SkyWatch #37

Welcome to a farm field in northeast Iowa. I had other plans for my SkyWatch post, but this morning a flock of gulls landed in our hayfield, securing themselves as first choice for today’s SkyWatch.

A search in my Birds of Iowa Field Guide informs me that these are most likely Ring-Billed Gulls, stopping at our field for a rest and a snack during their spring migration northward.

Besides the gulls, you also get to see what the sky looked like here this morning. It was overcast then, but this afternoon the sun is shining brightly!

Please visit the official SkyWatch website to find links to beautiful sky scenes from around the world. As always, many thanks to the SkyWatch team.

Oriole Nest

Hanging high in a soft maple tree above our house is this home of an oriole, easier to see now that the leaves have retreated from the branches:

The nest is most likely constructed of hairs from cows' tails and baling twine fibers.

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Notice, too----and, isn't it amazing----the leaves only recently have fallen off the tree and already new leaf buds have formed.......they wait patiently through the whole winter for the arrival of another spring! What a hopeful sign!

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A happy day to all!

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Bird-Cloud Brainstorm

So, after reading the various comments to her Rapture post, Jeannelle fled outdoors to try and find some peace in the pasture. But, behold.......the dark thoughts continued to swarm around her:

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She mulled over her new-found acquaintance with Ralph and her old-found acquaintance with Rhymsie. Mull.....mull. After a time and a time, the heavy thoughts began to lift and wing themselves away, and the sky seemed to brighten. Jeannelle realized that she and her blog readers have MUCH in common........they all have the same basic needs.........for a roof over their heads, nutritious food to eat, warm clothing to wear, adequate rest........AND electricity to power their computers and the internet so they all can keep on blogging their opinions!! She decided that she truly won't worry about the End-Times until electricity and internet are snatched away by whatever Big Brother comes to power. These four Muse-wannabes reminded Jeannelle to direct her election musings away from religion and toward agriculture. Vote for the candidate whose platform is most supportive of agriculture, they advised. Affordable food is very important.......if farmers fail.......everything will eventually fail. And now, agriculture is starting to provide fuel for our vehicles, too, so that makes ag doubly important.
In Iowa, we have another rapidly-growing industry........wind farms producing electricity, and factories building wind turbine components. I just read the other day that Iowa is now 3rd in the nation in wind-energy producing capacity. That's cool!! And, I can attest, that here on our farm, it is almost always windy......from the actual wind, even!

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The birdstorm-cloud eventually landed in this tree......and they second everything written above!!

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Now.......I must get busy and study up on which presidential candidate is most supportive of agriculture and wind energy.........see ya later!!!

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Silage, Poop, Birds, Hoofs

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Well.......what could those four items possibly have in common? Silage......Poop.......Birds.........Hoofs? On this warm September Saturday, they are all FLYING around on this farm!! Add my feet to that list, too! This post serves to allay your fears that perhaps ALL I do is blog.

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First of all........corn is being chopped, by our neighbor in his weirdo GREEN tractor. The chopped corn is blown into the wagon trailing behind........sort of like "flying" into the wagon, for my post purposes, anyhow.

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There are two active fliers in this next photo: birds and cow manure; plus one potential group of fliers: heifer hoofs; plus one pair of fliers you can't see......my feet! I'm out in the pasture trying to round up the heifers, which is a bit more difficult than usual with all the noisy tractor activity going on which tends to spook them. In the background you can see my son running the manure spreader.......with cow poop flying!

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The dogs and I chased the herd to the end of the pasture, hoping a couple of them would decide to gallop the right way and lead the rest in the correct direction toward the gate. That's usually all it takes, although this morning things didn't go so smoothly. Let's just say I've had my exercise for the day, and the day is not even half done yet!

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These flocks of cowbirds that hang around the cattle herds in the fall are just fascinating to watch......and, TRY to take pictures of! Click on this next one to enlarge it and see how bizarre the birds look! Which reminds me........anyone ever watch Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds?! Sorry to put thoughts of that movie in your head!

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Caution........I think this next one's for you! This was lying out in the pasture this morning! I think it must have been attached to the back of some piece of machinery as a "caution" or "slow-moving vehicle" sign.

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Here's a video of corn silage moving from the wagon into the blower which forces the silage up the pipe and into the top of the silo. I'm happy to stay right here on the ground......thank you very much!

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Now........I must get busy and fix dinner for all these men who are roaring around in tractors!

Have a great day!

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Heron Sighting

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These pictures aren't anything to write home about, but they're my first catch of the elusive heron which frequents our "crick" area. (Be sure to click the photos to see them full-screen.)

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Kelli at Sugar Creek Farm blog, has a nice photo of a heron on her post of September 9.

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I will dream on of ever getting that close to my skittish heron friend!

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Neighborly Hawk

At the end of the previous post, I mentioned these hawk photos; they aren't fantastic or anything, but I was VERY excited about them, for they're the first hawk photos I've ever been able to take!! And, it happened the morning after my son's football team played the J-Hawks!! You many remember, the previous week a wild turkey mother and baby had showed up to get in a photo the morning after my son's team played the team from Turkey Valley! Next Friday we play a team called the Buccaneers.........so on Saturday morning, perhaps a pirate or a buck deer will show up!

Anyhow, go ahead and click the photos to enlarge them so you can see the red-tailed hawk better! In the top photo his feathers are rather ruffled. I really like the photo below, with the hawk soaring in front of a cloud, and it is on my computer screen background right now.
On Saturday morning, I had walked to the bridge below which reside the quartet of frogs from the previous post. As I neared the bridge, I could see the hawk perched at the top of an electric pole close by........maybe he was stalking the frogs! I figured he would fly away before I got close enough to catch him with my camera, but he ended up loitering on the pole long enough to give me a fairly decent shot when he finally took off. Thanks, Neighbor Hawk!!

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Speaking of neighbors........the road to the bridge passes by our neighbor's farm place, and I saw him walking to his machine shed, and soon heard the purr of his 4-wheeler ATV head out into the field. He's been on my mind alot lately; we heard GREAT news about him recently. (Background: He's in his early 40's and never been married; he's a really nice guy, but just totally tied down with his dairy farming operation. In case you don't know it, single dairymen have difficulty finding time to socialize and meet anyone. I know of way too many single dairymen!)

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Anyhow, we just found out that our neighbor has a lady friend! He met her online somehow; she lives in another state, and he journeyed there to meet her in person recently. That's a giant step for him, as he normally never goes ANYWHERE! They must have hit it off, for his parents are planning to travel and meet her in a couple weeks. This is huge, folks, for these people usually never go ANYWHERE, either!

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I hope all goes well, and that this woman is a sincere and kind person. For years I've had an on-going prayer concerning our neighbor guy's situation.......that he could meet someone nice before he got too much older. He'd make a great dad; and his ladyfriend is in her early thirties, so children might just be a possibility!

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As I was making my way back home that day, I heard the 4-wheeler pull out onto the road, and watched my burly farmer neighbor buzz along the road to the bridge and stop to gaze down into the creek below. Maybe he was watching frogs, too! Ya know how when you're in love........everything around you becomes ever more interesting!! Do ya know what I mean? I think he might be in love.......


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The hawk soared high above as I continued on toward home.
From his vantage point, Hawk sees "many looks away" and thus has clearer awareness of what lies ahead.

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Kingbird Abacus

Yesterday morning, just as I was starting to scrape the barn after the cows had been let out, Husband hollered from outside, "Hey, one of those big herons or cranes just landed in the crick........maybe you should go down there and try to get a picture." Well.........pull my string & I jump!! Ditching the scraper, I ran to the house, grabbed my small camera, and headed down the hill toward the "crick".

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Along the way........voila.......an abacus appeared on the fence! I think these are "Eastern Kingbirds".

Here's what my Birds of Iowa field guide by Stan Tekiela says about Kingbirds: A common bird of open fields and prairies. Perceived as having an attitude (COOL!), acting unafraid of other birds and chasing the larger ones. Bold behavior gave rise to its common name, King. Perches to watch for insects. After flying out to catch them, returns to the same perch, a technique called "hawking". Males and females return to mating grounds and will defend a territory together.
Anyhow........what number would these Kingbirds be displaying if they were an abacus? I recall working with an abacus way back in grade school, but don't remember exactly how the numbering system works.

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I do know this number below is "FOUR"!

........and "ONE"........One being the loneliest number, you know........according to "Three Dog Night"! Anyone remember that song? Or "Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog"?!! Or, other "Three Dog Night" songs?
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Well, my walk to the crick was definitely a "wild heron or crane" chase, for such a bird was not in sight anywhere! But, there were some patches of weeds beginning to turn to fallish colors.......smartweeds, vervain and timberweeds. Amazing that autumn's approach causes even weeds to be beautiful!!

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(Thank you, rhymeswithplague, for pointing out my huron/heron spelling error-----now corrected-----I did not go to the "crick" searching for one of the Great Lakes or a Native American tribe!)

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Aldo Leopold Wetland

Yesterday, once again, I had to run some items to the high school; my son forgot his track shoes and uniform. Not a problem, because the route to school, as I have mentioned before, runs through a wetland wildlife preserve area, giving opportunity to view various water birds. A pair of Canada Geese had just waddled out of the water and into the tall grass in this photo below: (I think this wetland is named after Aldo Leopold, but I'm not completely sure. I'm happy this land along the Wapsipinicon River has been allowed to return to its natural wetland state after years of iffy farming attempts.)


Below is an American Coot couple, decked out with white tail-feathers, white beaks, and creepy red eyes
Back at home a short time later, this Baltimore Oriole shown below announced his presence, for the first time this spring. He urged me to send greetings to Kate - AKA CountryGirl, who resides much closer to Baltimore than we Iowans do. (He also told me he enjoys her blog, with the great writing and gorgeous photos; and he's quite confident her satellite system will be a success!)

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Speaking of wetlands, if it doesn't quit raining pretty soon, the whole state of Iowa will be declared one!

A Shocking Nest Site

Shocking! Absolutely, shocking! The site chosen by the builder of this robin's nest, that is:


The nest is atop an electric fencer box........shocking currents that travel along the wires of what we call "the electric fence" originate in this box. Electric fences are used to keep livestock from wandering away........cattle brush up against the wire and receive a shock, which easily convinces them to stay where they belong! All of us humans on the farm have taken our turn at accidently getting shocked, too, and its not exactly a pleasant experience! The brief, painful jolt of electricity stops you dead in your tracks for a few seconds, and you wonder if your heart is still beating.

Below, peer into the nest and see three eggs! Because this nest is situated in a fairly safe place, the eggs may actually survive to become baby robins, although, a heavy rain could possibly wash them away, as their home doesn't appear to be anchored to much of anything. Hopefully, there's enough mud adhering the nest to the fencer box, though it seems the mud might simply dissolve in the rain.

I'm sorry to have to report that both robins' nests on the shoulder of our road are now empty..........

Five Inches Rain

In the previous post, I mentioned a thunderstorm moved in last evening. Well, it rained all night........five inches! The photo below shows the "creek" waterway on our farm, being filled with water rushing down from the fields.

Our farm "takes water" from many surrounding farms. Husband had our "creek" waterway excavated last fall, but last night's rain was too much even for the deeper creek bed. When Husband's grandfather purchased this farm back in the mid-1950's, it was considered one of the worst farms in the county, due to its situation of being so wet and having sandy soil. Many, many strings of tile put in over the years have helped resolve the drainage problem. Except, of course, when it rains this much in a short period of time!

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I walked down the road to take a gander at the real creek our "creek" waterway dumps into. Its like a lake today!

Below shows a pair of some type of sandpiper, I think. At least someone enjoys the extra water in the fields!

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I was anxious to check out the robin's nest on the shoulder of the road, to see if it survived last night's deluge. I'll report the findings in the next post. There's good news and bad news.......prepare yourselves......

P.S. - School was dismissed at 10:30 this morning because the Wapsipinicon River is rising, threatening to overtake some roads near the school. Do you think my son was disappointed.......NOT!

Update On Bird Nest

Ok, I have an update on that bird nest built in the grass on the shoulder of our road. I wasn't entirely certain what kind of bird it belonged to. But, I found out yesterday morning and here is the proof.......the unsafely situated nest was constructed by a robin, as you can see in the photo below:

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Right after I snapped that first photo, the robin flew away, giving me a chance to tiptoe over and peek into the nest. By golly, there's an egg in there! Oh, it will be fun to keep an eye on this interesting situation......although, I'm truly having qualms about the safety of the nesting spot. I don't like it at all; but, hopefully, the robins are wiser than I give them credit for.

This nest is right out in the open, on the ground, where predators can easily get at it, and has no protection from rain and wind. Why would a robin couple choose such an unusual place for their nest? Very perplexing.

Unusual Nesting Spot

While walking just a couple hours ago, I saw something unusual. At least, I know I've never seen anything quite like it before. A robin's nest built right in the grass on the ground. At least, it surely looks like a robin's nest to me. Red-wings usually build more flimsy nests in the small trees and brush in the ditches and fencerows.
Yes, its a brand-new nest........on the shoulder of our gravel road.......you can see the road in the upper part of the above photo. The nest is very well-anchored into the thatch surrounding it.
This location would seem to be completely unsafe for a bird's nest. Why, look, there's Buster sitting just a couple feet away! If there were eggs in the nest.......they would quickly become Buster's afternoon snack.
I read once that when birds build their nests LOW IN TREES, its because they know that stormy weather with alot of wind is coming. It would seem to possibly be an ominous "portent" (Dr. Dictionary Word for today.......can you believe that??!!) that this bird built its nest all the way DOWN on the ground!! I honestly have never seen anything like this before in all my years of gawking around at things in nature. Maybe some of the rest of you have.

Old Oliver & The Hawk

Husband is pulling machinery out of sheds today with this old Oliver tractor. Normally, he would use the skid loader, but its in the repair shop, as mentioned in yesterday's post.
As I stepped out of the house a few minutes ago to snap a picture of the tractor, this big bird was soaring high above our farm buildings and trees, riding along on a convenient air current------it happens to be extremely windy here today.
Here he is again, appearing to be tangled in tree branches, when actually he is high above them. I would imagine this bird is a hawk of some sort, but I'm thinking its not one of the usual red-tailed hawks we see.......but, I could very well be wrong about that. If someone can tell what it is......let us know in the comments.

Birds & Sadness

The cardinal was back yesterday morning, perched high in the tip-top branches of a soft maple tree.

After calf chores were done, I glanced up to see if Mr. Redbird was still there.

He had been replaced by this gray bird:

About all I could come up with from the bird book I have is that this is possibly a female "pine grosbeak". The beak is of the correct shape, and the book said the females can appear to be completely gray, if the light is such that you can't see their wingbars.

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My daughter, a high school art teacher and coach, phoned me last evening. She was upset because a student had committed suicide yesterday morning.

The student was not taking any of my daughter's art classes, but was in her study hall, and my daughter had often had conversations with this student. Evidently, yesterday morning, the student came to school as normal, but signed out later in the morning as if to go to an appointment. Instead, the student drove to an isolated area and committed suicide.

The school is stunned, the student being above average in academics and sports, and had many friends. My daughter is completely mystified. So I've been mulling and pondering, and praying for the grieving family and friends. And, yes, wondering what on earth could prompt a young person to do such a thing.

As I think back, through the years, it seems that every so often we hear of a seemingly happy, normal high school student suddenly going off and ending their life. Some sort of deep-seated pain and despair, possibly known only to them, has enveloped their life. Its heart-rending to think of any person being in that situation. Like I said, my prayers are certainly with this student's family and friends.

Better Meadowlark View

To clear up confusion about the meadowlark......here is a better view of him. He's on a fencepost.

Gotcha, Meadowlark!

The drippy afternoon beckoned me outdoors in spite of itself.

Here is a fallen maple bud displaying its actual magenta color, which is quite lovely, in my opinion. For my daughter's wedding last summer, she chose this exact same color for the bridesmaids' dresses.




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Betsy accompanied me as I wandered around in the yard and down to the mailbox, and out in the field, there to follow after my elusive meadowlark friend.

Betsy said I could post this photo of her despite her wet, dirty, bedraggled appearance. Her foremost concern was that her photo be slimming........I fully understood........that is uppermost in my mind whenever some idiot snaps a picture of me. Will I look fat??!!








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Betsy and I finally were successful in capturing the meadowlark on photo, even though he's not terribly clear.......we were rather far away from him. He's been teasing me for the past couple weeks; singing his distinctive beautiful song from a fencepost by the road, and then flitting off to some far end of the field, way beyond my camera lens' reach.

The Robins in Session

This morning after chores, I spent maybe 45 minutes stalking birds for photos. Accompanied by two dogs and several cats, you have to know I wouldn't have much luck getting close to birds.

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Out in the middle of one of our fields is a gigantic boulder, next to which grows the bushy tree in the photo below. I crept as close as possible. As you can see, there seemed to be some sort of robin convention going on. Maybe a spring conference to discuss the newest techniques for worm-hunting, or a symposium to learn how to tweedle-dee in a new key, or maybe this was the first session of the newly-elected robin congress.......WHO WOULD KNOW?! Who can fathom the minds of robins?? Certainly, not me. I was simply happy to have the honor of snapping their photo!

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Back in the vicinity of our farm buildings, this grackle below came into view........although, he was way up high in an evergreen tree, obviously.

Isn't he just rather unnerving and bizarre-looking?! The sight of him gives me the willies. Like he's something straight out of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" (of course, he's only a grackle)......."Thus spake the Raven: 'Nevermore.......nevermore'.......". I don't remember if that's how it went, but it was something like that.

Yikes!.......this guy will give me nightmares tonight.........if I can get to sleep. Yes, Husband was snoring again last night, even with the Breathe Right strip on and the Snore Away spray in his throat. He's hopeless!

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I meant to, but forgot to use today's Dr. Dictionary word in the paragraphs about the robins. Well, here it is anyway: As I watched the flock of robins in the tree, it was impossible for me to tell which one was the bellwether. Look it up!