The Madley Report

I often enjoy reading The Lehrer Report in the weekly paper; it's a great little old-timey column with short comments on gardens, weather, and local people and places.  In response, here is The Madley Report for the month thus far:

The tomato plants are heavy with green tomatoes.  With a little luck and sunshine, they will soon start to ripen.  Some of the Cherokee White Eagle corn is presenting two ears on one stalk; this corn will make beautiful blue cornbread in the winter.  The summer squash are producing predominately male blossoms, which causes a fruiting problem.

The apple tree in the front yard needs pruning, despite its abundant load of summer apples.  With a taller ladder, I could harvest more for dehydrating.

A hummingbird flew by my window this week; it was attracted to the large purple butterfly bush and new crocosmia.

Last week I walked up Huntington Street to see that the entire wooded area at the top has been leveled for "luxury" homes. The road has been renamed "Heartbreak Hill." 

Winter: Fierce or Fluffy?

Mid-August Pictures

Just a few of my favourite pictures from the week -- a little frog on a black-eyed susan, the amazing wing of a Buckeye chick, the Deerfield River, and my first home-grown pod of Jacob's Cattle beans.

Chicks: Redux

These week we received a beautiful assortment of chicks (to replace those we sadly lost earlier this summer), and they are just the fluffiest, cutest things.  The first set we ordered through Amherst Farmers Supply; the second we special ordered through MyPetChicken.  I was very pleased with the chicks and service from both.
Our newest arrivals: black austrolorp, buff orpington, speckled sussex, silver-laced wyandotte, buckeye.

I have eight (two of which I'm holding for a friend) of these little chicks peeping and scampering all day long, except when they're peacefully sleeping.  I could sit and watch them and listen to their cooing and scrabbling all day.
They arrived fresh on Tuesday and have already noticeably grown and gained weight.  They are curious and active and healthy and already scratching at food and perching, and even have yogurt fights! 
More to come~

Squirrels and Bears and Raccons -- oh my!

How amazed were we the other day when a raccoon showed up in our lilac bush, seeking out the birdfeeder hanging there?  We had seen far too many squirrels and their gymnastic manner of procuring food from the feeders; we had seen a bear tear our feeders from their perches and devour everything inside; and occasionally, we even actually see birds enjoying a meal.  But until the other day, we had not yet seen a raccoon go after the birdseed.

It happened something like this: Mr. Madley saw a quick shadow go around the side of the garage but did not get a glimpse of what the creature was, and within moments I was watching a raccoon out the kitchen window, climbing through our lilac, breaking branches as she sniffed around.  Finally, she found what she was looking for -- the feeder -- and she went at it.  Not as light as the squirrels, and with longer fingers and paws, her position in the lilac was a bit precarious as she approached the branches with the feeder.  But she managed to reach her target and proceeded top open the feeder, reach inside, pour out seed, and eat some before she knocked the contraption to the ground.  (Seeing it on the ground like that makes me think that this is not the first time she has visited -- I have picked that feeder up at least 2-3 times previously.)

We thought seriously about scaring her away, as we sometimes do the squirrels, and next time we probably will, but I had never seen a raccoon in action so close before and was mesmerized.  Besides, who can refuse a nursing mother delicious free food the day before Mother's Day?

All these critters coming to my house for meals.  Maybe I should open a restaurant....

PS -- Just saw the lady again, walking down the street, right up our driveway, across our walk to the front step, and then around the side of the house to the back.  A brave, hungry mama.

The Hawk in the Tree

This fine fellow was hanging out in a tree just down the street from me, being harassed by a few crows.

Quite a handsome creature, wouldn't you say?
He sat watching me while I took pictures, and then was chased away by the crows.

In Flight

Friday, the most amazing thing happened.
I guess in the whole scheme of things, it actually wasn't the most amazing thing, but it certainly was a wonder, to me.
Driving to and from work on Rt 47, I've recently been seeing many hawks swooping over the road and into the trees on either side.  They come close to my car, nearly brushing it sometimes, or they just sit in a tree over the road, but I've been seeing more than usual.
Friday afternoon I was driving home, and I saw a bird land with precision on the road.  Seeing it from a distance, I thought perhaps it was a crow after some roadkill, but as I approached, I saw that it was indeed a hawk.  It watched as my car came closer, looking into my eyes to determine if I would stop or if it needed to take off into flight.  With no other cars around, I came to a slow stop, just feet away from the hawk who, comfortable in the knowledge I wasn't going to hit it with the car, poked its beak around something rather freshly dead.  Satisfied with what it had found, it scooped it up and flew away, its red tail fully spread.
The whole episode took seconds; if I had been faster, perhaps I could have pulled out my camera and filmed it.  But instead I sat in my car, feeling in awe of the wonders of nature.

The Neighbours

Our local turkey family came calling yesterday afternoon -- mama, papa, and six little ones.  They spent some time picking through the back yard, visiting the garden fence, and dining around the bird feeder.
(Photos taken through my old dirty windows are usually less than satisfactory, but you get the general idea.)

It was so fun watching them hang out at our house, taking advantage of our hospitality.  Made my day!

UMass Falcons

The peregrine falcon has a sad and difficult history in the Eastern United States, with the use of DDT on crops causing the falcon eggs to be thin-shelled and to break under the weight of parent birds during incubation.  By 1966 it seemed that peregrine falcons in Massachusetts were a thing of the past.  When DDT was banned in 1972 (30 years ago), efforts were made to reestablish the falcon, and now there are more than a dozen nesting pairs in Massachusetts.
The UMass Du Bois Library is home to one of these nesting pairs, and they have laid eggs.  You can watch the falcons, and hopefully the chicks in upcoming weeks, from the webcam on the library roof.
Enjoy your view of the birds!

Swan in the Pond

The Kestrel Land Trust has some beautiful conservation land that I'm just beginning to discover.  The other day, Mr Madley and I were cycling/hiking/walking and found a lovely bit of it on Lake Warner.  And this lovely bit had some lovely birds.
For example, the swan:

The Kestrel Land Trust is a special charitable trust founded to assist conservation, protect watersheds, provide walking trails, and create passive recreation areas.  Visit their website to learn more.

A Bird in the Bush...

Happy Thanksgiving

The Rocky Hill turkey was out this afternoon wishing all the passersby a happy Thanksgiving (the larger turkey family was out this morning with similar well-wishes).

I hope you are thinking of many many things to be thankful for this holiday.

Autumn Migrations

I love migration season -- when the geese fly overhead and different birds visit our yard for a day or two to feed before heading out again.  I thoroughly enjoy listening to Bird Songs on the River with Joan Holliday and Dan Ziomek from the Hadley Garden Center, as they feature the migratory birds.  And I love seeing unfamiliar birds while driving familiar routes.
On my way to work this week and last, there's been a visitor on Rt 47 south in the lows of the fields by the river:

According to my Sibley's, based on leg color, beak color, and neck length, it looks to be a great egret, either a juvenile or an adult during this nonbreeding season.  What a beauty.  Makes my day every afternoon to see it among the grasses and water.

Our Guardian Catbird

I like to take my cat out in the afternoons for a few minutes. He loves to roll around on the cement, eat grass, and take in the atmosphere.  His being outside, however, makes the birds very anxious, and there are generally quite a few who congregate in the nearby trees and bushes wailing out warnings to the other birds and small creatures in the vicinity.  The first to notice and take offense is one of our catbirds, who perches in the firebush and screeches and squawks until we both go back inside.

Just the other evening, the catbird was out in the bush with its youngster in tow -- a family outing to badger the resident cat (though young catbird didn't bother with the cat at all, preferring instead to dance through the branches of the bush).
Our guardian catbird.

The Fledgling at the Feeder

This little darling is becoming a regular visitor at our feeder for breakfast in the morning with papa.  He sometimes hops around the base of the feeder picking for seeds, but more often he's found in the lilac waiting for papa cardinal to bring him some tasty vittles to get the day started.

There's another young cardinal that has been coming to the feeder, also, but he doesn't seem to be part of this family -- papa cardinal scolds him if they're there at the same time.

Wildlife Sanctuary -- Our Back Yard

Mr Madley and I like to believe our yard can be a wildlife sanctuary of sorts for birds and butterflies and lightning bugs and bees.  We plant flowers and fruit trees and bushes to attract the butterflies and bees, and we let the grass grow long to give protection to the lightning bugs.  We love to see new and unusual (for us) birds at the bird feeders (like last week when we saw a beautiful rose-breasted grosbeak, whose mate is at the feeder as I write this).  We even like spotting the rabbits, despite their tendency to decimate my garden.  And so it was a blast to look out my kitchen window this morning and see a pair of turkeys tranquilly enjoying the tall grass and the warm sunshine in our back yard.

I know I live in Western Massachusetts, where whole flocks of turkeys can be found dining in front lawns, but it's not so very common at my house when I'm home to see them.  It was a happy way to start this summery week.

Our Cardinal

One of the male cardinals that makes residence near our house.  Isn't he a handsome fellow?

Turkey Crossing

Rocky Hill Road residents have started a "slow down, save the turkeys" campaign.  If you've driven, walked, or ridden up Rocky Hill Road recently, you may have noticed the signs:

(Click on pictures to get a fuller view of the signs.)

I think the message is pretty clear -- slow down on Rocky Hill -- and always be on the lookout for kids, pets, and turkeys (and cyclists).  And it's a worthwhile message.  I know people zip up and down that road, and I have frequently seen this local flock of turkeys feeding on someone's front lawn, one member of which I recently saw dead along the side of the road. 
Please -- be mindful, be cognizant, be considerate.  Help keep our children, our friends, our pets, and our local wildlife alive and safe.
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Update:
5/18: If you've driven on Rocky Hill recently, you may have noticed that the "turkey" signs are missing. Nick Grabbe reports in today's Daily Hampshire Gazette that the signs were vandalized last week and that Police Chief Hukowicz is ordering and paying for two replacement "turkey crossing" signs.

5/20: Here's the article about the Police Chief replacing the signs:
http://www.amherstbulletin.com/story/id/207722/

The Best Bird Day So Far

This has been the best bird day.  As I write this, our Carolina Wren is hanging from the suet feeder.  I have a special affection for the Carolina Wren, though I can't rightly say why. Maybe it's their rareness at my feeders, or maybe it's their beautiful songs, or maybe it's just their shape.

Mrs. Cardinal is in the bush, showing off her brilliant orange beak and red-tinted wing and tail feathers.  She and Mr. Cardinal, who has also made a showing today, are frequent visitors to our feeders, but never stop amazing me with their colours.

Earlier this morning (this was immediately posted to my twitter feed) while I was writing the post on the snow storm, a red-tailed hawk swooped in and perched on a telephone pole just across the street form my window.  He sat there for a few minutes surveying the territory before flying off.  What a magnificent sight.

I just identified my first American Tree Sparrow -- with the bi-coloured beak -- one of the sparrows I've been trying to identify.  I had thought it was an American Tree Sparrow, but I had to see it through binoculars to see the beak.  I'm quite excited to know what it is!

Shortly thereafter I saw my first red-bellied woodpecker since moving from Belchertown to Hadley.


And between all these, I am watching black-capped chickadees, goldfinches, robins, mourning doves, house sparrows, dark-eyed juncos, tufted titmice, downy woodpeckers, and an assortment of other small birds.  I wonder if we'll see turkeys in our yard this year.

Later this afternoon (I'm editing the post to add this), a flock of robins came flying to our apple tree and red-berry bush (possibly some type of holly?), and along with these robins came cedar waxwings!  I have never seen these in person (only in photos), and I have been hoping to see some ever since I found out about them.  At least four of them in our apple tree right now!  They are beautiful. 
Yes, this has been the best bird day so far.

Find out about birds by clicking on the links above or by visiting All About Birds by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

I think, perhaps, I should join a birding club....

(This post was delayed by a day.)

Breakfast for the Birds

On a day like today, the birds are more concerned with getting their share of the food than if there's someone in the kitchen taking pictures of them.  Here's part of the breakfast bunch (house sparrows, cardinals, titmice, juncos, chickadees, unidentified finches and sparrows, downy woodpeckers, mourning doves):

(The pictures were taken inside, during the storm before 8am, so if they're a little on the dark side, and a little on the fuzzy side, I hope you'll understand.)

I certainly am enjoying the show this morning!