“This hunting for bugs is fun, Skitter Bug!”
“Yes! Bugs and a nice fluff in the dirt, Ethel.”
“WAIT! ETHEL! WHO ARE THOSE BIRDS?”
“WOW, Skitter I don’t know!!!”
“RUN!! RUN INTO THE HOUSE, ETHEL! DANGER!!!”
ETHEL! DANGER!!!”
“No. Not danger. Just some big birds stopping by for a rest. Which I think we need to do. Rest in the dirt and the sun……………..zzzzzzzzzzzzzz”
“Oh. Nothing to worry about then. Back to looking for bugs.”
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Standing on the Rocky Point, Beaglie and I saw masses of Sandhill Cranes resting on our neighbor’s farm–when they saw us several lifted off, causing the air to swoosh with the flapping of their wings.
Back on our farm, we came across a giant flock resting, waiting, resting.
The sounds are majestic and powerful!
Big birds…they rather brighten the long winter days!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Walking at the Upper End,
there I saw Three Paths; two diverged and one traveled close by.
Terry, Boomer and I took a wee walk-about on the farm one evening
The sun was just starting to set and the day birds and day animals were slowly losing their loud thrumming and calling — settling down upon the land
We walked upon cow trails, avoiding the very snowy farm road
Past the cement ditches waiting for the thaw
and slumbering fields
As the wild Canada geese winged their way onto our farm
And the Sandhill cranes bedded down for the night
Filling the air with their trilling calls
We gradually made our way back to the house.
Our farm, not confining but defining us, like all sacred places.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
On my walk, last evening three cranes settled down. They seem to have decided to stay here instead of migrating.
Works for me!
The crows are working the farm over for something to eat
They are hard to photograph as they scatter quicklyy
Yesterday was lovely and warm so I put out two hummingbird feeders
Within twenty minutes I had a little Blackchin male followed quickly by his mate. (The photo is terrible; they were very shy and I couldn’t get a good shot)
As the evening started to fall down upon the earth the little birds took to their nighttime perch. For some reason, they have roosted here all fall, winter and they are still roosting in the large rose bush.
As the night grows darker they flutter way deep inside.
This morning on the way to the headgate
a pheasant took off in front of us
And joyfully, joyfully…the last of the birds has arrived! The Barn Swallows!
We are on our way to much warmer weather!
YAY!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
I have been hanging out at the bird feeders lately
Trying to get some good photos of birds in flight…
I love how their wings leave a soft sigh in the air, or swoosh as they takeoff
I have to be careful as this little fur ball loves to come with me…and that is never a good thing. The birds leave the area in a wind churning frenzy.
This little bird was way up high, listening to the silence of the sky
Last evening, as the sky started to purple and fade a female Great Horned Owl and her mate stopped by
They were delightful to listen too and then to watch leave…silently lifting up from the branches; floating away like a breath of wind
During the day the air is alive with the shimmering sounds of the Sand Hill Cranes
Their thrilling call is beautiful.
They spend the night on the farm also, but are so silent one doesn’t know they are here.
The Canada Geese do not seem to like to be where the cranes are. Rather sad, I tell them all the time they are welcome.
Still, they fly on their calls adding to the trills of the cranes on the ground.
What lovely creatures add to our long winter days!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
It is the season of Miracles, you know! And one happened for us….we were able to go ahead and deliver the truck load of high moisture corn…we had to have it at the dairy this morning at 4:30 so it could be ground before the feed trucks rolled in. Not a problem!
Moisture is high still so we will wait, better waiting than to have another situtation…snow is due here this evening.
We sure have lots of cranes or blue herons this year. I can’t really tell what they are, but I enjoy hearing them and watching them land in the corn fields at night.
They’ve sort of run the Canada geese off and taken over the sweet corn fields. That being the way of things the geese flap on over to our corn fields. Both groups are very talkative so for some time the evening air is full of bird chatter.
Then if you get up at night to check on things (ever since the large predator visits I go out to check on our animals) you can hear the birds moving around getting a little more comfortable. I enjoy hearing them.
It might be after Christmas before these stalks are gone. What a unusual year this has been. But it is working out.
See ya on Sunday!
Linda
Along the way I saw….
Big birds eating corn in the corn field, are they cranes? Are they Blue Herons? They kept moving away from me, I wonder why?
The sun shinning through the clouds on Eckert and Cedaredge -these are little towns at the base of Grand Mesa, the largest flat top mountain in America.
And a group of cattails which took up living quarters on the canal bank.
This is not a long walk, as some of you have, but it does give you an idea of where we live. Thanks for visiting!
Life on a Colorado Farm 