Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Daily Pics #252.
Good morning everyone! I hope you are all doing well today! The little birds are certainly busy this morning. Between the purple finches and white throated sparrows they are really going through the bird seed. I haven’t had this many white throated sparrows around the feeders in several years. I think there is more of them than the purple finches. They are busy filling up, getting ready for that long migration to warmer locales. Last evening all the birds were around, including the chickadees, blue jays and a white breasted nuthatch. It was nice to see the nuthatch again, haven’t seen one of them since last fall. Usually they stay all winter, but not last year, though we did have the red breasted nuthatches. Anyway, suddenly the blue jays screamed and everyone scattered as a merlin shot in and caught himself a meal. A merlin is a small falcon, looks very much like the peregrine falcon though much smaller. They are about the size of a blue jay and can come flying in on target amazingly fast. And they don’t often miss.
Even caught the blue jays by surprise. However, he was after a smaller bird. I’m not sure what he caught however as he flew off with it almost as fast as he came in. They will go after blue jays too if hungry enough, but they prefer small birds, mice and insects. It would have been nice to get a picture of it but he was just too fast and flew too far away afterward. Usually a nice peaceful area for the little birds out here with lots of food and lots of places to hide. But occasionally danger arrives too. Hawks and falcons in the summer and the northern shrike in the winter. Fortunately the blue jays will take care of the shrike and chase it away. It wasn’t too long and the little birds were back to eating again. Jasper and the chipmunks are not chasing this morning, too cold I guess, their only thought is getting food.
Hmm, not a bad thought, maybe some more coffee too. Here are a couple more zinnias to enjoy this morning, a light lavender and a nice red one. I hope you all have a great day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2020 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 
What is it that the shrike does that makes unwelcomed? Aren’t they a song bird?
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Nope, not a songbird, a bird that eats other birds. They are a terrible bird to have around in winter, they will eat a bird a day. They are mean critters.
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Oh, I didn’t know they were carnivorous.
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Yep, all they eat is little birds, sometimes insects in summer or even mice at times, but mostly small birds.
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Nasty
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Yep.
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Good morning Steve Muffin! Those zinnias are gorgeous! I love to see Blue Jays. We have some huge ones here.
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Good morning (just made it, okay, it’s afternoon for you!) Yep, those blue jays can get big, beautiful birds! Have a wonderful day!😃😺🌞
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i have never heard of a merlin. only the wizard of course. will have to look it up.
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They are rather cool little falcons. We have another one called a Kestrel which is about the same size but a bit more colorful.
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I Google them and read about them. It doesn’t look like they get down to my area though. I have Cooper’s Hawks that I’ve seen in my area.
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We get the Cooper’s Hawks here too, but they are uncommon. We have the smaller relative, the sharp-shinned hawk and the largest of the group, the Goshawk. All are bird hawks mainly.
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We have mostly the red tailed hawk and sometimes an eagle. Also a couple of owls. 😁😁
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How about that, red tailed hawks are around here too, though none in my neighborhood. There is a nice barred owl though.
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survival of the fittest, and the biggest…
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Yep, that’s about it.
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Blue jays are the good police for the smaller birds…that’s why we feed them peanuts…I have never heard of a Merlin …shrikes are really bad…such lovely zinnias ! Thanks for sharing them ! ☕️☕️🐿🥜😺🙂‼️
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Yes indeed, always nice to have the blue jays around. Thanks so much! Have a great day!😃😺🌞
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Wow more Zinnias 😍 So beautiful isn’t it. One of the bright beautiful colours just like hollyhock. Oops too cold for them to run and play, 😸 their motto never changed, get the food 😜😉 Enjoy the day Steve, looks like you are a bit late 🤔 Hope all is good☺️🤗Take care, Stay warm ✨💐
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Yep, I’m late again.🙄😂 Because our days are shorter now that means that feeding the birds and other critters is at the same time I would usually post.😁✍ And I like to watch the feeding time, it’s too much fun! So it makes me late now.😜 Unless I talk about things from yesterday tomorrow which would be today but tomorrow would be yesterday while yesterday is really the day after today making it the day after yesterday when it’s tomorrow.😵🤪 See what I mean?🤔
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oh, that’s why all these delays 😎 now I get it 😉👍 Have fun watching Steve, take your time, that helps me to read yours at my time 😜😁 and you talked about today and tomorrow and yesterday 😵 I understood Steve, perfectly, nothing 😜😂🤣 I mean, you are trying to say something which I didn’t get it 😂🤣😜
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That’s okay, I didn’t understand it either. Maybe Muffin wrote it? No, wait, Muffin, NO, AAAAAAAAA!!!!!😲 Sore feet, sore feet!!😳😳🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Meow, meow.=my human come back after he put bandages on feet. hehehehhehe!😹😹
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😸😸Hi Muffin, I totally understood how you wrote it☺️ so cute 😍✨ Keep up… Hi Steve hope the leg is fine 🙄🤔😜🤣
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It only hurts when I laugh.😳😹😹
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😂😜 Then laugh Only when Muffin is diverted ☺️😉
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Yep, that’s best!😂😹
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Thank you for the interesting info on birds and the beautiful pics! I love Blue Jays and see them frequently in the tree outside our window. 🦆 🦅 🦉 🦇🐦🌺 🌸☕️☕️
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So glad you enjoyed it all Eugenia! Blue jays are found over a large area of the continent, a very common and beautiful bird! Have a wonderful day!😃😺🌞☕☕
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