Birds of a Feather

We have all kinds of birds on the farm including many, many hawks or falcons.  This one was swooping low over the pasture this afternoon.  It reminded me of the time we came home to find an injured falcon on the lane.  I tried to catch him, but he had enough strength to run into the tall hay.  I tell myself he recovered just fine.

 

  

This is the time of year when the bald eagles are around.  They love to sit in the trees along the river.

This pigeon stayed around the farm for a few days.  We wondered if it was a runaway homing pigeon.

Of course, we have pheasants, less now that the neighbors don't raise them.  They are loud and bossy.  One winter, a certain rooster crowed at me every morning when I went out to do chores.  The other day Jasmine spooked out a rooster.  She doesn't do that when it is hunting season, which is just fine with me.

 

  

  

We have an abundance of magpies.  This poor fellow actually has a fox behind him.  That brown blob behind him hung around the farm for quite a while one year.  Sorry about the grainy photo.  I took it from very far away and had to crop it significantly.  Once a magpie seemed to either play with or harrass Gilligan.  It followed the cat everywhere.  I never got a good shot, but it was entertaining.

  

These two owls spent a couple of days in the pine trees right by the carport.  They would hoot back and forth and make a huge ruckus.  

  

This tom had quite a few hens in his harem.  They came out like clockwork every morning and evening the whole time Boyd planted safflower last year.  They lived in the trees along the river. 

This flock of swans made their home along the Bear River.  I took this picture from the South Farm looking west.  I snapped it the morning of the day my dad died.  The irony of it all is that you can see this location from where he is buried in the cemetery.

This group of pelicans spent a good part of last summer right across the river from our farm.  I find pelicans fascinating.  It is a rush to be standing underneath them when they take off and fly right over your head.  The sound of their wings beating the air is awe-inspiring.

  

  

We don't seem to lack when it comes to geese.  One year they took up residence in our hay field just off the house.  We let Buddy do his thing and try to herd them.  I couldn't believe how close they let him get.

I can't resist saying that this blog was "for the birds".   Sounds like something my dad would say.