Yesterday I read an article expounding all the healthy benefits of a walk in the woods (or nature). It increases a positive outlook, lowers your blood pressure and on and on.. Tonight DH was reading another article that said about the same thing but even viewing nature through your window can have the same benefits. Well I had a very healthy day today...
Our feeders are just outside all our windows. You can't move about the house without seeing the winged drama. Our weather has turned very cold so we are filling the feeders often.. The birds wait in the lilac bush until the feed is out. Small birds in the branches and quail beneath.
But this morning we had a bit of sun and I spied a large pheasant all fluffed up to retain heat sitting in a patch of sun. This time of year we mostly have mourning doves, quail, house finches, juncos, goldfinches, wood peckers, chickadees, nuthatches, ravens, owls and song sparrows...and wild turkeys.
Just as I turned from taking the photo of the pheasant I saw this bird in the lilac.... a varied thrush. We get them in the spring but never this time of year. So it was a special treat.
Later in the day we were snuggled on the couch with the dogs and watched this doe actually sucking the sunflower seeds from the feeder... Her fawn was getting some from under the feeders..
We are blessed to be surrounded by wildlife all the time but there was a sad side this week also. An old coyote went into the barn back into a storage area. It was thin and weak and was seeking shelter to die. It was out of the weather and there were plenty of mice. It lasted 4 days before it passed. I love the coyotes and know we would be overrun with gophers and mice without them..
The high today was about 15 degrees so I keep side rooms closed to conserve heat. Molly has three beds but her very favorite is in this bedroom with the closed door. I can take her bed out but she won't get into it.. She wants it in that bedroom in her special corner. So when I close the door she sits all day and stares at the door willing it to open.
And of course she doesn't want to be in there with the door closed.. it's cold in there.
My husband dearly loves to walk in all seasons! I would rather stay in and create! But this new year I'm going to try and add a little walking to my routine!
I think if I lived in your home all day would be spent watching the birds, how lucky are you to get so much variety, I get sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and the occasional robin if lucky!The starlings come in great flocks I do not like them at all as they frighten off the sparrows. The fawn must give you great pleasure so sad though the coyote died.
We don't have nearly the variety of things to look at out the window but its fun to watch the squirrel run across the fence at the park across the road. And there are a few different birds that I watch too sometimes when I am sewing. My sewing machine table is in front of the only north-facing window in the house and I always have a lovely view. This year there has been lots of hoar frost on the trees - so pretty, especially when we have a clear day with blue sky and sunshine.
What a treat that varied thrush is! Beautiful bird! I also have a lot of birds at my feeders. Nothing unusual this year. A pair of red shafted flickers, collared doves, blue jays, sparrows, house finches, dark eyed juncos, chickadees, red breasted nuthatches and a few goldfinches. Love them all!
If I had all those birds to watch I doubt I'd get much else done! Our feeder is hung in such a way that it can be seen from our chairs in the living room and my 'spot' in my sewing room. We don't have a huge variety of birds though - mourning doves, chickadees (my favourites); nuthatches and a pair of downy woodpeckers. We get blue jays in the fall and spring but for some reason they go elsewhere in the winter.
Happy New Year Gerry I believe that watching nature through a window has a calming and healthy effect. I can often be found looking out my bathroom window which give the best view of our pond and back trees. Or I like to look out our front room patio doors watching the feeders and the tops of the trees across the street for any action going on. Often we have Hawks visit our front yard perching in the tree or even sitting on our porch banister. Though I never see them catch a bird, I'm sure they do. Oh, did I mention my crows? Three visit regularly and I love to see them strut around choosing a piece of bread left especially for them after they have cawed my name! Happy New Year.
My husband dearly loves to walk in all seasons! I would rather stay in and create! But this new year I'm going to try and add a little walking to my routine!
ReplyDeleteI think if I lived in your home all day would be spent watching the birds, how lucky are you to get so much variety, I get sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and the occasional robin if lucky!The starlings come in great flocks I do not like them at all as they frighten off the sparrows. The fawn must give you great pleasure so sad though the coyote died.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have nearly the variety of things to look at out the window but its fun to watch the squirrel run across the fence at the park across the road. And there are a few different birds that I watch too sometimes when I am sewing. My sewing machine table is in front of the only north-facing window in the house and I always have a lovely view. This year there has been lots of hoar frost on the trees - so pretty, especially when we have a clear day with blue sky and sunshine.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat that varied thrush is! Beautiful bird! I also have a lot of birds at my feeders. Nothing unusual this year. A pair of red shafted flickers, collared doves, blue jays, sparrows, house finches, dark eyed juncos, chickadees, red breasted nuthatches and a few goldfinches. Love them all!
ReplyDeleteIf I had all those birds to watch I doubt I'd get much else done! Our feeder is hung in such a way that it can be seen from our chairs in the living room and my 'spot' in my sewing room. We don't have a huge variety of birds though - mourning doves, chickadees (my favourites); nuthatches and a pair of downy woodpeckers. We get blue jays in the fall and spring but for some reason they go elsewhere in the winter.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Gerry
ReplyDeleteI believe that watching nature through a window has a calming and healthy effect. I can often be found looking out my bathroom window which give the best view of our pond and back trees. Or I like to look out our front room patio doors watching the feeders and the tops of the trees across the street for any action going on. Often we have Hawks visit our front yard perching in the tree or even sitting on our porch banister. Though I never see them catch a bird, I'm sure they do. Oh, did I mention my crows? Three visit regularly and I love to see them strut around choosing a piece of bread left especially for them after they have cawed my name!
Happy New Year.