Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Midweek Coffee Chat. #26
Good morning and Happy Wednesday to each of you! How are you today? It is a nice winter morning here, the sun is trying to shine through the clouds and the temperature is 23F (-5C). Yesterday started off similarly to this, but then the clouds took over completely and there was light snow off and on throughout the afternoon. We ended up with another inch of snow, not much to get excited about, but it needs to be cleared off the feeders and the deck.
I went out while it was still dark this morning to hang up the feeders. That way the food would be there when the birds arrive. It was dark. Quiet. Calm. Quite beautiful. Then I heard a flock of goldeneye ducks fly overhead, going down to the river for a day of fishing. I like to listen to them. Their wings whistle as they fly. Every morning, when I am out there early enough, I get to hear them flying down to the river.
Late afternoon they can be heard flying back to where they sleep at night on the lake. Not sure why they do not stay on the river at night, but they always head down onto the lake somewhere. There are places out there where the lake does not freeze during the winter. Just like our river. It stays open all winter, no matter how cold it gets. At least along this upper portion. Too much current here for it to freeze. Same thing on the lake. There are places where the current is strong enough to keep the water from freezing.
Back to my nice, quiet time on the deck. It was dark. Solitude. Beautiful solitude. Then Chipper the chickadee showed up. He gave me his little two noted whistle. It is a quiet little whistle, barely audible. He was saying hello, I guess. So I stood there talking with him for a while. It was still dark. Yet there he is eating his sunflower seed breakfast. He was on his 4th seed before the next chickadee came. Then a third came.
It was still dark. I had my deck light on so I could see. But soon daylight was beginning to show, and more chickadees began to arrive. The last 2 days there was a lot of evening grosbeaks around, over 40 of them. This morning there are none. How strange. That is not how things normally work. Once birds start coming to the feeder in winter, they keep coming. Possibly this will be one of those odd winters when birds are not predictable in their movements. It does happen some winters.
There has been a small flock of Bohemian Waxwings around, but they do not come to the feeder. Maybe they would if I put berries out there. That is what they enjoy eating. They are much like our Cedar Waxwings that we have in the summer, but they are larger, and the coloring is a bit different. Anyone for more coffee? I am getting a cup too. Muffin has decided to sleep this morning. Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2022 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 
Love to have another cup of coffee ! Are the🤔 Are the waxwings particular about what berries they prefer ? …Sleep well tonight ! 😴
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The waxwings will eat most any berry I think, even crabapples too. Have a good sleep tonight also! 😊😻☕☕🌛😴😴
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Look at that snow! I had lunch on the balcony today and it was a balmy 25C.
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Oh my, what a difference in temperature from here! If I ate outside, it would be a “cold” lunch!
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😎
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