Birds of Oregon | Build Me a Dream

Time to Redefine our Lives in Oregon

Archive for the ‘Birds of Oregon’ Category

Welcome our Guests!!

Have you ever been to Canada? I have, once, as a child. I remember beautiful gardens, driving go-carts, the fairy from Vancouver to Victoria, and everything seemed very clean. In contrast, our current Canadian guests, Fred and Ethel, are really quite nonchalant about their housekeeping. Please welcome the most recent guests to the farm……. <turn up the volume>

This was the first day of Fred and Ethel’s visit, so I didn’t want to spook them by getting too close. We’ve had a myriad of ducks on Gloria’s Pond, and have hoped for geese….now I’m kind of wondering, “Why??” These beautiful pond ornaments are messy, messy, messy!! I wouldn’t mind so much if they stayed in the front pasture / pond area, but they are branching out. There is evidence….evidence that is undeniable (I will spare you the messy visual – LOL.) I’m glad we can accommodate Fred and Ethel’s desire to explore the farm…

….here they are behind the house enjoying the view. The adventure of their day came at the point that Penni caught sight of them…….honking loudly, off they flew….toward the hills, around the trees, over my neighbors barn, and back to the…..

…solace of the pond. I told our guests that their accommodations were on the pond side of the fencing….we had an extensive conversation regarding their reservations. I was convinced that they understood….

….obviously, Fred and Ethel…follow their own rules!! Despite their rebel nature, I really love our new guests, and hope they stay awhile. Might we have a gaggle of goslings this spring….I sure hope so!!! In the meantime, I don’t mind the extra housekeeping…..but I do expect some sort of reimbursement for those services provided. A few tiny swimmers would be much appreciated, but I will accept a couple of their beautiful feathers in consolation. Fred, Ethel…..get busy!!!

I other news…. Ever wonder why it’s so hard to get rid of those nasty thistle weeds…..take a look at that humongo root. We still have a week of winter, right?? Why are these already threatening to take over the garden??!! UGHH!!

In true form…my girl, Claudio, stayed with me throughout my dig-out-the-thistles afternoon catching any bug or worm that were turned out. Claudio and I have a special relationship….she knows when I have shovel in hand, goodies follow….smart girl!!

Thank you for visiting the farm today. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday.

Your friend from Oregon,

Tami – P.S. Don’t forget the green on Tuesday!!

Category:

Birds of Oregon, Birds of the Pacific Northwest, Canada, Canadian Geese, Fred and Ethel

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An Incredible Find

Have you ever seen the artistry in the routine? Birds nest….an incredible, yet routine event in their lives…

The Muppets hatching.

Chickens do not really build a nest, they find a cozy, quiet spot. Many of the flock will then lay their eggs in that same location, resulting in this…

Six nesting boxes….this one was the hot spot today!!

….that was all from one morning. Where is the artistry in a nesting box full of eggs? If you look closely, each egg is very different…size, shape, color, decorative “freckles”…they are each very unique….

That’s one big egg!!!

That being said, I think the true artists reveal themselves every spring with the creation of an incredible piece of workmanship. The structure is amazing, and the question that usually arises in me every time I, happily, encounter one of these delicate yet strong, masterpieces of construction is …. “How did the bird build this without the use of hands?” You will not believe the incredibly gorgeous piece of true art that I am so blessed to have come upon while hiking with my Great Dane, Penni.

It must have blown out from the trees this past week…. are you ready…..

Look at this closely…

So completely incredible…

Look at this closely…imagine the time it took to build. The supplies used were ingenious…feathers from the chickens supply softness, hair from the mane or tail of our neighbor’s horses provide structure, and a little peacock feather for a splash of color….completely, insanely gorgeous!!!

By the size of it, my guess is a hummingbird nest. Truly amazing…

I feel like it is truly a privilege to have found this little beauty, and I’m so happy to be able to share it with you!!

Thank you for taking a walk with me this morning, I hope this little gem of the forest will help to make your day just a bit more special.

Your friend from Oregon,
Tami

Category:

Autumn, Birds of Oregon, Birds of the Pacific Northwest, Buff Orphington / Rhode Island Red Mix, Buff Orpington, building a new home, Chicken Eggs, Chicken House, Chickens, Great Dane, Hiking in Oregon, Homesteading, Humming Bird Nest, moving to Oregon, Nesting Boxes, Penni the Great Dane

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The Cool of the Morning

In the cool of the morning life again starts,
In the cool of the morning nature becomes art,
In the cool of the morning something departs,
The cool of this morning has broken my heart.
by Tami

It started as a normal summer day. By 6:30 a.m. the first of my morning chores were completed…the chicken house was opened and cleaned for the morning’s egg-laying activities…

No more rooms at the Inn!!

….Benedict and the hens were out to free range for the day, as the patriarch of the flock danced and strutted to remind the ladies of his presence…chicken feed was scattered about to supplement their free ranging…the dogs were fed…and so on, and so on. Finally, it was time to sit with a cup of coffee before starting out for the rest of the morning chores.

As I was pouring my cup, WHAM!!! A loud, familiar, yet more striking, noise came from the windows facing northwest. The man who really tames this forest, looked out and confirmed a bird had flown into the solid illusion of open space. It was laying on a cushion from our patio swing. Any bird that flies into the window is an urgent concern to me. Given time, and the safety of a secluded environment, most get over the confusion of what is probably a massive headache, and are able to be released back to their avian lives. Unfortunately, this beauty was laying on its back, feet curled….lifeless.

As suspected, it was a big bird. Normally the beauties hitting the windows are more like finch size…this one was dramatically larger…and so beautiful!!

A beautiful, beautiful tragedy!

How gorgeous is this!

God is quite an AMAZING artist!!!

She was called a Flicker. She was an ant eating woodpecker. She was a welcomed friend that I would frequently see, and hear on our trees. I marveled at her beauty from afar, and am totally amazed at her stunning beauty at close examination. I will miss seeing my friend in the mornings, and the early evenings. I will miss the familiar knocking that causes me to look up and seek a glimpse of her. I hope she doesn’t have young ones in a nest somewhere waiting on her return, it is later in the season so hopefully her young have left the nest.

Photo by Dennis Paulsen, posted on Slater Museum of Natural History website.

If you want to read more about her, check out this website… http://slatermuseum.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-ant-eating-woodpecker.html

Goodbye my friend!!

Thank you for sharing my morning!

Your friend from Oregon,
Tami
****UPDATE***** I realize I left you all with the sadness of the morning…let me add a little encouragement with some light-heartedness…how about the newness of life beginning with this cute little critter….