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ErnieCopp
Guest
Getting a second crop of cantaloupe from the melon patch, so picked a couple more from there. The cantaloupe and some hot peppers for my helper is the only garden i have left.
Whatcha Up To???
- Thread starter Mike
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M
Mr_Yan
Guest
Another day with rain / T-storms. Looks like Monday was the right day to plant the grass seed.
Harvested beets, carrots, greens, pumpkins, and butternut squash from my community gardens.Totaled 56.7 pounds today.
Harvested beets, carrots, greens, pumpkins, and butternut squash from my community gardens.Totaled 56.7 pounds today.
Refilled the hummingbird feeders & put up 2 additional units as the migration is starting to pick up here.
Refilled the regular bird feeders.
I saw the strangest thing... this bird has been drinking from the hummingbird feeders all day & that ain't no hummer. It sits on a T-post, then flies to a feeder to get a drink & them flies back to the T-post. Weird...
Refilled the regular bird feeders.
I saw the strangest thing... this bird has been drinking from the hummingbird feeders all day & that ain't no hummer. It sits on a T-post, then flies to a feeder to get a drink & them flies back to the T-post. Weird...
Made bread.
Got my Lorz garlic ready to plant.
Got my Lorz garlic ready to plant.
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Mr_Yan
Guest
Looks like some of the various orioles but don't know what types would be in your neck of the woods.
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Mr_Yan
Guest
Harvested some greens for dinner. Tried to wear out the older two munchkins.
Yesterday I bought a digital copy of the Mother Earth News archives. 1970 to 2014. $25 for the USB stick - multi-format with one copy in epub format to load onto my reader.
Yesterday I bought a digital copy of the Mother Earth News archives. 1970 to 2014. $25 for the USB stick - multi-format with one copy in epub format to load onto my reader.
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ErnieCopp
Guest
That does look like an immature Oriole. We had one come to our feeder this year, too, but i think the are the ones that suck the juice from the grapes for the most part, leaving the skins.
Ernie
Ernie
Maybe so... Mrs. Ranch couldn't identify it in any of her bird books... In the meantime, between the two of them & God only knows how many hummingbirds (they're like a massive swarm), I have to refill the feeders again for the 2nd time today. Normally it's only the spring time that I have to make 2 gallons a day.
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ErnieCopp
Guest
Oriloles are known to suck flowers, too.
Hey Sam we had 2 birds similar to that last year. I narrowed it down to "Yellow Warbler". Hard to tell what the one in your pic is.
Mrs. Ranch now believes it is a juvenile 'Pine Warbler' & her research states that their range is from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico ... I've never seen one here, but who knows... every year is an adventure here. I have seen flashes of a predominately bright yellow bird this past week, which could well be an adult. It's never sat still long enough for me to get the binoculars on it...
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ErnieCopp
Guest
Not to argue about it, but Orchard Orioles are indigenous to your area, so pull a picture of the female or immature up to see if that works. We have a different strain of Orioles out here but white bars on wings are distinctive of Orioles.
Ernie
Ernie
I don't think that either of us is correct Ernie, as neither of them have black legs. Who knows though... I just never saw something like that sucking down a hummingbird feeder...
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ErnieCopp
Guest
For sure i would not want to bet money on it. I love to watch birds, and keep a bird book on the veranda, but there are so many different color phases, young, female, male, breeding plumage, etc. it is hard to be sure.
If you see it again and identify it, be sure to let us know. I just learned that other birds besides Orioles do suck food from Hummer feeders.
Ernie
If you see it again and identify it, be sure to let us know. I just learned that other birds besides Orioles do suck food from Hummer feeders.
Ernie
Yesterday I finished cleaning the garden while I was smoking the pastrami.
Today, I burned all the garden 'trash' & started tilling/forming the rows.
Still refilling the hummingbird feeders 2X a day. We need to buy more sugar, as they used 8 lbs last week....
Today, I burned all the garden 'trash' & started tilling/forming the rows.
Still refilling the hummingbird feeders 2X a day. We need to buy more sugar, as they used 8 lbs last week....
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ErnieCopp
Guest
Being on a migratory route like that, how many different varieties of Hummers have you seen? We had four varieties, all that are indigent to here, during the nesting season, but are back down to just two varieties now. I happened to see a National Geographic on Hummingbirds last night, and there are so many different kinds. Very interestiing show.
Ernie
Ernie
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Mr_Yan
Guest
Guess the birds aren't on the paleo diet
Made Italian bread for today & a loaf of sourdough rye for Thursday (it will continue to ferment in the refrigerator until then).
Continuing to refill the hummingbird feeders every 6-7 hrs. There must be an early & cold winter coming up north as we don't normally have this many in the fall. The spring migration is normally when we have hundreds...
Continuing to refill the hummingbird feeders every 6-7 hrs. There must be an early & cold winter coming up north as we don't normally have this many in the fall. The spring migration is normally when we have hundreds...
There are 18 different kinds here in Texas according to to TPWD. We have only seen 4:
- Broad-billed - red/orange bill, blue-green chin & throat
- Buff-bellied - red/orange bill, cinnamon buff belly, rusty forked tail
- Ruby-throated - red throat & notched tail (these are the most common here)
- Rufous - only hummingbird with a rusty, reddish-brown back
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Mr_Yan
Guest
Sometimes you can't even keep up with the basic maintenance.
Cleaned out my green beans that were just a mess. Cleared out two pepper plants and one eggplant Picked the cantalopues - sad crop. Pulled the potatoes I had under the melons. Pulled a few carrots and cucumbers. Somehow all this came out to 4.5 kg of food.
Replaced the open area with spinach, cilantro, and parsley that I had started in soil blocks and direct seeded fall lettuce.
30 days until typical first hard frost.
Cleaned out my green beans that were just a mess. Cleared out two pepper plants and one eggplant Picked the cantalopues - sad crop. Pulled the potatoes I had under the melons. Pulled a few carrots and cucumbers. Somehow all this came out to 4.5 kg of food.
Replaced the open area with spinach, cilantro, and parsley that I had started in soil blocks and direct seeded fall lettuce.
30 days until typical first hard frost.
Yesterday I continued tilling & forming the rows (got 3 1/2 done).
Today I watered the hanging baskets, smoked Canadian bacon & baked a loaf of sourdough rye bread.
Today I watered the hanging baskets, smoked Canadian bacon & baked a loaf of sourdough rye bread.
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ErnieCopp
Guest
Hummingbirds are big travelers. The most common in Idaho, close to Canada, were the Rufous and the Rubythroat. In fact, those are the only two i recall seeing up there.
Ernie
Ernie
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Mr_Yan
Guest
Rain prevented me from mowing the lawn and it really needs it.
I asked again but my wife still won't let me get sheep, at least in this yard. I'm thinking sheep will be about the easiest meat livestock for our wants.
I asked again but my wife still won't let me get sheep, at least in this yard. I'm thinking sheep will be about the easiest meat livestock for our wants.
The past few days I continued puttering in the garden... I plan on putting the potatoes in tomorrow & the garlic by the end of the week.
Today I watered the hanging baskets, pulled up the zinnias that were planted around the trees & then cut the grass.
After getting cleaned up, I researched televisions & some of the equipment in preparation for 'cutting the cord' by the end of the year.
Today I watered the hanging baskets, pulled up the zinnias that were planted around the trees & then cut the grass.
After getting cleaned up, I researched televisions & some of the equipment in preparation for 'cutting the cord' by the end of the year.
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Made bread & hamburger buns, planted the potatoes, fed the cattle & readied the fuel cans for refilling.