A nuthatch visits for the first time!

Solitary Sandpiper

The only fella I ran across on our hike that wasn't a coot or a goose. His head bobbing provided much entertainment!

Some days you're the windshield, Some days you're the bug

I don't quite know what's up these days. The birds have all but disappeared from my yard...seems early. The weather is gorgeous dry, warm and sunny...you couldn't ask for a nicer start to October. So why do I feel like things are not quite right in the universe these days?

All summer I felt like the windshield...as life's complications and challenges came flying at me I deflected them, absorbed the splats and kept pushing forward. Lately as the colours have changed I've started to feel a little more like the bug each day...not a feeling I want to hold onto.

Could it be that I've become an outdoor activity junky? Running, Hiking, Biking, walking have all become such a standard part of my day...sitting still gives me the figits.

This past weekend I ended up going to our local wetland preserve and hike the outer dike trails...hoping beyond hope that there would be some sort of interesting waterfowl for me to photograph.

Alas it was a bust...with the exception being random handfuls of Geese, Coots and mallards. I could have stayed home and seen that in our development's lake...but then I wouldn't have been able to spend 3.5 hours hiking through back country trails.

That sounds more interesting than it really is...it was basically like hiking through random farmer fields full of holes that must have been home to some small human.

Add to that the dodging of copious piles of horse poop and you have a very foot placement conscious hike...I swear I spent more time looking at where my feet were going than at the marshes.

Not a bad experience though...I can cross it off my list of thing I was to do this summer.

I need a new list!

Juncos Return

That's it...the final sign I've been looking for. The starlings have their spots, the house sparrows are decimating every feeding station I own. The Junco's have returned.

Tennesse Warbler

Bluejay love

There's something wonderful about watching bluejays in love...or at least that's how I see it. I spend a good amount of time watching these guys...they're here all the time.

The other day I happened to notice that there were two of them sitting side by side in the maple tree. They were actually feeding each other! One would crack the peanut open and then pull out part of a nut and pass it to the other one.

It was sweet...They just seemed so cozy and cute...I did take a few pictures through the glass, but the site was one to precious to not be enjoyed rather than documented.

The picture to the left was one that I took just as the Magpie came in to check out the peanut feeders...it didn't disturb them for more than a moment. They then returned to grooming, preening and canoodling for at least another 5 minutes.

I'm obsessed with these guys right now...I'm sure it has something to do with the copious amounts of colour in the yard right now that sets a perfect backdrop for them. Something that was sorely missed last year.


We had a surprise thanksgiving snowfall last year before the leaves could turn red...the leaves just kinda curled up and dropped.

It's just crazy that summers over and Winter's on it's way. Just this past weekend I ran my second 1/2 marathon...I hit a new personal best time. How long before the snow arrives?

A random flyby