I saw several crows chase a hawk (Cooper’s or Sharp-shinned, I don’t know which) into a magnolia tree. It perched on a high branch next to another of its species. (I’m guessing that one was previously chased there itself.)
Behind my old Gilroy country house there was a flock of them that would wane and wax in numbers over the years. One year we counted 28, but that was high water.
Anyway, when they’d come to poop in our pool I’d raise a fuss and could get them to fly back over the fence with some urging. We actually had a redwood next to the driveway, and one fall the whole flock/rafter took it in their heads to roost in that tree – a very strange sight, and they made weird cooing noises on that foggy day. So yeah: they can fly.
Once we are through this upcoming weekend, I think we are good to go.
We’re on our third day of 60s and even a low 70 temps. I’m in heaven. 
Same here! Spring is in the air. We took the dogs walking in the woods yesterday, cleaning up my gf’s riding trails. Deer everywhere!
We ate dinner outside tonight. My husband got pooped on by a gnatcatcher.
The wrens also have more eggs in their pot nest on the deck.
My friend’s condo association sent their yard folks out with leaf blowers. I watched as one tried to do his job but got intimidated by the local tom turkey. That bird is not afraid of anything. The gardener decided to try again later.
I live in a condo complex, and our trees had a rather severe pruning a month or so ago. I made a comment at the time about where the abundant squirrels were going to nest now. Well, I was sweeping off my upstairs balcony and found a nest in the lower level of a small table tucked around the corner of the outside closet. Little bastards. There was even a ceramic statue of a bunny on that shelf, but they just made their nest all around it.
But “our” three ducks are back! I love seeing them and hearing their quacks. I need to start taking my phone with me when I take the dog out. I’m just so afraid I’ll be picking up his poop, and the phone will fall in it.
I saw a hen turkey cross the road today. She was all by herself and took her sweet time about it.
The finches are rebuilding the nest on the downspout. I am questioning their judgment.
I also averted a parenting crisis. I had a pop-up mesh enclosure over my blueberry bush between the house and the garage - it’s there so I can cover the bush on freezing nights if need be. The baby wren had scuttled under the bottom of it and didn’t know how to get out, causing the parents to freak out. I moved it and let the lil’ one out. We’re past freezing nights here. Next will be building the Squirrel Fortress around it to keep those MFers from eating the berries when they start to get ripe.
Northern parulas, yellow-throated warblers, white throated sparrows (all singing their fool heads off), purple finches (life bird!!), blue gray gnatcatchers, downy woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, flickers, a pileated woodpecker, more cardinals than I could count, and a pair of wood ducks coming down out of their hidey hole in a big sycamore tree. Spring is here, y’all!
With our few days of summer temps here in MN, tree pollen is on the wind and in my eyes. The grass is green. My friend’s bulb plants are up and one is in bloom. And our peregrine falcons have three eggs.
To bad temps are heading back down to typical spring temperatures for the next week with a couple of low temps expected to be below freezing. Still, it beats winter.
I’ve kind of fallen into a Bird Of The Year Report (South East England) so here we go: this year, greater spotted woodpeckers and goldfinches.
I almost can’t step out of the house this spring without hearing woodpeckers drumming. Well, we live in a town, so I’m exaggerating slightly - but everywhere in the countryside and even fairly frequently in town - and once in central London - I’m hearing them; and quite a few times I’ve seen them too.
Goldfinches are everywhere as well - the downside to this is that greenfinches and chaffinches have had numbers severely reduced by disease, and my guess is that goldfinch numbers are up as they “fill the gap” as it were.
j
We’re going to be in London and environs soon, so I hope I get a chance to see a few of these birds.
Saw my first hummingbird of the year here today.
They’ve been extremely circumspect, but I.m pretty much convinced now. There’s a fence that runs up to about two meters away from a couple of small trees with densely bushy foliage. Yesterday I saw a robin land right on the end of the fence with a beak full of insects. And there it stayed, just watching me, for about 30 seconds or so - until I decided I had delayed it for long enough and moved on. So I didn’t see it dive into one of the trees, because it wasn’t going to do so while I was watching. But I think I’ve got the little fella sussed.
It’s been really wet recently, and today we watched a blackbird return repeatedly to a specific spot in a bed in the back yard, churn up some mud, and fly off with a big beak full of it - nest building, presumably. We don’t know exactly where, but it’s at least two or three houses away. Interesting that only our finest mud is good enough for the nest.
j
OMG y’all, I just saw a male wood duck, for the first time in my life!
There’s a disheveled little corner store nearby (aren’t they all) where I run in for coffee sometimes if I work a closing shift, like tonight. There’s a disheveled creek behind it (sadly, much trash) but I often spot mallards, frogs hopping in, etc.
Today there was a lone male wood duck! Such pretty feathers. I hope he finds a nice lady-friend, and a non-garbage place to make fluffy little babbies.
Does “my yard” count as nature? These mysterious purple beauties just popped up outta nowhere, and a shrub out front put out magnificent fuzzy fuzzballs each spring.
(I have a query out to a plant ID group on Facebook, but if anyone recognizes them, lemme know!)
Those look like Scillia, also called Siberian Squill. They are considered invasive in my area (Minnesota) but are quite pretty and cheerful. They were happy to grow on the clay hill of my home, where many other plants didn’t do well due to a steep slope.
Thanks @carnut appreciate the ID. As you can see from the bare dirt around them, not much grows easily in the thin, compacted, much-abused soil that is my current yard, so I’ll take what I can get!
On Saturday, we were out running errands when we got a hysterical call from one of the neighbors. She had just run over this large rattlesnake with her car and it was trying to enter our yard. We headed for home, although without much idea what we would be able to do when we got there. I had hopes that another neighbor would be able to relocate the snake for us. However, by the time we got home, the lady’s husband had killed it. I feel torn about it; sorry the snake had to die, but also glad it won’t be posing a threat to us or our animals. I would say it was about seven feet long, not as big around as my leg but definitely thicker than my arm.
So much this. Humans keep invading animal territory and it is the animals that usually pay the price. But what can you do? Frustrating.
Good news here. There are now 4 peregrine eggs, though I still doubt the first one is viable. You go birdies. It’s going to be at least another three weeks before we find out.