Good morning and Happy Friday everyone! It’s cloudy and cool this morning, plus very windy. We are supposed to get some showers today and maybe some thunderstorms later today. Everything is normal again this morning with all my little critter friends, though I haven’t seen any squirrels yet. But all 5 chipmunks have been busy hauling away peanuts, filling up their little (or big) storerooms for the winter. Pocket and Skamper are still having “discussions” over who is the top chipmunk around here. They seem to be quite evenly matched.

They seldom get into actual fights like squirrels do, mostly they just chase each other around. The other chipmunks have decided to stay out of these “discussions” and just go to hide when Skamper or Pocket show up. The gulls were here nice and early for their breakfasts, as were the crows. I haven’t seen the blue jays yet but I imagine they are spending a lot of time these days showing their young how to survive the natural way, before bringing them here to show them the easy way to get food. I have noticed that birds tend to do that, though perhaps not all of them. The hairy woodpecker has been here too.

But certainly not much in the way of birds singing. Although along the path to the river there is certainly a lot of singing birds. Just not much chance of getting pictures unless they come out in the open, and low down, which they don’t do very often it seems. But it does sound so nice sitting down there listening to the dozens of different bird species singing away at the same time. It would be fantastic to get pictures of even a third of those birds. Perhaps if I wandered about beyond the path I might have better success, however, that might also be more dangerous. So I think I will forget that idea. Maybe.

There is a spotted sandpiper at the river again this year. I got him before, but in his fall plumage. It would be nice to get him in his summer plumage. But for some reason he prefers to stay on the other side of the river. He has come to my side a couple of times, but never close enough for a picture. But there is still time to get a picture. It has certainly gotten dark, guess it will begin to rain soon. Yep, the thunder has begun. Poor Muffin, she is not going to like today. Hmm, thunderstorms weren’t supposed to start until late this afternoon. Oh well. I hope you have a fantastical Friday and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

©2021 Steve McLeod.