For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Good morning everyone and Happy Groundhog Day! This is the day our groundhog friends supposedly give their annual spring forecast. We have some high profile groundhogs here and in the US that give their predictions today. Sometimes they do better than the weather forecasters. Really, it’s just some winter fun since by this time of the year people are getting a little tired of our long winters and looking forward to the arrival of spring. It goes like this, if he sees his shadow it means 6 more weeks of winter, if he doesn’t see his shadow it means an early spring. Remember, this is all just some fun. Our first groundhog has forecast an early spring, but there are two more to go. At least those 3 are the most famous. For us up here in the far north, it doesn’t matter if they see their shadow or not, either way it means an early spring for us!
Now for our nuthatch news! Red-breasted nuthatches are common around here, and we also have another one, the white-breasted nuthatch which is a bit bigger. They prefer spruce/fir forests, but will live in mixed forests as well. They are a welcome bird in orchards as they eat so many pest insects. They are often called the upside-down bird since they seem to prefer being upside down most of the time.
Most birds move up the trunk of a tree looking for insects behind the bark, these nuthatches go down head first finding insects that other birds miss. They have large hind toes that help them in their ability to hold on going downwards. They are often heard in the forest long before they are seen. Unlike the chickadee which holds a sunflower seed and hammers it open, the nuthatch is unable to do that, so it stuffs the seed into the bark of trees and hammers it open.
It’s natural food would be seeds of spruce and balsam cones, plus insects/eggs overwintering behind the bark of trees. They are easily attracted to feeders with nuts, sunflower seeds and suet. I think they eat more suet than anything, while the white-breasted nuthatch never seems to go after the suet, only sunflower seeds or chopped nuts. They can become quite tame with people, but can be aggressive with other birds, even chasing birds larger than themselves. Both parents work hard in nest building and raising the young.
Their nest is a hole in a tree about 8 inches (20cm) deep and lined with small pieces of bark, grasses and whatever else they can find. The female lays 4 to 7 eggs about 2cm long, which is actually quite large considering the size of the bird. Incubation takes 12 days and the young leave the nest in about 2 to 3 weeks. As the young get older in the nest the parents can make over 300 trips per day bringing food!
They live right across Canada, into southern Alaska and down to California and Arizona, plus to Tennessee and N. Carolina. They can sometimes move further south in winter. Guess I should stop, this is getting long. I hope you all have a wonderful day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2021 Steve McLeod.
Good morning, I will take some of that coffee.
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Hi Pene, coffee coming up! Plus Muffin coming to say hi! I hope you have a great day!😀😺☕☕🌞
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Very Good Morning, Well well well, who is this new competitor 🤔 I’m quiet surprised with this informative post, chickadee are quiet strong, brilliant and amazing bird 😍 you should be on discovery channel, you know more than birds scientists 😅😅 great information’s Steve, thanks for sharing, and about the groundhogs that a fun day, Happy Groundhog day😂😅 so did you see your shadow ? 😉 stay strong, more day for tooth, hope the pain feels better now 🤗
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Hehe, you asked for more competitors Simon, now they’re coming! Glad you enjoyed the information on this fascinating little birds. Here at Steve’s Country we have Muffin Day instead of Ground hog day and that’s tomorrow.😸 So we’ll see if Muffin sees her shadow or not.😹 But like I said, either way it means an early spring for us!😃 One more day to get rid of tooth pain!😁🤸♂️
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yay!! one more day.. to get rid of tooth ache.😸🎉. Take care Steve, and yes I have asked for competitors 😉 and happy for that 😸 so it’s an early spring 😅 but still it’s a ground hog day 🥳I’m excited to read Muffins day 😍
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Yep, Muffin says she can do a better job than any groundhog!😾 So we’ll see what happens.🤔😺😸
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Yep, Muffin would do 😸 let’s see what she’s got.😍
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Muffin said an early spring!!😁😸😸🤸♂️🤸♂️🤸♂️
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It;s early early spring 😉 Yay!!!
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Well, that’s what Muffin says anyway, hope she’s right this year!😃😸😸
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😍early spring will be fun… it will happen Steve 🤗
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Yes, it would be nice for a change!😁😁
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Great pics of the nuthatch and great info on them ! Interesting way to open the sunflower seeds ! ☕️☕️🙂😺
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Yep, these little guys just can’t hold the seeds with their feet, they’re built differently than most birds. Thanks Sharon!😀😺☕☕🌞
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In the northren hemishpere , Some kinds of birds travel south in the autumn and travel north in the spring…
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Yes, most of our birds are like that. Only about 30 to 35 species stay all year.
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Here , in Lebanon, there is a folklore that some predict the weather in the coming months starting from October by watching the weather in some days of September. The predictions might be accurate or not but this is an old tradition …
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That’s interesting, I imagine a lot of countries have their own folklore for weather predictions.
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Happy Groundhog Day. Our guy in PA saw his shadow…
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Oh, oh, that means another 6 weeks of winter for you. That would still be an early spring for us.
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I guess I should take what I can get 🙂
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Muffin did her forecast yesterday and she is saying an early spring.
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I am going to go with Muffin’s forecast 🙂
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Absolutely, and she might even be right!😃😸😸 Although last year she was wrong…🙄😾
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well if she is right this year, she’ll be doing better than Phil the Groundhog…
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We have 3 main groundhogs here in Canada and they all forecast an early spring this year. Muffin says they just copied her.😾😹
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that’s what it sounds like to me…
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Yep, that’s true.🙄😾
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When I eat upside down they just call me Nutty🤪🤪 I suppose they hatch eggs so they are nut hatches? Or maybe?? The hatch nuts!!?🤔😲😳🤭🤭🤭🤭
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That makes sense, what normal person would eat upside down?🤣🤣🤣🤣🙄 Actually it’s because the nuthatches across the ocean in Europe/Asia like nuts, its a favorite food, why the hatch I don’t know, might be from the person who first discovered them. Nuthatches here eat mainly insects and seeds. Though I think there might be one NA nuthatch that likes nuts. The ones here come to me right away, so they must like nuts!🤣🤣🤣🤣🙄
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Now how am I suppose to dispute that?? 🤭🤭🤭🤭
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Just applaud and give a trophy.😁
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Hehehehe… YOU! 🤣🤣🤣
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Yep, it’s me.😛😛
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There is none other like you either!😁😂😂😂
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Can’t deny that, won’t find a bigger Bonehead anywhere!😁🥇
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I’m guessing that means you’re a very happy person just like your Dad!😁
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Yep, that’s true, I’m always saying bonehead to myself!
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Like father like son!😂😂😂
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Seems that way sometimes.🙄🙄
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I even made myself a salad for supper tonight! How about that?
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Better hope your neighbor doesn’t notice that big hole in his hedge.
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A little a little there hardly notice!😂😂😂
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It’s fighting them squirrels for it that worries me! They’re not to be trusted! They’re big down here!
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Hey… I made it two days in a row!! Walking that is..
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Hey, that’s great! How far did you go today?🤔
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4 miles again. It’s a nice walk. I walk to the grocery store which is 2.1 miles from home then turn around and go back. The street is very busy and noisier than Id like but the side streets have a lot of hills so after I get better conditioned I’ll venture back in those for variety.
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Naturally it’s noisy, all those drivers honking at you to get off the street! Yep, it’s nice to have some variety, makes the walk a bit more interesting. Keep it up and when it gets warmer you’ll really be flying!
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I use the sidewalk! The way they drive here makes me nervous to walk anywhere else!😂😂😂😂
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Maybe it would be safer on the street then.🤣
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You might be right! It’s amazing how many are on the phone as they pass by. K8nda scary
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Eeeeek!
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Yeah! No kidding
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Did you have a good day today?
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Aside from the toothache it was a great day. I finally made it back to the river today. Wasn’t an easy walk since there was 8 inches of snow on the path since the last time I went. Part was packed down a bit by a snowmobile, but the snow was still soft so tough walking. Coming back up those hills was the worst part though.
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Well just need to go slow and step carefully. Glad to hear you were able to get out. Have you got a good set of pliers?🙄🙄
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Yep, coming up those hills it was one step forward and two steps backward. Slid off the path at one point and dropped into 23 inch deep snow.
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Yikes!! Up to your waist eh?
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Ha and Ha.🙄
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What?🙄🙄🤭😏
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You deserve much more than a trophy! Those little guys wouldn’t make it through the Winters without yoyr feeders. How about you being an honorable NUThatch?😂😂😂😂
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Hey, that’s nothing, I was voted Mr. Loony by our home town bird club!😁👑
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Well… I’m sure you are aware that the Loon is the Minnesota State Bird so welcome to Looneiest state in the US!🤭🤭🤭🤭
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Yes, I knew that. But we have the loon on our dollar coin, so we’re the biggest loony country in the world!😛😛😛😛
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Hard to argue that one too! You’re making it way to easy on me tonight!
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Can’t help it, my brain is numb.
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From your tooth?
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Yep.
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Do you have a pliers?
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Sure, but I’m using a pillow instead, it’s softer and I’m going to bed, I need some sleep. Good night.😁😴😴🌙
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Wow it’s that time already!? Time flies when im chatting with you! Good Night! I hope that tooth calms down for you! Those are miserable to deal with. Hope you can get to a dentist soon!! Good Night Sleep Well!😊😁
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