn't really expect one and it didn't happen. (Another time I saw the raccoon start to come up the porch steps and the cat just lay there looking superior. The raccoon saw me watching that time and left.)

The raccoon left when most of the food was eaten and the cat relaxed while I gave it more food as a consolation prize.

Claire

Those animals must be hungry and dependent on you Claire! Great photo. Glad that civility got the upper hand. [g]

Glad to know that no one had extensive damage.

I am a fan of having a backup generator. I have a propane tank anyway for cooking and heat, and knowing that the generator is there gives me peace of mind. I would do fine in the summer, and made sure I bought a stove with burners that can be lighted by match without power, but winter heat, even with a wood stove and fireplace just isn’t reasonable here in winter. Mine is about 15’ from the house behind a large lilac bush, and comes on for a short time each week as a test so I know it is working.

Another reason to have a backup generator: Sure, a motel is a great answer to the cold in the winter, and my brother and his wife decided to go to a motel. Unfortunately, they waited too long to get a reservation and all of the local motels were filled up so they were stuck in the cold house.

Even though we haven't really needed the generator yet, this is forecast to be a very active hurricane season. Just for the peace of mind it's worth it for me.

Ours also comes on each week as a test and I heard it this morning.

Claire

Good shot of the catbird. I enjoy catbirds and their sounds. I don't think I have any more berries in the yard. Just the Aronia that is not usually eaten until late winter. I haven't been getting much berrying. I've gradually had to get rid of my Viburnums because they all end up with pest problems and then foliage problems. I have a gray dogwood that was consistently getting small white berries the birds eat, but a neighbor's tree has grown up large enough to shade it more every year. I bought two Elderberries and this year they did fruit, but, very spotty berry production. I wonder if that is due to not enough bees? One flower head would have less than half the head develop into berries. I have Arctostapylos as a ground cover, and sometimes I see red berries on it, but they are hidden under the leaves. I never see birds interested in it, so I'm not sure about that one. It's that time of year again, when I suddenly see an exodus of birds from the yard. I had a ton of robins all season but I saw one all day yesterday and I heard one cardinal and that was it.

I see I have a wilting Hydrangea this morning and I'm going to have to start the sprinklers again.

Found a hot hawk and a cool hummingbird outside my window. I'm guessing it is an immature Cooper's hawk, BUT, 😂 we all know how good I am at hawk ID.

Looks like soft tissue still around his beak, but maybe that's its color? He left before I could ask.

It was the sun's light casting that warm glow on the hummer in the cherry tree.

Jane

Nice pictures, Jane! I'm guessing Red-shouldered Hawk based on the shortish tail and the black and white checkered wings and the lack of a cap on its head.

Lovely feather detail on the hummer - it's sad to think think that they'll only be around another month before they start heading south.

Claire

RS hawk sounds good. So glad my reputation is still in tact. hahahahahaha🐥

At least from our yard, it is only at a few minutes on a sunny dawn and dusk that you can see a universe through the maple trees.

It's mobile and I'm sure there were critters in the tree. 😊 Another hot week coming up, but I have 4 new books 📚, ice cream and a spoon. One lucky 🦆. Hope all of you are, too.

Jane

We get to see the universe filtered through the trees, but the trees get a much better view of the night sky. At least the taller ones do.

Ice cream sounds good. For a few days I actually closed the windows at night because it was chilly (for August).

Still no rain since that one day. Now they say the best chance for 1/4 inch is on next Thursday.

Claire, imagining having to eat ice cream with a fork

Yesterday in the early evening I glanced out at the hummer feeder and saw a catbird there, apparently sipping the nectar.

The catbird soon left and a chickadee stopped by. Chickadees can't stand to be left out of any action.

After the chickadee left a hummer quickly visited and calmly sipped nectar. The hummer may have been watching from the nearby vegetation but probably decided the other birds were too big to be chased off.

I'm used to seeing orioles on the hummingbird feeder but this is the first time I've seen a catbird.

Claire

Outside my window. . .

Female RB Grosbeak. I always say Mr. Grosbeak, or Mrs. Grosbeak. This one is Dr. Grosbeak. 😊

She has surgical precision in the honeysuckle.

The end of the watermelon was enjoyed by Catbird

So much so, it put a spring in his step.

And, while doing dishes this morning, a new visitor to the bird bath. He/she has been caught on the trail cam before. First time I've seen him close to the house. Boy, was he thirsty! Stayed for a few minutes.

He/she is somebody's baby, but is most welcome here. 😊

Jane

Pretty grosbeak, Jane. I never thought of giving watermelon to the catbirds, and I usually don't have that much left to spare.

Heat is really hard on cats. I have a bowl of water on the deck for the barn cat, which is currently lying belly -up in the shade under some houseplants. I know how he feels..

Claire

Heaven help you both. Is the bay sending any relief? Totally OT here, 'cept for the frog, but under clouds right now, this is the temp outside my window: Dew point just under 70. I would not be alive if I didn't have A/C. I faint, really, lol.

The extreme heat and humidity this summer has forced my mindset to project an early COOL Autumn. (mindset) As many times as I traveled into NYC on business and for pleasure, I have never been in Central Park. Been to the edge, outside the Plaza where I always felt sorry for the horses. So, to help with that outside temp today, I put Central Park in Autumn on my desktop, lol.

Central Park by Rita Hiotis I like parks - very uncrowded, well structured, no circus stuff, parks. Private park, I guess, hahaha.😊

Mid-80's here and I'm hearing thunder, but the thunderstorm may just miss us and they're talking 0.01 inch even if we get it.

I worked in Central Park for many years when I worked for the Parks Department. I would sometimes look around me and think "and they're paying me for this?". A very nice place and when you live in NYC you're used to crowds. I would sometimes meet people I know who wanted to chat and I would have to say "sorry, I'm working".

Rain drops! Not a deluge, but maybe it will knock the temperature down. I just put the umbrella back up to keep the rain off me and my computer (and the cat).

The rain is slowing down and the sun is partly out so it's probably ending but it sure was nice.

Claire

This was one of those storms where, by the time you get the windows closed, the rain stops and you have to immediately open them again. It's over, blue skies and sun - local weather station says 0.07 inches.

Claire

Oh, dear. Like many others, I long for peaceful rainy days. Sorry you didn’t get more. After so many fizzled forecasts, I no longer have expectations, but rather, wait until I can see accumulated rain in the gauge. No sense in perpetuating disappointment. Like the old adage, ”Don’t tell me what you are going to do, show me what you have done”.☔️

Jane

Outside my window this morning, the summer visitor was again very, very thirsty. Looks like a Bengal to me. He also looked like he'd been up all night - practically falling asleep in the bird bath. Hope he's not diabetic - drank a LOT of water.

Cat out back, while the chipmunks sat on the front porch.

Jane

Pretty thing. Looks like your birdbath is a standard stop for a bar-hopping cat on its way home after a night out.

Claire

This morning there was a raven on a branch overhead, and like Jane’s young hawk (and me), it was panting. I for one am ready for cooler weather. it has been so very hot and dry for so long, and my garden is quite neglected since I only want to be outside very early or around dusk. The Merrimack, my backyard river, feels like bath water.

A raven! I've always wanted to have ravens here - such fascinating birds with great personalities. I remember reading about one raven that flew upside down next to a plane for a good length of time, probably giggling the whole time.

It cooled down a bit today and tomorrow should be cooler and nights are forecast to be in mid to upper 60's for a while. August has turned the corner here and I hope it will continue. Still dry though - we're in moderate drought.

This has been a very rough summer here and even worse for a lot of New England.

Claire

Just wrote a post - no idea where it went. One more time...I think I'll put the trail cam in the car to see if it catches photos of mice because outside, it's only catching tails.

Oops, this thread is getting long and slow to load for some so I'll post a new one ASAP.

I'll let Jane's photos be the tail end of this one (of course you can always continue the discussion here, but please post new material on the new thread).

Thanks,

Claire

Birds and other mobile features in the garden 2020 #5

I hope you appreciate all the one liner opportunities I give you🐹🐭🐰😂.

Hee, hee, hee....

Claire