The weather has turned wild at Shell Beach, snow is expected in the surrounding high areas and the crows are ruffled. I have been feeding a pair of crows each day about 10:00 AM each day. They were right on time this morning. It is funny how they can tell time- do they have a pocket watch?? I looked out and they were hanging on the telephone wires and their feathers were blowing every which way. It is really blowing hard out there. I have to be careful when I feed the crows as there are many ravenous seagulls about. They will fly down and steal the food away from the crows just like that. This morning the gulls were not around so I put two pieces of meat out for the crows. The brave one came right down to the railing and got a piece. Then the shy one came down and got the other piece of meat. Right after that the seagulls showed up so I could not feed the crows anymore food. However- I do believe they will be back tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM unless it is raining very hard.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Birds in Shell Beach
Since the weather in Napa was dreary and too much like winter, we decided to rent Casa Serena in Shell Beach, CA once again for a month. The only downside to this trip was the fact that Raven had started to come around for peanuts and a look at us at our Napa home. But Raven never forgets a favorite food so I believe he will be back when we return home and the peanuts appear once again!
Shell Beach is a lovely little village on the Central Coast of California near Pismo Beach- a varied mix of beach bungalows and mansions. There is a very Tudor style mansion near our abode that hangs over the sea and the daffodils are blooming all around the house. It looks likea manor house in England. No one is ever home. It is lovely to have such a place but a shame not to have time to visit it. Ah well- I peer in the gates every evening as we walk the 2 blocks to watch the sunsets with the neighbors and their dogs. The house has several follies in the yard- a windmill, a tower for Rapunzle, and an oriental tea house- quite the place.
Every evening I go down to where the rocks are exposed at the edge of the Pacific ocean. I am looking for black oyster catchers. I think these are the cutest birds with their bright red bills. They hunt and peck on the rocks looking for sea worms and other tasty things to eat. They are usually found in pairs and make alot of noise if disturbed. They walk around the seagulls that are sitting on the rocks as they peck along. They are black like ravens so maybe that is why I like them.
Most evenings we have a pair of peregrine falcons that come and perch on two century plants that are across the street from Casa Serena. There are many song birds around here so I think the falcons come to look for a before bed snack. I have never seen peregrine falcons up close, so this is special. I have my spotting scope trained on them in the evenings.
Another bird is found here that I have not seen before- a ring neck white dove. I looked in my bird book and it says located around Los Angeles. We are a couple hundred miles north from there, so maybe their range is expanding.
We have been putting nuts, cheerios, and bread crumbs out on the deck railing that is in the front of the house and faces the ocean. Yesterday a very curious crow came and sat on the telephone wire that is close to the deck railing. He scooted along the wire so that he could get a good look at Chuck and at the food. Chuck talked to him and crow was taking it all in. Another crow came to join the first one. The second one was brave and went over to the rail and got some food. The first one was very shy and the second very bold- seems that is the way with birds and humans.
Last night it was somewhat stormy and a pair of black crowned night herons came and sat in a tree across from our balcony. They were quite beautiful and I love the little white feather that extends from their head down their back. I think they were there for protection from the wind.
Today is a lovely day so out we go to walk the dunes. I am sure I will see some sea birds that are new to me. Life is wonderful with so many of nature's wonders to observe.
Shell Beach is a lovely little village on the Central Coast of California near Pismo Beach- a varied mix of beach bungalows and mansions. There is a very Tudor style mansion near our abode that hangs over the sea and the daffodils are blooming all around the house. It looks likea manor house in England. No one is ever home. It is lovely to have such a place but a shame not to have time to visit it. Ah well- I peer in the gates every evening as we walk the 2 blocks to watch the sunsets with the neighbors and their dogs. The house has several follies in the yard- a windmill, a tower for Rapunzle, and an oriental tea house- quite the place.
Every evening I go down to where the rocks are exposed at the edge of the Pacific ocean. I am looking for black oyster catchers. I think these are the cutest birds with their bright red bills. They hunt and peck on the rocks looking for sea worms and other tasty things to eat. They are usually found in pairs and make alot of noise if disturbed. They walk around the seagulls that are sitting on the rocks as they peck along. They are black like ravens so maybe that is why I like them.
Most evenings we have a pair of peregrine falcons that come and perch on two century plants that are across the street from Casa Serena. There are many song birds around here so I think the falcons come to look for a before bed snack. I have never seen peregrine falcons up close, so this is special. I have my spotting scope trained on them in the evenings.
Another bird is found here that I have not seen before- a ring neck white dove. I looked in my bird book and it says located around Los Angeles. We are a couple hundred miles north from there, so maybe their range is expanding.
We have been putting nuts, cheerios, and bread crumbs out on the deck railing that is in the front of the house and faces the ocean. Yesterday a very curious crow came and sat on the telephone wire that is close to the deck railing. He scooted along the wire so that he could get a good look at Chuck and at the food. Chuck talked to him and crow was taking it all in. Another crow came to join the first one. The second one was brave and went over to the rail and got some food. The first one was very shy and the second very bold- seems that is the way with birds and humans.
Last night it was somewhat stormy and a pair of black crowned night herons came and sat in a tree across from our balcony. They were quite beautiful and I love the little white feather that extends from their head down their back. I think they were there for protection from the wind.
Today is a lovely day so out we go to walk the dunes. I am sure I will see some sea birds that are new to me. Life is wonderful with so many of nature's wonders to observe.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Raven in the Redwood Tree
This morning Chuck saw a raven sitting in the top of the redwood tree in the front yard. This is FIRST time we have seen a raven come down near our house! Yippee! There is hope. I had put out some peanuts this morning for the blue jays. Perhaps the raven saw the nuts in the driveway. I immediately ran out and put a fresh egg in the platform feeder and some more peanuts too. On Friday I am going up to Mt. Veeder to visit the ravens up there. I have been storing up chicken parts in the freezer, so I have treats to take with me. I will throw in some peanuts as well. Ravens really like peanuts. It is so funny to watch the jays inspect the peanuts. They do just what the ravens do. They pick up each one and shake it, then they pick the one that they like best. Can't be too picky when it comes to peanuts.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Ravens in the Neighborhood
The weather has been so nice lately, so I have been outside poking around the yard. Someone ate the egg in the platform feeder! There were traces of shell left and that is all. Yesterday I heard a pair of ravens while I was in the yard. They were talking back and forth, doing their raven thing. I can hear a raven call immediately if there is one, and it is music to my ears. I could determine the direction of the sound but it was across the creek and I have no access to the creek. This is so different than on Mt. Veeder where I could walk acres without any fences or barriers. Here it is all fences and no access. Denied only for people, not the birds-fortunately for them. Hearing the ravens gave me a happy feeling because I know there is a raven pair in the neighborhood. I put out a cooked chicken carcass on the driveway thinking this might lure a raven in, but no luck. No animal or bird bothered it so that indicates that there are no raccoons around here. That is surprising because the creek runs through the yard next door. Everyone that visited our house had to comment on the carcass in the driveway, so I finally gave up and removed it. I have not given up the raven search however. Every few days I hear the ravens. They are here somewhere. I do have a bird following in my little space in Napa Valley. Every time I go out into the yard, the blue jays show up. I look like a big peanut to them. I oblige them by putting out the nuts. The crows show up every morning about 8:30 AM looking for said nuts. If I am not too lazy, I get up and put some out for the crows. So life in the burbs is OK and there are many birds around. We have a little tit mouse who comes for black oil sunflower seeds. What a cute little fellow. We have many American Goldfinches at the niger seed feeder. So all is well in the flatlands of Napa Valley.
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Ravens of Elk, California
This past weekend we went to a gig with the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers. It was held at the Greenwood Pier Inn in the tiny hamlet of Elk, California. Elk is on the north coast in Mendocino County. Our location at the Inn was on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This afforded a great view of a nearby promontory where there lived- what else? a pair of nosy ravens. Ah yes the ravens would fly by the windows and check us out. Oh alas and alack, I had no eggs but I did have some delicious oatmeal, walnut and raisen cookies from a bakery in Healdsburg. I broke up the cookies and put a piece out on the little deck- whap- raven scooped it up. I loved to see his tail feathers spread open as he prepared to almost land and scoop up the cookie. I repeated this process until I ran out of cookies. Only a little piece was left and a Stellar's jay came in and got it. What fun for me!
Over the promotory there had to be strong thermal winds. The ravens would hang in the air above the ground for minutes at a time. They looked like Harriers or Marsh Hawks in this regard. I had never seen ravens do this behavior. They also gave great aerial displays, shooting upward and then diving straight down toward the ground. The pair often flew in tandem- side by side and then one right over the other. The Blue Angels could get some ideas from this pair. It was a great sight to see. I also always appreciate hearing the raven calls as they are sorely lacking at my new house. It was a great weekend for raven watching and Scottish music.
Over the promotory there had to be strong thermal winds. The ravens would hang in the air above the ground for minutes at a time. They looked like Harriers or Marsh Hawks in this regard. I had never seen ravens do this behavior. They also gave great aerial displays, shooting upward and then diving straight down toward the ground. The pair often flew in tandem- side by side and then one right over the other. The Blue Angels could get some ideas from this pair. It was a great sight to see. I also always appreciate hearing the raven calls as they are sorely lacking at my new house. It was a great weekend for raven watching and Scottish music.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Where did they go?
Well here it is the New Year in the flatlands. All is well and the sun is shining. Chuck was outside and saw two ravens flying overhead. He came and called to me. We hurried back out the door nearly getting stuck as we both went through the door at the same time! Alas and alack, they had flown away. No stopping for the lonely egg that resides on the platform feeder. Yesterday I heard a pair of ravens having a conversation but I could not locate them. My good binoculors got lost in the move so I must get a new pair so I can see the birds. The spotting scope is too large to haul around for a quick look. My bird feeder area in front of my sewing window is very busy. I have a black oil sunflower tube feeder, a suet feeder and a niger sock out there. A very pretty woodpecker comes to the suet feeder. I am not sure what kind it is- I was so used to the piliated woodpeckers up on the mountain. Now I have this pretty little guy. The gold finches are here eating the niger seeds. The sunflower seeds attract the chickadees and the red breasted and the white breasted nuthatches. The nuthatches also go for the suet. I also saw a tit mouse the other day.
My most enjoyment comes from the scrub jays. I began by putting peanuts in the shell out on the driveway to attract the ravens or the crows. The crows came but were too slow and would only get about half of the peanuts because the jays would dive in and pick up the nuts right in front of them. I never did see a raven come for a nut. So sad. So I figured if the jays liked the nuts so much I would see if they would come closer to the house. I began to put the nuts on the railing of the porch. Bingo-they came and got the nuts off the railing. NOW- when I get up in the morning, there is a jay sitting on the railing waiting for breakfast! How soon they learn who the bird lovers are. They are so funny- just like the ravens. They pick up each nut and shake it. They want to get the BIGGEST and BEST one. Then they go and hide the nut in the ivy under the redwood trees. Then they are back for another nut- lickity split. I wonder if they ever retrieve the hidden nuts? I will have to watch and see if I can see them retrieve one. So life goes on with or without a friendly raven- but I have not given up the quest. I may have to find a pair over in the open space and walk over there most days with a food treat. I can do that.
My most enjoyment comes from the scrub jays. I began by putting peanuts in the shell out on the driveway to attract the ravens or the crows. The crows came but were too slow and would only get about half of the peanuts because the jays would dive in and pick up the nuts right in front of them. I never did see a raven come for a nut. So sad. So I figured if the jays liked the nuts so much I would see if they would come closer to the house. I began to put the nuts on the railing of the porch. Bingo-they came and got the nuts off the railing. NOW- when I get up in the morning, there is a jay sitting on the railing waiting for breakfast! How soon they learn who the bird lovers are. They are so funny- just like the ravens. They pick up each nut and shake it. They want to get the BIGGEST and BEST one. Then they go and hide the nut in the ivy under the redwood trees. Then they are back for another nut- lickity split. I wonder if they ever retrieve the hidden nuts? I will have to watch and see if I can see them retrieve one. So life goes on with or without a friendly raven- but I have not given up the quest. I may have to find a pair over in the open space and walk over there most days with a food treat. I can do that.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Chuck sees a Raven
Chuck was laying in the back yard in the sun the other day when a raven flew right over him. The raven had something in it's beak. Oh so exciting! I keep hoping a raven will see the chicken egg in the platform feeder. So far no takers. Every morning I put some peanuts in the shell into the platform feeder with the egg. The blue jays appear like magic! This morning it is cold and rainy. I looked out and there were two disgruntled looking blue jays sitting on the fence near the feeder. They looked mighty unhappy. I went out and put the peanuts in the tray and they were on those nuts in a New York minute! I have to believe it improved their mood.
Yesterday I went up to Mt. Veeder to feed the ravens. It was cold, foggy, and raining. I noticed the power was out and there were many PG&E trucks around. Just another fall/winter day on Mt. Veeder! As I approached the raven territory, the fog drifted to ground level. Oh darn- the ravens dislike fog and rain and tend to be quiet and not fly about in this weather. I parked and got out of the car. I could hear no raven sounds at all and could see little in the fog. I called RAVEN several times, but no response. So I left the food in a spot near their redwood tree and headed for home and the warmth of my remote controlled gas fireplace! It is not as lovely as a wood fire but it sure is a whole lot easier to start and no logs to handle. I do marvel at the beauty of Mt. Veeder everytime I go up there- only 9 miles from town but a place apart. When I am sad about moving- I know I can always go up there and be with the ravens and redwood trees in 20 minutes or less.
Yesterday I went up to Mt. Veeder to feed the ravens. It was cold, foggy, and raining. I noticed the power was out and there were many PG&E trucks around. Just another fall/winter day on Mt. Veeder! As I approached the raven territory, the fog drifted to ground level. Oh darn- the ravens dislike fog and rain and tend to be quiet and not fly about in this weather. I parked and got out of the car. I could hear no raven sounds at all and could see little in the fog. I called RAVEN several times, but no response. So I left the food in a spot near their redwood tree and headed for home and the warmth of my remote controlled gas fireplace! It is not as lovely as a wood fire but it sure is a whole lot easier to start and no logs to handle. I do marvel at the beauty of Mt. Veeder everytime I go up there- only 9 miles from town but a place apart. When I am sad about moving- I know I can always go up there and be with the ravens and redwood trees in 20 minutes or less.
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