Archive through December 24, 2012

[jbaker]

Dang archive bug

 

[cmcleod]

Jeff B,

this pic is toooo funny .hahaha..thanks for sharing.

Cathleen

 

[dschwandt]

All this talk about crashed combines on the main thread brought back some memories for me from 1966. I had just gotten out of the army and began work for a trucking company near here. I was only about 40 miles from home after loading my trailer with shell eggs for the run to the east coast. It was 2 days before Christmas and the combine season was running way late.

Many farmers were on the roads w/their equipment and I had met quite a few that day so this one was no suprise, that is untill a car clipped the rear steer axle and instantly the unit was way left of center and in my lap. The truck was a brand new '65 Diamont T "glider kit" that the co had just completed.

To this day, when I meet farm equipment on the road, I always think of that day. Could have very well ended my trucking career before I even hit 2nd gear! Close to 5 million miles later, I'm glad it's over....well, most of the time anyway! Seat belts, seat belts, seat belts.....Ya better believe I use 'em!!

Dave S

 

[kmcconaughey]

David, WOW! That could have ended more than your trucking career...

 

[kmcconaughey]

A few times a year a Fox Squirrel will visit my property. One has been hanging around quite a bit the past few days. I got some photos of him/her this morning. I also got some of the birds visiting my feeder.

Check out those claws!

I need to clean my windows.

 

[kmcconaughey]

"Snow... Yummy!"

"My paws are cold!"

 

[aaytay]

Kraig-
That second pic down with the squirrel's arms crossed makes him look like a hip-hop rapper...a fat hip-hop rapper.

Foxy-Zee-Jay...

 

[wshytle]

Kraig-

Neat pics and Art is right. I didn't know they even did that but it sure makes sense. I learned the other day that a raccoons sensitive hands aren't affected at all by super cold water as they forage the shallows.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Art,

Wayne, it's the first time I've ever seen one fold it's "arms" like that. The temps were barely above zero something like 2 or 3°F above at the time. Interesting to hear about the raccoons hands not being effected by cold, I'd not heard that before, never thought about it before either.

 

[cmcleod]

David, shuttering at the mention of the what happened and the pics. I certainly believe in seat belts. Never leave home without buckling up. sure glad you and everyone else were OK.!
I have to say that farm machinery on the road is so dangerous and around here they don't always respect other drivers on the road nor allow for safe distance for others. I really dread harvest and planting seasons in Iowa and am really a defensive driver.!!

Kraig, GREAT Pics. The one of the squirrel with his little paws curled up is really something. the pics of the winged ones are amazing. I was surprized of the coloring on the purple finches for this time of year. I didnt think they would have that much coloring in the winter?

Cathleen

 

[kmcconaughey]

Cathleen, thanks.

Those are actually House Finches not Purple Finches.

 

[aschumacher]

Kraig, gotta go find my bird book, I called them Purple Finches also. Mine have left for the winter. Maybe you should tell yours to go south and join Gerry for the winter !

 

[kmcconaughey]

Allen, Cathleen, Purple Finches are more purple than red and have less brown on the head around the eyes. House Finches are red with more brown on the head around the eyes.

 

[wshytle]

Heck, I thought they were a variety of tanagers. We have red (summer) tanagers around here and the first time I saw them I thought they were red sparrows.

Shows how much I know.

 

[aschumacher]

OK, so I went and asked my wife, who without looking said House Finch. After she looked she said 'Yes, it's a house finch'. <font size="-2">Smart woman I married !</font>

 

[cmcleod]

sparrow, finches. lol. Tanagers. Now Wayne, I knew they weren't tanagers. giggles. hahaha. Now, I knew they were house finches, so why oh why did I call them purple finches.?? another one of my oh so angel moments? yeppers. I am so embarressed as I studied birds for years and learned alot and I just blew it all out of the water by my goof here. geez louise, and yes, you do have a SMART wife Allen.! smiles. As far as sparrows, there really aren't any RED sparrows, except for the little fox sparrows? does anyone know how many kind of sparrows there are? when I lived in the country we managed to log 78 different birds that migrated through one year. I was so elated that we actually had rose breasted grosbeaks that nested that year, and eastern bluebirds that nested in the boxes that my ex made. Actually he made them and didn't put them up. I said, put one up. He did and as we walked back to the house we turned around and there was a pair of bluebirds checking out the house and then they moved in.! that was so cool. each year they returned on march 26th and every year on july 4th they called their fledglings out of the box. like clockwork. One year he found a robin that was displaced from the nest. He brought it in the house, we wrapped it in rags for the night, and the next day, it became my wee one and it actually imprinted on me and I became momma Robin for the summer. I named her ( not sure) Eeek Eeek, and it was amazing raising her, and I certainly learned alot about robins, their language and birds in general. She would follow me around the yard and once she learned to fly, she would come when called, and she loved to freak me out, like she was going to dive bomb me, but landing on my shoulder at the last minute. She was to cool for words. I actually have a few pics of her, and I will scan them and put them up. have to find them in my mess of a drawer.

cathleen

 

[kmcconaughey]

Cathleen, how cool to have raised a Robin! I have multiple Bluebird houses that get used each year. They are now about 20 years old. A couple of them that used to be out in the open now have trees grown up around them. I may have to replace/relocate them. Way back when I was a preteen my two older sisters and I nursed a male Rose Breasted Grosbeak back to health after it flew into our patio door. It was bleeding out of it's beak and was quite stunned. We kept it for several weeks until it appeared healthy. When we let it go it flew off. To this day they are one of my favorite birds. They pass through my area each year but are only around for a week or so. Here's a couple photos of two pairs that passed through back in May 2009.

 

[wshytle]

Speaking of bluebird houses...does anyone know the proper time of the year to clean them or should I continue to just leave them alone? I have put up probably twenty through the years since I have so many fields around the house. I always wanted a martin house (skeeter eaters) but I understand they can be a lot of work.

 

[jchamberlin]

Great photos, Kraig. Does National Geographic know about your work? You could spend months in Antarctica or Africa photographing birds with your talent and equipment.

 

[elincoln]

About 7:45 this morning I caught this picture of Indian Henrys camp fire, Mount Rainier looks like a column of smoke is comming off of the top.