Thursday, January 31, 2013

Looking Back

It's nothing but dull grey skies around here these days.
So I'm digging into the archives.
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From September 2012, Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
 
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Monday, January 21, 2013

What's That?!

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Yep, it's a Downy!!!
 
I've been waiting all winter for one of these little guys to show up. The other evening just before sunset, I glanced out the bedroom window, and there he was!

He hopped off the feeder as soon as he heard the camera click,

then made his way up the tree, and flew off.
It was about a 30 second glimpse, but I was thrilled.


 
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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Stoney Braveheart

It's winter in Canada. Below freezing temperatures + snow = hungry critters.
 
This little guy is just one of the 15 or more squirrels that come to the feeders in our backyard. He's the only grey one, all the others are black squirrels. Black squirrels are faster, fitter, fiercely territorial and more aggressive, beating greys to food and mates.  
 
I have a soft spot for Stoney, he's the underdog  squirrel. I am always thrilled when I catch a glimpse of him. I just love the little tufts of reddish orange fur on his ears.
 
 
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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Which Way Is Up

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Red-breasted Nuthatches are blue-gray birds with strongly patterned heads: a black cap and stripe through the eye broken up by a white stripe over the eye. The underparts are rich rusty-cinnamon, paler in females.

Nuthatches move quickly over trunks and branches probing for food in crevices and under flakes of bark. They creep up, down, and sideways without regard for which way is up, and they don’t lean against their tail the way woodpeckers do. Flight is short and bouncy.
 
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Monday, January 14, 2013

A New Kid On The Block

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For the past couple of weeks, the backyard has been overrun with Black squirrels, which are quite rare. Black Squirrels number only 1 in 10,000 squirrels found throughout North America. Black squirrels are found in abundance here in Ontario Canada.
Black and grey squirrels are the same species and can interbreed. A mutation in the gene that governs coat pigmentation is responsible for the black colouring. The testosterone-fuelled black squirrels are faster, fitter, fiercely territorial and more aggressive, beating greys to food and mates.

I hope the new kid on the block has access to that last bit of information!!!
 
I guess he heard about the fabulous feeding stations here in our yard via the grapevine...

 
 and he's moving in!
Good luck!
 
and yes...I did name him...Stoney Braveheart
 
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Monday, January 7, 2013

Stasher and Stealer

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A busy morning in the yard
 Stasher Sid can never find where he buried his peanuts
 
He should follow the example set by Sam Stealer
Can't find your peanuts? Raid the bird's peanut tube!
 
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Saturday, January 5, 2013

Chubby Fluffo

 
This is Chubby Fluffo, one of the many squirrels that hang out in our backyard.
Ya...I do name them all!
 
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Friday, January 4, 2013

In Or Out

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I was outside on the deck at the cottage,
when I snapped a pic of Merfy (who is inside) through the window.
 
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