For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Hello everyone! I’m certainly late here today. It’s a more typical cold winter morning, which is basically over now. Strangely the feeders are not busy this morning, usually that cold weather really brings the birds in for an easy meal. The rock doves have not been here for a couple days now which is making things easier on the remaining birds. Unfortunately, I think many of the birds have been scared away by those doves and may not come back. It will be a lonely winter if that’s the case. Even some of my blue jays were scared away by those rock doves, something I really didn’t think would happen since blue jays are kind of a tough bird. And they are super helpful to have around as they look after the smaller birds, keeping them safe from that nasty shrike who likes to prey on the smaller birds.
There’s something different happens every winter. Some winters are plentiful with birds, others not. We got about 3 more inches (7.5cm) of snow yesterday, so it’s really starting to look more like winter all the time. It was cold going out to feed the birds this morning, with that wind blowing it was -18C (0F). I had to wear a heavier jacket today and if this keeps up I will need to start wearing gloves too. It will have to get a bit colder first though. It was just starting to get daylight while I was out there and I heard the familiar sound of ducks flying overhead. There was 8 in that small flock, then another larger flock flew by, then a third flock, all heading down to the river for a day of fishing. They head to the open water on the lake at night, but that river is their daytime fishing spot. I should walk down there one of these days and see how many ducks are there. These were all goldeneye ducks, but sometimes other species will spend the winter too.
Our featured image today is my good friend Jasper, I kind of cut off his ears a bit, but it’s still such a nice pic showing his color. Then we have Betty the blue jay on the feeder prior to our latest snowfall and then Gent the gray jay looking straight at me. This is the last day for my Daily Pics, but I will still have a daily post, with pics too, which will start tomorrow. I hope you all have a wonderful day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
Β©2020 Steve McLeod.
Great pics! Keep those gloves close by. That frostbite is nothing to sneeze at! As they say in my old country!πππ€
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Thanks Dusty! Not cold enough yet for frostbite, I’m not really out there for more than 10 minutes. But if it gets colder the gloves will come out. Just easier doing things without gloves. Hey, I knew you must have an old country! But you should do something about all that sneezing. As they say in the old country, “If the sun shines bring out the cheese!”πππΉ
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Yes!! And no wineing!πππ
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Also keeps the mice away!π€π€ͺπ§π
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So do my mouse traps!π€π€π€
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How gruesome!π²π²π€―ππ
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Tell that to Muffin!π»
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She doesn’t use them.ππππ
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I know! She uses them claws and (CHOMP, CHOMP) TEETH π€π€π€ hehehehe
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It’s the natural thing to do.πΌ
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Well, I have teeth, but my claws not really the best for catching mices.ππ€
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You can buy fake ones.π
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Can I knaw on them like my finger nails?π
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Might break your teeth.π¬
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Good point! They should work and last a long time then!π
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Yep, they do have good points!π³π²
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Hahaha!π€£π€£π€£
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I thought you might enjoy that.ππππ
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I did emensely!π€π€
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As they say in the old country, “If you get the point it’s time to go fishing.”
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Then I guess it’s fishing!π
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Good thinking.π€―π€―π€―
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Nooooooo………π€ͺπ€ͺπ€ͺπ€ͺ
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I tried catching yhem by hand but I’m too big to fit in that mouse hole!ππ
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Why not cover the mouse hole?π€π
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Which one?? I have so many I would need to shrink wrap the whole house!π
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They would chew through that, use steel wool.π€ͺ
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Eweww ahhhhh… that’s worse than fingernails on the chalkboard π€ͺπ¬π³
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Nothin’ is worse than fingernails on a chalkboard!π²π²π€―π€―
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Chewing on Steel Wool is!! π€ͺπ³
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Maybe you should stop doing it.π€π
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You do make a good suggestion! I could get a tooth brushπ€ What would I snack on then?π€
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Try the toothpaste.π€π
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You’re so smart! Why didn’t I think about that?π€
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Didn’t you just answer your own question? Well…time for me to head off to bed now,πββοΈπββοΈπββοΈπββοΈπββοΈ good night Dusty!π€ππ΄
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It is a good source of iron!
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So are nails.
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Hard to chew when my fingers are nailed down!
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That’s the point.π€£π€£π€£
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Haha
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If I let them go they come right back in… then they bring those Squirrelie Squirrels! π³π² They eat me out of house and home!ππ
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That’s it! Put them in with the squirrels!π
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That’s more trouble than even you can handle!π€ͺπ₯Ίπ³
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I don’t use my hands.π
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I’m afraid to ask how it get’s done…π³π₯΄
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Someone else’s hands.π€π€
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Blue Jays are more beautiful than the gray jays but the gray ones may be more friendly …
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Yes, the gray jays lack the beautiful colors, but are naturally friendly.
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It sounds really cold. Not my type of weather at all. I bet Muffin agrees with me.
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We both agree! It is cold, but warming up a bit by the weekend.
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Thatβs better
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Our weather has been really up and down so far this winter, but that will change soon.
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βοΈ
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Ok…now I see the feeder. But…how do you keep the snow and ice off of every seed.
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Ice isn’t normally a problem, snow certainly is and I do lose seeds a lot in the winter, but it’s still the best kind of feeder to use. Our northern winter birds for the most part won’t use a feeder with a roof. And a roof doesn’t stop the snow I have found, just a little wind blows the snow under the roof and onto the feeder, leading to the same problem. But a lot of the seeds are found on the snow below by birds and the squirrel.
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Beautiful little creatures π₯°
Hope your day was lovely! Have a wonderful evening! π»
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Thank you Ribana! It was a beautiful sunny day, even if cold. Have a great day!ππ»π
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Oh my ! Jasper is so cute ! Only chickadees today and one squirrel ! Sleep well both of you ! βοΈβοΈπ»π΄π
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He is for sure! Have a good night Sharon! Muffin is already in bed!ππΉ
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