Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Fantastical Friday! #32
Good morning everyone and Happy Friday! I hope you are enjoying some nice weather in your area of the world on this fine day. It is beautiful here and getting better for the beginning of the week. By Sunday and through to Wednesday we should have temps in the low to mid 30sF (1 to 3C) which is fantastic for this time of the year. But then we drop back to more normal temps. However, we first get to enjoy some mild weather, though it might mess up the path to the river a bit. Well, the birds are sure busy out here this morning. All the regulars are here, plus some starlings are visiting again.
Although they are not the most exotic birds around, they are comical to watch, and they are amazing fliers. One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier post on suet cakes, I do like to add crushed nuts or peanuts to the mixture once it has cooled down. I do this mostly in the colder weather to help the smaller birds like chickadees and nuthatches. I mention it as “nuts or peanuts” because peanuts are not nuts. They are legumes, same family as peas and beans. True nuts grow on trees, like walnuts. Interestingly, Brazil nuts are also not nuts, they are seeds. They grow inside a large pod, something that nuts don’t do.
It can get a bit more complicated with some, but that is a simple look at the differences. Anyway, the birds like them all, so that is what matters. Poor Jasper, he has had a busy morning already. As I was watching early this morning, with just a bit of daylight showing on the horizon, the chickadees had arrived and I spotted something in the tree. It was still basically dark and there was Jasper, running around through the trees. That is taking chances for a squirrel, there are predators around that time of day, such as owls, that would love to invite a squirrel over for breakfast, making him the main item on the menu.
But as it got a little lighter out there a second squirrel showed up and the chase was on! Through the trees, tumbling in the snow, running through tunnels under the snow. Finally they both stopped for a break and I could see it was Chase that had come along. But he decided to head back home, with Jasper barely a tail length behind him! The sun is shining so nicely, should get up to 23F (-5C) today. Thank you for reading, have a fantastical Friday and God bless!
Steve and Muffin. (without using closeups, how many ducklings are in the photo at the top?)
©2021 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 
I always knew you weren’t a peanut!!🤭🤭🤭🤭
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Thank you!
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Anytime 😊 😊
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Thanks!😁
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Anytime 😊
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Seventeen?
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Very good, but not quite right!🤔
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Good to hear the weather is a bit nicer. Let’s see 20’s this morning but as I sat outside enjoying my coffee there squirrels were around me. I think it’s time to feed them, maybe. Enjoy your night Steve
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It can be fun feeding the squirrels, they will even sit on you. Though they might want some coffee, peanut flavored. Thanks Kim, have a good night!😀😺🌙☕☕
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It would be fun feeding them. Sitting on me okay bit too close lol! Thank you Steve😊
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😀😻
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😊
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Gorgeous photos Steve! Jasper started his day early 🐿 😉
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Thank you Ribana!😁 Yes, he was definitely out too early!🤔🙄
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The ducklings are adorable ! I presume that the big one is the mama…16 minus the tall one…anyways, all the pics I enjoyed ! 🙂😻🎄
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They are all ducklings, mama is much bigger. Oddly they are all the same size. Good guess, that would make 17, you’re the second one to guess that number. But it isn’t correct.😳 Want to try again?🤔
Thanks so much, have a good night!😁😻🌙😴
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17 how’s that??
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Wow, that’s 3 with the same number, very good, but not correct. Nice try though.
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I was going to go 20, but I wasn’t able to tell their bodies from ground
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Best thing is to count those brown heads, the only part that is brown. Yes, 20 is the correct number, a couple are a little hard to see, but those brown heads still show up!
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That’s what I did.
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And you won on the second guess! Not bad!
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Jasper needs to be careful…
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Yep, he’s taking chances being out when it’s so dark.
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