Dryocopus pileatus

 

This woodpecker arrives each morning to survey the area and find something good to eat.  I have been serving "bark butter" spread, which contains mealworms and other goodies that I spoon into a log feeder.  Most all of the woodpeckers seem to enjoy it.  When the Pilaeated woodpecker arrives, he announces his presence with a loud "hahahahaha!" and then swoops down from the big old oak tree and grabs onto the log feeder.

We now have at least two of these woodpeckers that frequent the feeder.  Sometimes they chase each other in circles around the oak tree.  I hope they are a pair, but it is difficult to identify a male from the female.  From what I have read, "Pileated" refers to the bird's prominent red crest, from the Latin pileatus meaning "capped".

Cardinalis cardinalis

It was eight degrees outside my window this morning.



Eight degrees, but the sun was shining. This vibrant red bird found a sunny spot in the quince bush.




The northern cardinal was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work Systema Naturae. It was initially included in the genus Loxia, which now contains only crossbills. In 1838, it was placed in the genus Cardinalis and given the scientific name Cardinalis virginianus, which means "Virginia cardinal". In 1918, the scientific name was changed to Richmondena cardinalis to honor Charles Wallace Richmond, an American ornithologist. In 1983, the scientific name was changed again to Cardinalis cardinalis and the common name was changed to "northern cardinal", to avoid confusion with the seven other species also termed cardinals.



What a glorious red color!

making more

Tying on to the previous warp, I wove a few more small towels with the Gebrochene Twill draft.



I changed the weft color three times.



There is still hemming to be done before they are completely finished. These are 100% cotton and should be nice and absorbent. Hemming and hawing with the idea of winding one more warp with my handspun linen, and weaving the weft with the handspun hemp in the same twill pattern. We'll see.



The wood-thrush and the eastern phoebe have arrived, with the snow buntings still hanging around. Outside, there have been repairs being made to the "grow house". Inside, seeds are germinating. And the seasons turn again.

"I have said that there was great pleasure in watching the ways in which different plants come through the ground, and February and March are the months in which that can best be seen."
- Henry N. Ellacombe

contrasts

The weather was crisp and clear this morning. The river water catches the sun and it shines like moonlight against the silhouettes of the trees.



We had a scant amount of snow fall overnight.



...and today the winds have caught up with us. On my way to the henhouse, I grab my earflap hat that I knit from handspun Icelandic Sheeps wool. As I slip it on my head, I think of how many years ago I made the hat, and how it has worn so well. It seems to get better with age.



The sky is bright blue, without clouds at the moment. The wind will bring them, soon enough. I walk past the old tree and wonder if some critter is asleep..curled up in one of those cozy holes in the trunk. I used to think owls slept in there. If I were an owl, I would inhabit that tree.



Glancing up in the other direction, I notice the eagle. Probably looking for breakfast. I tell him to move along, and go fish the river for his breakfast...leave my chickens alone!



Back inside the cabin, I stoke the coal-fire in the woodstove. It will be a good day to stay inside and finish up some projects...



...or maybe start a new one!

sialia sialis happiness

The Eastern Bluebirds came today. They found the bittersweet berries.

We did not get the heavy snows that our friends to the south experienced, but we did get some and it brought with it the winter wind. The wind was howling last night, and continued on into the day. The bluebirds come to eat the berries as the wind subsides.

Bluebirds eat mostly insects and small invertebrates, but during the cold winter months berries are a good supplemental food source when the insects are hard to find.

Bluebirds are a welcome sight in winter. I was happy to watch them eat the berries.

The mythology of the bluebird of happiness has deep roots that go back thousands of years. Indigenous cultures across the globe hold similar myths and beliefs about the bluebird. It is a widely accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births, the renewal of springtime, etc. Virtually any positive sentiments may be attached to the bluebird.

May these bluebirds bring you cheerfulness, prosperity, good health, new births, renewal and happiness in the new year!

raven

I'm mostly certain that this raven has a fairy in its mouth. What I'm not certain about is why. You don't think it is going to eat the fairy, do you? I've seen these types of fairies by the river before, usually they are kind that rides on the back of the dragonflies. You don't believe me, do you?

Moments in the morning are spent prepping Alpaca for the evening spin. I've been filling the handcards and dizzing off of them.

This basket usually takes two hours worth of spinning to empty and fills two of the CPW bobbins halfway--which is perfect because when I ply, the third bobbin is filled to the max.

the yellows

There is yellow along the riverrim. It takes the form of forsythia....

and there are marsh marigolds, daffodils and dandelions, colts foot,wood sorrels...buttercups and yellow violets..all the springtime yellows.

Several different spring wood warblers wear yellow.

One of the things I like most about living in the woods--the spring wood warbler migration--is starting to happen. In the eastern USA, our forests have the greatest diversity of wood warblers in the country.

They are the foliage gleaners... You have to look closely to see them. Can you see them in the first and second photos? They blend in with all the yellow, but they are there.

Once you spot them, it is difficult to know what species they are. So many of the springtime warblers look alike. For instance, is this a Nashville Warbler, or a Connecticut Warbler?

Note the white eye ring, lack of wing bars, and the length of the tail...which one do you think it is?

the nest

The Eastern Phoebe has returned finally...and has been announcing it's arrival by singing and fine tuning it's song. This time of year they chase each other, and show off their skill in flight patterns that amaze me. I notice some of them visiting old nesting sites, evaluating repairs that will need to made....sprucing up, spring cleaning the nest. Some of the nests around here are at least 5 or 6 years old. A little bit of fixing up, and they are good to go. This stands in contrast to many other birds, which build new nests each spring.

While cleaning up in the garden yesterday, I found this nest.

I have always wanted to find a nest from the Baltimore Oriole, so my heart sort of skipped a beat when I noticed it.

I think it is a thing of beauty. Observe the workmanship...

I wonder which strand the bird started with,

the weaving is tight and secure, even though the snow and rains have weathered it.

Amazing to think this was woven with a beak.

this bird and I....we are kindred spirits....

dryocopus pileatus

Lately, there has been a Pileated woodpecker that has been eluding me. I cannot seem to get a good photograph of it, perhaps it is shy.

I hear her in the morning. Tap- tap tap..slowly...working on the tree nearby my window. Sometimes she will pause, and cuk, cuk, cuk. I'm pretty sure that she is a she because of her markings. If she is creating a new nest hole, it could take her up to six weeks to complete. The ground below the tree is littered with the product of her efforts. She is working the tree in several locations.

I look around to see if I notice a male nearby, but I don't. If her mate is around, he would be helping with the excavation. The nest cavity is long and rectangular.

Watching her, I am influenced. I decide to make a cap from the inner coat of the Shetland Fleece I have been working with. I made several batts with the drum carder and dyed the wool in the electric turkey roaster.... Jacquard Acid Dye - Crimson. And then, using a wet felting method, I fashioned the cap. There was still a lot of VM that needed to be removed. I used a felting needle and tweezers to pick it out. Tedious work.

Next, I used the locks of a Finnsheep that I have been teasing to ready them for spinning. As I sorted through the pile, I selected the ones with the most length to them. I used a thrum method, and knit a band,

which I finally attached to the cap using a basting stitch.

If you would like to read more about these wonderful birds, or hear the call that they make, I have added these links.

The first link has some wonderful close up photographs --including the long tongue that they use to extract insects from under the bark.

The other two can be found here and here.

post script: Thanks to the sharp observations of Manise, the bird in the above photos appears to be a male...note : "it has the red mustache stripe- therefore is a male!"

Redpoll

Saw my first Redpoll ever!

There are many birding sites for the enthusiast these days...I have added a few links to my sidebar so I can keep up with things.

I went looking for information about the numbers of redpolls seen in Pennsylvania in the area that I live, and found this:

We are experiencing the biggest winter finch irruption since the"superflight" of 1997-1998, when many boreal finches went well beyondtheir normal ranges. The cause is the largest tree seed crop failurein a decade across more than 3200 km (2000 mi) of boreal forest fromSaskatchewan into Quebec. Today in Toronto, I had a Pine Grosbeak,Evening Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls, Pine Siskins and Purple Finchesmigrating along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. Boreal winter finchesare being reported in many areas of southern Ontario and the UnitedStates, where some species such as Pine and Evening Grosbeaks haven'tbeen seen in years. There is no telling how far south this"superflight" will go.

Unless you are a birder, you may not understand the thrill of getting to add a bird to your "life list". It made my day.

To view more data on the Redpoll numbers in PA, go here

new arrivals

The first week in May is usually full of new arrivals, a steady stream of summertime residents. Their color and song enrich the riverrim.

It was a productive week, full of outside chores. Shall I name a few? Tilled the garden, transplanted the lettuce, planted peas and beets, glads and dahlias and lilies from a friend (thanks Audrey!). Picked the chives and served with boiled potatoes alongside the roasted chicken. Picked the rhubard and served as pie for desert!

I keep the camera nearby to record the arrivals that I can see. Frequently, one hears the song before one can get a glimpse of the bird. They are all very busy, finding bugs to eat, nectar to drink, and places to set up housekeeping.

And I even found a little bit of time to take care of some fibery chores. I set the drum carder up on the deck. I like working outside...the vm just blows away on the breeze, and the light is fabulous. I filled another bowl with rovings of Black Finn for the Great Wheel.