Winter

Winter

Saturday, September 26, 2015

A Fall Day


Here is the truth about living in California. In the Fall. Autumn  really is only in my mind. It is still hot, and still dry and dusty. This fall the trees are loosing leaves, but only I think to water starvation. The sunshine is abundant and the air you breathe is still crunchy and brown too. Walking in the mornings, is like pulling a loaded wagon. All up hill. But this morning, I saw that the  Northern Flickers have arrived!!! I had heard them screeching in the trees about Wednesday. They always scare me at first because they sound very much like a hawk. I had let my chickens out in the yard that morning, so when I first heard it I start scanning the trees.

Not my Picture.
This morning, I was watching Mr. and Mrs at an ant hill. They were just vacuuming up those unlucky ants this  fine morning. I guess they were tired and hungry from their trip.

 Mr and Mrs Pointy Head ( Black Phoebe)  are back too.  They also have Junior Pointy head with them and they had a terrible row in the back yard. It seems Junior wanted some food, and Mom and Dad have decided enough is enough. So while I ate breakfast with my binoculars in one hand, I watched Junior cry his heart out at the top of the redwood. No one listened. Well except me, that sound he makes drives me crazy. I did notice him fly off and do a double back flip,  to catch a bug in mid air so he does know how to feed himself.

Not my picture either.
The Blue Jays are extremely put out because of the new comers.

Also not mine.
They sit around on the fence and make that sound of two marbles being ground together. While cussing and complaining under their breath. I have one blue jay who has found the cat food dish. First it flies to the swimming pool fence. Sits there and watches and makes sure no one is watching. (I am crawling around on my knees peeking out the window so this is how I know.) He then flies to the back of a chair on the patio. He flies down to the table, eats some cat food then grabs a beak full of  food to eat on the road.  He flies off like a bugler, laughing all the way.   Every single day, unless of course I forget to fill the cat food bowl. Then he sits on the swimming pool fence and yells at the house. Birds are very bossy.

This morning while watching the flickers. The male flew towards me like this.

How I wish this was my image.
It was lovely. I can tell you honestly, being able to see birds in the fall. Is such a gift!! To be able to see that color, I just stood there and said, "Thank you God for giving me back my sight." It is so nice to be here, right now.

Have a lovely weekend,
~Kim~

This photo is mine.
“After the keen still days of September, the October sun filled the world with mellow warmth...The maple tree in front of the doorstep burned like a gigantic red torch. The oaks along the roadway glowed yellow and bronze. The fields stretched like a carpet of jewels, emerald and topaz and garnet. Everywhere she walked the color shouted and sang around her...In October any wonderful unexpected thing might be possible.”
― Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond

13 comments:

Pom Pom said...

Those are my flickers. I sent them straight to you because I knew they'd be happy and safe there. Smile.
We have scrub jays, too. They are noisy!
I call the birds with my phone app and Bill says, "Should you be doing that? You don't know what you are saying to them." True.
Have a great day. I'm sorry it's still hot. It's going to be a little too warm here today. Boo.

Kim said...

It's a beautiful fall day here too. No pretty birds to watch though, unless you count the hundreds of noisy, bossy crows. They like to wake me up

TexWisGirl said...

thanks for sharing your bird conversations. :)

Alica said...

This made me smile! To hear you describe the birds, their noises and their antics...poor little Pointy Head Jr! "Nobody likes me...everybody hates me...I'm gonna go eat worms (oops...bugs!)"

Nancy's Notes said...

Love birds, they make me so happy! They are indeed a gift!!!

Kessie said...

At least the animals know that it's fall! Out here it feels like Santa Anas--dry, hot wind. Except we're the desert, so I don't know what you call them here. It's always this last week of September, isn't it?

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Yes, in California, at least the southern half of it, we really know how to imagine autumn don't we! So fun to read about the birds and the names you have given them. We have Pointy Heads here too, though I never before knew what they were. They are very acrobatic when catching bugs that are completely invisible to me. Birds must have truly amazing eyesight!

Nellie said...

What a sight to see! We don't have those birds here, as far as I know. Hoping there will be some rain coming your way! xo Nellie

Debbie said...

hehehehe...i loved all the captions under the bird images. you can get those pictures you know.....

doing a rain dance here, for you and for me. we need it but not as badly as you!!!!!

Janettessage.blogspot.com said...

This was such an enjoyable read. It is still hot here and really seems to call to the lake more than fall cooking. I am also enjoying the birds, ours are different from the ones you see. We all enjoyed watching the hummingbird in our morning glories. I will miss my morning glories. I am also Praising God for you sight.............He is so faithful.

GretchenJoanna said...

It is glorious that you have so many species of birds to watch! I wonder if in my new back yard I will have some new ones... I'm trying to plant lots of the kinds of plants they like.

Lowcarb team member said...

Hi - I've just come across from Debbie's blog. Enjoyed this post very much. Birds are great aren't they ... they all have different bird song!

All the best Jan

Larkrise garden girl said...

I love the way you wrote about the birds. I have been reading a book H is for hawk and enjoying it. Hugs cheri