Showing posts sorted by date for query orioles. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query orioles. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Life and Death in the Yard: Country Living

For exactly three years, a good 10-20% of this blog has shared views and videos of
from
the most graceful, beautiful mated Deer Pair in soybeans (HERE)
click on pics to view large
who came to check out the apple, peach, and apricot trees in early spring and wandered peacefully around the yard for 15 minutes,
to
Woodchucks, one of whom
 came in late winter and is now a family of four who love cold carrots and my mustard greens-- eating apples
 (HERE), and
playing on the woodpile HERE
from
ethereal butterflies (e.g., HERE and HERE and more HERE)
to
Singing Orioles,
Playful Hummingbirds, 
and  stunning Cardinals.
Rockstar Spiders who spin Perfect webs or who play Wargames.
Very Shy Coyotes,
 Dragonflies that are smiling,
and RABBITS, darling wabbits,  Big eared Rabbits!
Sphinx moths and very strange moths,

and
Bald Eagles in kansas and Stately Raptors, Souring Hawks, a Baby hawk
and the faabulous Vultures!
Vultures in light! more Vultures...The beauty of Vultures!
and

The Beautiful Goose. Migrating Geese. HUGE FLOCKS of Geese!
The wonderful and necessary BEES!
The visiting Dogs.   Hollyhocks in Wind. American Goldfinches in the Kansa Wind.
 Pelicans playing on kansas thermals overhead!
Birds in SNOW.  Black and white Cats in Snow with Pink Noses.
Big beautiful Sunflowers and Enourmous sunflowers with bees and

Plant Life, the amazing Flint hills, the life of rocks, and
 the
sublime and strange sky and the  river noises and turtles

The Horses and  Donkeys and Cows nearby along the morning commute...

and
Life in the Yard like HERE and HERE
is what makes
 all the dirt and dust that constantly blows into the house,
 the
 spiders scaring me into adrenaline overdrive,
 the
 wind that destroys everything i planted last week--

OK. 
Even death.
Last night i killed a big brown recluse spider in the bathroom. I didn't want to, but my fear still exists. Perfect love which drives out fear is an ongoing endeavor.
Last night, up late reading the political blogs, i squeaked as a mouse scampered in from the kitchen--it screeched in its tracks as it saw me sitting up in bed--and made a sharp right turn into a pile of sheets. Later in the deep dark of early morning, my Konza Prairie Dog sounded like she was in playheaven, pouncing and murmering with glee as she moved the mouse along in its journey through The Cycle.

I woke and pondered death.
dead at my hand.
The death of an owl hit by a passing truck. The death of a rabbit, softer than milkweed under the wheel...

The death of a crow in the yard, a wounded skunk, a passing wildcat wounded by a bullet, an enourmous disemboweled rat given as a gift by a member of the Thunderpaws Tribe of cats...
One writes roadkill love poems to channel the hurt...
Death. It is not the death that hurts, but the moments of violence, confusion, pain and fear that preceed.
Earlier in the day
a hawk had descended in hungry fury on the woodpile, resulting in a scattering of birds but perhaps one less squirrel...

There are cycles in everything.

A woodpecker and a sparrow were pecking and arguing over a seedcake yesterday morning. Back and forth they picked and pecked and peeped-- all while NOT eating. Suddenly, a hummingbird came close and just hovered around both of them. This is three feet from the front porch. Usually the hummers stay 15-25 feet out, near the nectar feeders and the flowers.

The hummingbird came within 3-4 inches of each bird, just humming with interest, for about 20 seconds.
The tiny weightless hummingbird whispered away.
 The sparrow and the woodpecker quietly began to eat.
  


A song to listen to while hiking in the Flint Hills: HERE





Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Baltimore Orioles in Kansas: the Courtship in the Wind

The baltimore orioles will be here soon.
!!



more pics HERE

here is a guide to baltimore and other orioles' identification:
click to enlarge



some vids from last year: (updating by request)

A female Oriole listens as a male woos her. 2) The male; watch his throat. 3. The male gives his feeder to the female. click on vid 2X to view at youtube larger.







The female acceptes the gift.







It is windy!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

First Hummer of the Summer: Teh Birds are here!

the baltimore orioles and the hummers have arrived!

The orioles were flying through the sprinkler and drinking from oranges this morning. Sunds like fun...







a little video or two: the first one is the amazing summer bird sounds...

more bird singing click HERE






more hummers click here

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Hummingbird Plays in the Sprinkler Video and other Kansas Birds this Spring

I have posted a lot of birds this spring, as they are in abundance this year. Here are a few more; the first video HERE is a little red-throated hummer playing in a sprinkler! How funny. I was in the laundry room so it is through a plexiglass door.
Also a grackle eating HERE , and more birds.



click to enalrge robin cuteness

punk rock cardinal






more rabbits here

best male and female cardinals HERE




for example, more birds here and hummers here and here and orioles HERE

Bald eagle here.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Baltimore Orioles in Kansas: the Courtship in the Wind

The baltimore orioles will be here soon.
!!





here is a guide to baltimore and other orioles identification:
click to enlarge



some vids from last year: (updating by request)




A female Oriole listens as a male woos her. 2) The male; watch his throat. 3. The male gives his feeder to the female. click on vid 2X to view at youtube larger.







The female acceptes the gift.







It is windy!

Monday, May 9, 2011

The Hummers are here! The Hummingbirds are here!

Hummingbirds arrived here in this Kansas yard may 2011. Beauties! The orioles are drinking out of the hummers feeders and vice versa.
Next they'll be running with scissors. 
More spring pics and vid of hummers HERE






More May 2011 birds HERE
and
birds HERE

Friday, May 6, 2011

Summer Birds Come to Kansas: Orioles, Blackbirds and Finches, Oh My

Add Red-headed woodpeckers, Yellow-headed blackbirds, bluebirds, wrens, bluejays, sparrows, grackles, vultures, robins, and on and on.
Here are some pics from this week:
Baltimore oriole was really more orange but the sun was right on him.

 More Kansas Orioles HERE...


 Bathing and eating video

these pics are LARGE click to view  

This red-headed woodpecker has a video HERE.

HERE is another real clear red head video they say is from lake erie

and here is one i took a couple years ago that is short but has shadowplay and an amazing soundtrack.

Orioles love birdbaths wnd will play in sprinklers too.














More Birds HERE
and Hummingbirds HERE!
and HERE