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Mom was a farm girl whose mother died when she was six, it was 1936 and Grandpa had two boys, two girls, and was laid-off from his factory job for mom's entire life. (He once went to jail for six weeks in the winter -- for bootleg bathtub gin -- so the kids would be provided food.)
He put the boys to work in the woods and the fields, hunting or plowing, depending on the time of year. Mom got kitchen duty, while Aunt worked in the barn.
In our childhood, cousins would bring up squirrels or rabbits from the woods, fish or snapper from the river, and Mom would skin, gut, and clean it for the day's dinner. Failing game, she'd head out to the chicken coup.
"Eeeeuuuuu, Mom, GROSS!"
"Shut up and be glad I'm not making you do this!"
It took years before sister realized her rabbits didn't really run away and get married....
Short of skunk, cats, dogs, hamsters/gerbils, I think we've seen it all.
My request for a nature forum was turned down, was told to post in science....but no one posts bird, animal, rock, tree, etc posts there! Today I saw a Yellow-billed cuckoo...brown w/long tail that has tear-shaped white spots...very secretive bird, I was happy to see one. And: pair of Downy woodpeckers and 2 juvenile Red-bellied woodpeckers cavorting in the trees. Dragonflies galore.......lots of yellow-orange-red blooming lantana in my area now. What have you observed recently about our natural world? gbh
My husband and I use to feed the birds but we also ended up with a host of other critters..rabbits, squirrels and even deer. We have a dog who is penned in pretty good in the side yard has an area of about 60 yds long, maybe 50 yds wide she plays in. The rabbits were coming into this penned in area and she is a pit bull terrier and love to chase. It bothered me she would chase the baby rabbits..and squirrels. We also had mockingbirds who would show up and torment her..they are sooooo mean! Who would have thunk it! I thought Bluejays held the market on mean-ness, not so. Anyhow, we ended up with so many different "critters" we had to stop feeding the birds for a time. I have felt kinda bad about it but did it to protect them. Last wk, I see this itty bitty yellow bird with black markings..looked like a canary that had gotten loose except smaller. I see it fly into our bird house in the front and then realize that a family has moved into this house. They are absolutely adorable and I understand they are called yellow finches. I would like to put the bird feeder back into comission but am worried about the other critters and how they will or will not get along with Ms. Pit Bull.
I would like to put the bird feeder back into comission but am worried about the other critters and how they will or will not get along with Ms. Pit Bull.
No worries, Pammy. There is another solution. Birds are able to find a better diet without help. Too often the seed we buy (unknowingly) is old, and not as nutritious as their natural fare. Goldfinches eat thistle seeds, birch seeds, alder seeds, and sunflower seeds. I don't know where you live, but if they've decided to stop there for awhile, or stay, it's because they've already found a food source nearby.
Just enjoy them, and if you garden you can always make room in your yard for some thistle, sunflowers, and grow a birch or alder!
I miss the cardinals and bluejays of the eastern states. Being a native of lower MI, they are happy memories for me, but we don't have them here in the PNW. While we traveled, I grew to love the Nightingales, too.
I miss the cardinals and bluejays of the eastern states. Being a native of lower MI, they are happy memories for me, but we don't have them here in the PNW. While we traveled, I grew to love the Nightingales, too.
Thanks for such a nice start, Tin Man.
Morning, D Kitty!
It is still morning in your neck of the woods but about lunch time! Maybe one day a bird will sit still long enough for me to take a pic. There was a little roundish fellow clinging to the lanai screen one day singing a sweet song. I quietly and slowly moved closer but it zipped away.
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