Monday, January 17, 2011

Birds and preparing for the event of the year!

Today as I was washing dishes, I looked out the window to see a bluebird perched on the handle of the hand pump.  So I grabbed my camera and started trying to get pics.  Of course they see my movement inside the house so I got a comfortable spot and tried not to move and got a few decent shots.  Not bad since they were taken through a window smudged with dog snot and slobber :).






There were quite a few of them actually, quite surprising to see so many at one time.  We'd put out some new seed so that must have brought them in.  I think the second & third picture is a female as its coloring wasn't quite as vivid as some of the others.  They're actually most striking when they take off as that blue of their wings is really revealed.  Such a pretty bird!


Then I started watching the birds on the feeders and oh my there are always a wonderful variety around here.  The usual ones, blue jays (man they're big!), cardinals and some little birds we don't know what they are but they're pretty.  We've even got several woodpeckers around so I got my coat on, went out and tried to get a few pictures of them too.



Female cardinal and one of those little birds we don't know.

female cardinal

The woodpeckers love this bird feeder!



What'chu lookin at??
 
 Do you know what this last bird is?  There are lots of them around, they're little compared to the cardinals and woodpeckers.  Probably just some common bird I'm sure but curious to know what they are.  I have a terrible time looking them up in the bird book!


Shearing will be coming up soon and lambing not far behind!  I'm getting excited about lambing (surprise surprise).  We have several first timers this year, girls that were born and raised here.  Eve will be the one I will be wringing my hands over but terribly excited to see what she gives us.  Since she was a (spoiled) bottle lamb, I have always wondered what kind of mom she'd be.  Guess we'll find out! 
Eve in the kitchen with Sophie when she was just a few days old


We're trying to schedule our first shearing (12 bred ewes) one of the last 2 weekends in Feb or first weekend in March.  Second shearing (the remaining 32) will be a month or so later. 

Lambing should begin around March 22nd and we're taking bets on who's first.  Bridget and I sorta have the advantage since we were in our lawn chairs watching when we let Teddy in with the girls :).  Hey we're not perverted, just curious!!  Anyway, our bet goes with Aliza and second bet is if she'll have triplets again.  Lets just say she's sure lookin' like trips right now!

If you're interested in helping out on shearing day or want to come out during lambing, just give me a hollar.  It can be kinda icky out here that time of year, snow melting and spring rains = mud.  Sometimes its not so bad but last year lambing was pretty messy.  So if you do come, wear boots and old clothes because you will get dirty!  Its always fun though so hope you can make it out!

4 comments:

  1. Jen,
    The first bird you didn't know (the one in the picture with the cardinal and the fence) is a junco. The second bird (coming down the tree) is a nuthatch.
    Love your blog!
    Jill

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  2. Jen, love to watch the little nuthatches. They go down the tree beak first. I really like your pics of the bluebirds.
    Liam now comes to me for petting and I am finding out that he is quite the beggar. When I am cleaning out the feeders getting ready to feed, he stays by my side.
    I put some new pics of him in the snow on my blog today.
    Lambing season...yeah! NOT...I love the babies but not the trips back and forth to the barn and worrying about the ewes.
    Come see us
    Sarita

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  3. They are cute aren't they! I thought I was going to have war declared yesterday at the feeders. They'd eaten all the seed and the bluejays kept knocking everyone off the feeders, bullies! I went out and filled them back up again and peace was restored.

    I have to take Miss Nora out with me when I feed to hold them off otherwise I'd get trampled! One of the things I just love about BFLs tho is their temperaments. Only time Roark has ever made me nervous was when I was trying to seperate him from some ewes that were cycling. He didn't really try anything but that look in his eye made me very cautious! Other than that, he's the perfect gentleman. Compared to the Shetlands, BFLs should be considered "lap sheep"! They just have the sweetest temperament!

    I would love to come see your sheep sometime!

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