Life is good in the North Country

[John_M]

There are no photos because I do not have a digital camera. However, I hope the topic is appropriate in this forum.

Spring is coming quickly to upstate New York. Here is what I saw yesterday: My first two bluebirds of the spring; about 50 turkeys wandering through my blueberry plants and six of the toms were in full display-magnificent; this morning, twelve white tail deer entered my blueberry patch and only ten came out. I was watching the whole time and I do not know where the other two went (I know what some of you are thinking, but I no longer hunt); robins have been around for quite a while; crows are picking up grasses for nesting. The Canadian geese arrived this morning and as usual, one pair wants my pond, the brook and all surrounding waters for their own. They made a heck of a ruckus chasing off any and all others that also wanted the open water. They manage to get this whole territory thing figured out each year and within a week or so all should return to normal. I wonder if the dominant pair is the same one that has been raising a clutch of goslings here for the last 4 years; Snapping turtles are now seen wandering around looking for a little more excitement in their watery lives. Will see my first woodchuck in the next couple of days. I hope they stay in the hedgerows. Rabbits and pheasants have been around all winter and the rabbits seem to have really gotten into the hurry-up-and-mate activities. Two of them have been chasing each other all morning and I am not able to tell which gender is the chaser and which is the chasee (new word). If I had to guess, I would guess the female is the chaser (Oh boy, am I going to get beat up now).

This week I will make a couple of houses for bluebirds and screech owls, hoping I can encourage them to stay for a while.

In about 6 weeks the black flies (flying teeth) arrive and hang around for about three weeks. I wish I could do something to shorten their stay.

Back in January we in the north country knew this day would arrive someday. It is now here.

Best Wishes,

John_M

 

[PapaDave]

Not much in the way of normal springtime wildlife sightings, but the temps are FINALLY starting to stay in the 30's during the day! WOOHOO!
Forecast through the next 9-10 days is for at least 30 degrees, so the snow should start receding. Then the mud starts. Then come the skeeters. Dang, this is starting to take a turn for the worse. Guess I'll grab another cup 'o coffee and chill (no pun).
I did see 5 deer in my property across the road a few days ago, but I see tracks all winter. The gaggle (is that the right term?) of turkeys we have should be strolling through any old time now. Lady down the road feeds 'em, so they stay down there most of the time.
Dave

 

[ashpanannie]

The robins are back! Now normally robins are delightful birds with beautiful singing voices that I've always enjoyed. This year, a demented robin showed up, and he spends ALL DAY attacking my car's side mirrors and crapping volumes down the doors. I don't understand how he has not killed himself with this tireless exertion as of yet, or how my curses have not slain him. I've had to tie white plastic bags on my mirrors every time I park, but even so he is now starting to attack himself in the reflective glass on the back window and crapping there. *sigh*

 

[John_M]

Annie, Yesterday I counted 21 robins and about 2 dozen starlings in one part of my large front yard. The robins are all welcome here (except those that poop on cars) but the starlings are a pain in the butt. They poop on everything, chase away other birds and eat everything in sight. I have no idea what purpose they serve in the balance of nature.

Hopefully, your robin will eventually bang some sense into his head and stop sttacking the mirrors and glass. I can imagine the mess he is making. The bird is probably a male thinking he is chasing off another male in his teritory.

Some males of most species sometimed so things which baffle us.

Best Wishes,

John_M

 

[savageactor7]

Been seeing tons of Robins around here, also geese and ducks are seen here and there laying up. Ponds are still frozen so no turtles on the move...if I see any snappers I'll dispatch 'em seeing as they take our baby ducks. We started feeding birds in early Feb so their has be a big variety of birds around here. btw we're still burning too.

 

[Tarmsolo60]

It's 3 degrees here and have not seen a robin yet, I'm in the North Country. Where the heck are you?

 

[PapaDave]

Annie, I feel your pain!
We've had a female Cardinal doing that to one of our stove room windows for almost 2 weeks. Nothing very interesting in there (except the stove), so the thought with us is also that she is fending off an intruder into her perceived domain. Her mate is sometimes with her, but seems to have no interest in what she's doing to our window. She's here every morning.
Stalker.

Dave

 

[billb3]

Sounds great.

No bluebirds here. (too close to the ocean ? )
Robins came in a flock about three weeks ago, they seem to have spread out / paired up.
Red wing blackbirds showed up about the same time. From all the territorial singing it sounds like we have a male every acre or so. Chip-burr to you to.

Our turkeys walk thier dogs up and down the street.

You can have the deer.
They've destroyed my yews, arborvataes and cedars. They should be back in a couple weks to munch on all the wild day lillies and ground covers, soon.
I figure loss of habitat makes them brave (hungry).

 

[potter]

Starling in my chimney this weekend. Luckily he flew staight out the basement door without harming himself.
Lots of robins for the last week.

 

[John_M]

Tarmsolo, You are in the real north country. I am at 1450 ft elevation just south of Route 20. All of our snow has gone but temps are still in the low teens at night.

Savageactor, With two ponds and a brook in my backyard I see lots of snappers and painted turtles when I am mowing in that area. Saw a very large snapper (18" or so) last year with a head bigger than my fist (size 11). I got off the mower and walked up to him to get a closer look and he was not a happy camper. He opened his mouth and hissed like the devil. If he wanted, I am certain he could do very severe damage to certain body parts if he didn't like somebody swimming in his pond. I leave the snappers alone because I have not seen any damage to the ducks and geese that raise their offspring around that water.

Gorgeous cardinals and blue jays have been around all winter. Blue birds and red winged blackbirds showed up together about 3 days ago. There must be hundreds of red winged blackbird nests down in the waters behind my house. Their songs never stop during the day. Havn't heard the bull frogs yet. There is one down there with a voice so deep he must weigh 40 lbs. All the smaller bull frogs will be sounding off as they do and suddenly this monster will let out a sound which totally quiets them for about 20 seconds. He must be a monster.

BillB3, I have mixed emotions about the deer. I like to see them around, and we certainly have a lot in this area, but as you say, they can very destructive to bushes, small trees, vegetables and flowers we like. I leave them alone but am quite happy when hunters take 15 or 20 each fall.

Best wishes to all,

John_M

 

[North of 60]

I sense a little SPRING FEVER here everybody. Thats a healthy thing. Enjoy all the new smells and sounds it will have to offer, lots of stages to come. Yehaaa is right. We have been swinging temps from -20c @ night to above freezing in the afternoons.
First person to say they will miss burning or bring on winter will be shot... :coolgrin: Happy spring everybody, whenever it may come for you. The birds are even starting to get frisky here.

 

[jadm]

Annie-Sorry about the mess on your car....I am currently being startled awake by a flicker that pounds on the gutter pipe right outside our bedroom window. Apparently the flicker who makes the most noise attracts the mate....How on earth they found out about the racket that could be made with gutters is beyond me. Pretty smart if you ask me. I will be glad when he finds a mate and my mornings filled with the normal chirpings of the song birds we have around here in the summers.

Along with learning that flickers make noise to attract mates I was told that the return of robins in the spring coincides with the migratory pattern of earthworms! First of all I never knew earthworms migrated but they do. When temps. begin to drop so do they - dig deeper into the ground. As things warm up they head on back up towards the surface and the unlucky ones venture too close to the surface where the newly arrived robins snarf them up. The lucky ones hang out and do good things to the soil which helps our gardens grow. Yeah Nature

 

[flyingcow]

no pics either, but the snow is going, mud's a coming. Can still snowmobile if you know where to go. But this warm rain this weekend should take care of that.Been above freezing a few nights lately. 50 has been the high 1 day, nice, feels like summer. BUT am enjoying 1 fire a day, and no refill. Started my system up mid Jan, and couldn't believe how much wood I was going thru. Feel better now. Spring is here!