# Coffee and observations



## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

I live on the edge of suburbia. Nothing fancy just home. Each morning I arrise at 5 am go outside and sit at the patio table and drink my coffee. Each year about this time you start noticing the differences in each animal.

One example is a sparrow. he has no tail feathers but hes one hell of a dad. He flaps his wings, the kids show up and he feeds them from the feeder. Now I dont like sparrows in the feeder because they make a mess. But this guy is such a great dad well let him slide.

Its now 6am and soon the ruby throated hummingbirds will be here. I have two feeders and like public toilets one is for the females and one for the males. If not I may get a hummingbird beak in my eye the way they fight.

Baby crows have come out of the canopies and are now flying. Well almost, but they are getting there. Dad and Mom crow only bring them to the ground in the early am. Then around 7 or so when the sun starts letting off its gamma rays, the little ones are coaxed back to the top of the trees. Starting at the lower branches, They work their way to the tops. Then all they do most of the day is cry. Sounds like a sick house cat as they beg for attention.

About twice a week the turkeys come around. All yearling Toms. Not really jakes because their beards are long and I see their spurs are 3/4 inch or longer. I have to say they really do a great job on grubs and June beetles. There hearing to me, must be similar to that of a robin, Somehow they hear them in the soil and thatch.

Maybe I said this maybe not. We have twin fawns in the neighborhood. When they were small they were cute. Now they are 4 weeks old and I see them browsing on ornamental plants and shrubs. Yesterday a 8 point buck was with them. He would pull leaves off the dwarf apple trees and when they dropped to the ground and he left the twins ate the the leftovers. Mom still stays away most of the day however. Ensuring her scent doesn't contaminate the area where they lay. She hangs out about a block away and about every 4 hours or so I see her cross the street to nurse them.

Charlie the neighborhood red fox makes his rounds. Always skittish but yet brave he ignores walkers and often sits in the middle of the yards and watches them. Would be great if Charlie would go after the grey/and whit cat that roams around here. But I think he knows that cat is too big for a battle. Whats Charlie eat....shhh he gets a small bowl of dog food from me 2-3 times a week. I am trying to keep him around to perhaps get rid of the chipmunks.

My neighbors who just moved in and aren't the sharpest tools in the shed , so it appears. Have a groundhog family under their garden shed. Not good, as after I moved into our house some 15 years prior we had them under our garage. Before I could trap some 7 of them I had severe cracks in the concrete floor where they had removed dirt for their tunnels.

I am blabbing I could go on and on about the cardinals, pileated woodpeckers, finches, flickers, jays, and wrens. Each have a name as each is different, But it's time for this to end this blabbering......


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

better get another cup of coffee...............


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Nice observations Larry.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Interesting how we all play God. We determine which animals are good and bad and act accordingly. Some get a pass; others get dead.


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## kiyote (Jun 15, 2014)

only thing I've observed when drinking coffee is an increase in trips to the bathroom.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

nice i wish i had that kind of scenery

not blabbering imho

go on tell us more of your neighbors

like reading stuff like this


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

One thing I have noticed today and yesterday. The weather being cooler then days past, allows the critters to be active more midday. Thus early mornings such as now are a tad boring. About the only activity is the short tailed male sparrow getting pestered by his kids. Both of which can fly well, yet they follow dad and he literally feeds them with his beak. BTW they the family is getting used to me. as the feeder is 6 feet away and they visit it as I type and drink my joe.

You all have a safe 4th of July. Always a pleasure to hear from all of you in my post!

Larry


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