I have a few observations after the storm ...
1. The wind stripped all of the remaining elderberries from the bushes.
The resident Catbirds and Baltimore Orioles are going to be most unhappy.
2. Many, many green crabapples were knocked from the trees that will lead
to less fall feeding for the Robins and Cedar Waxwings.
3. Sumacs appear to be very vulnerable to high winds. Many are uprooted or
snapped. I have noticed the seed heads being eaten by Flickers, Starlings,
and Chickadees in the winter.
4. Most of the chestnuts are lying on the ground in their spiky coats and
not ripe. I haven't had a chestnut in several years since the arrival of
the hoards of squirrels in the yard.
5. 9 1/2 inches of rain is my final total. Only Hurricane Floyd was worse
in my 25 years here.
6. Only 'storm bird' in the yard so far was a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ... it
wasn't here before the storm so I guess you can call it a storm bird.
I drove by the sod farm on John Brown Road outside of Queenstown. The
fields held several great looking large puddles and a couple hundred
Laughing Gulls. It will be interesting to see if anything shows up in the
coming days.
During the rain yesterday (which started here around 10:00), the birds kept
coming to the feeders, even during the heavy downpours of the afternoon.
Hummers kept coming, too, and the rain did not stop the dominant ones from
trying to chase off the others. Every now and then a strong wind gust would
just blow one off the feeder perch. During a rain shower earlier in the
week, I watched a hummer sitting on a branch out in the rain. It would
point its bill straight up for 10 to 15 seconds and then shake and ruffle
its feathers, and then just sit for a little bit and then hold its bill up
and repeat. This went on for a couple of minutes. I assume it was just
taking a refreshing shower.
The sun is now out. A Monarch just emerged from its chrysalis. I only have
about a gazillion branches to pick up and two trees to cut up and many
sumacs to clean up. I guess the grass will need cut soon, too.
That can wait. Time to go for a walk.
Jim Wilson
Queenstown
############################
To unsubscribe from the MDOSPREY list:
write to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
or click the following link:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MDOSPREY&A=1 |