My Mother Always Said—Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Dayphoto

Our sun is covered with thick clouds of heavy moisture….it has been for three days

Today we have wind…lots and lots of wind, plus rain and very cold temperatures.

The birds are flying low the sky; the air full of their calls.

Wind is good and bad…for it is the wind that will move this stuff out of here; chilling us to the bone.

And possibly drying up all the rain. 🙂

My mother always said: “When Easter is late so is Spring”.

I think she is right! 🙂

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The Fields are Heaped with Birds—-Thursday, February 7, 2019

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Dayphoto

The Sandhill cranes are amazing this year. For Years and Years, I used to stand outside and wave at the Cranes inviting them to land on our farm

“Please land”, I would holler, you are most welcome here.

Then for some reason, only the Sandhill Cranes know and understand, we had three Cranes come in late fall and spend the days with us

Then gradually, over the winter, more and more started landing and staying filling the fields with their trilling calls.

Over time, we have had a steadily growing number

Then the other day those most welcome Canada Geese found us!!

Landing in the field to the east of our house.

We are alive with the sounds of large bird calls!

My heart is filled with joy!

From my world to your heart,

Linda

Soon Only a Vivid Memory—-Sunday, February 26, 2017

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Dayphoto

The Sand Hill Cranes are on the move. Flocks of them arrive on our farm (in the evening) then lift wings and fly away come morning.

They are a joy to me.

Although, I miss the Canada Geese these amazing birds have filled the gap of the Geese’s once home. I understand that the Canada Geese have moved further north and are thick around the Montrose, Colorado area. I wouldn’t know for I haven’t been to Montrose in a very long time.

I do know that Confluence Lake, at Confluence Park, and the Gunnison River running through Delta, Colorado is

(An old photo of winter past!)

home to a very many Canada Geese.

(A past photo, used for all our enjoyment)

Which is all good.

The cranes come, often times on a cold high desert wind thrumming across our mesa from the Uncompahgre Plateau, and settle down with much chatter and conversation.

During Boomer’s and my nightly walk I slow our walk, so we are careful, careful to not disturb the Cranes of the cows. Boomer walks right by my side…very cautious of Mother cows on the look for predators.

If one is very silent, and even still, a person can hear the rustle, rustle of feathers, a shake or two of a big bird getting comfortable.

Then softly, silently home again. I load the firebox; give Boomie a pat and belly rub.

Pet each sleeping cat, then crawl back into a nice warm bed.

All is right with the world.

From my heart to your world.

Thursday, November 14, 2013 — The Sandhill Cranes Have arrived

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Dayphoto

The winter birds have arrived….we are seeing daily crows and ravens (Although, those birds live here year-round they don’t stay close to the farms) and the ever present flocks of sparrows and starlings. We have others but these are the majority of the birds. The owls are back in the tops of our trees sending their soft hoo-hoos into the night.

Cranes-1

The air is full of the sound of Sandhill Cranes…we have lots and lots of them —-I mean lots!

They are looking for certain fields, landing in one and then leaving and then landing in another

Where the Canada Geese used to be we now have the cranes.

I’m not complaining…I enjoy both of the bird types.

As winter progresses we will start to see the birds species mixing, but for now…for the beginning of things they won’t share. Most of the Canada Geese are hanging out at the water places, the rivers and Confluence Lake and small ponds.

I hope to get closer to these really shy birds to try and get a really nice shots of the birds.

I also hope they come closer to the house so I can watch them right out the window, that would be fun!

Anyway, we are taking the day off today…no real work..tomorrow we start back up again.

Have a good one everyone,

Your Friend, Linda

January 21, 2013

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Dayphoto

I tried to get the Sand hill Cranes in flight but no such luck.

Anyway, for those of you who enjoy these delightful creatures I give you the following:

A crane just landing….I hope you can see it

They are here all the time. I took this series of photos around 5 O’clock in the afternoon

There are hundreds here in this one field. The corn is field corn, not sweet corn. Sometimes a group of birds leaves, but another soon lands…always a large, large number feeding at anyone time.

They also spend the night here, I guess they feel safe with the calves present.

Last night I heard coyotes from three directions ….

Linda

Sand Hill Cranes

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Dayphoto

Lucky us…the Sand Hill Cranes are back and in record numbers.

They love hanging out with the calves in the one field and then sleeping with the moms-to-be at night.

We see (and hear) them coming in in droves, then some leave and some flap over to the calves.

Linda

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Dayphoto

COLD!!! That is the word here!

Really cold!

But I can see snow on Grand Mesa and the San Juan’s I can’t see the Black Canyon or the Gunnison area because of fog. Just a slight amount on the top of the Plateau. It is supposed to warm up by 10* today and then we go into a slightly warmer period for a few days before another storm hits this weekend.

As long as it is snowing in the mountains I’ll live with the cold.

We have a flock of House/English Sparrows which have decided to make our farm home for the winter…Sparrows and Ring-necked Doves. As these two different flocks of feathered friends have grown all other birds have abandoned us. (We still have the Sand-hill Cranes and the Canada Geese, and the black birds, but they are in the fields, these are right with us in the farm house area.)

They are everywhere. The Ring-necked Doves have the house and yard, the House/English Sparrows have every remaining building and shop area.

The flocks are growing daily. I am not feeding them. They could go down to the feed lot 2 miles away, except the Starlings left (YIPPEE) as these two groups started taking over going down to the feed lot.

I would much rather have what we have than Starlings. I am NOT a Starling fan.