It is currently doing the freezing rain thing. At least the several inches of snow didn’t stick to the trees, so the weight shouldn’t be too bad. But we are back to a white and grey landscape.
The distraction factor comes from several very disgruntled chickadees which are hanging out on the west porch, right out side my window. One of them just came and perched on a chair arm and gave me quite the look. They are clearly of the opinion that this oughtn’t to be happening. The cardinals are also of like opinion. The male cardinals have been quite busy chasing each other and any passing female. Several inches of snow topped with ice was clearly not in their plans. I suspect that the chickadee in question is the same one that was determinedly investigating the porch and house for any likely nesting holes a few days ago. Granted, this is less of a distraction than last year’s woodpecker, he attempted to enlarge a hole in a post right outside the window.*
….I now have three cardinals, two juncos, a titmouse, and several chickadees in the quince and forsythia bushes below the porch. Every year I think about getting rid of those forsythia, (they bloom for a week or two and then I spend the summer trying to keep them in control and below the porch railing)*, and every winter the birds remind me why I haven’t yet. The birds adore those bushes. I suspect that they are on the route between the tall trees to the north of the house and the bird-feeders on the south of the house. Some chickadees use the Japanese Maples and the redbuds to the east of the house as staging points between the tall conifers and the birdfeeders. Birds coming from the pines to the north and west probably use the forsythia and the apples. If I could tell the birds apart, I would bet that there are distinct patterns and territories used by the birds. There may be east side and west side families for all I know!
The perils of wildlife.*
*the porch posts are box posts, the hole is for the awning poles. I suspect the woodpecker gave up when he realized that this wonderful hole had no floor.
*The railing is a good six feet high, you would think that would be tall enough…
*Actually, it really is spring. The bear has raided the trash cans and I nearly walked into him late one night a few days ago.
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