*sigh*

I'm feeling a little down lately.  The dark dreary days that we have been experiencing this January are a big factor.  Obviously there's something else, something animal related, otherwise I wouldn't be blogging about it...  I'm missing my animal friends.

For starts, Ripper disappeared in June of 2023 when all the new young squirrels started emerging from nests around us.  He's done this before in his elder years (5 months the previous year).  My take is that he just didn't want to be bothered with these young'uns and perhaps the competition.  He always came back.  I am aware, as much as I hate to admit it, that one day he wouldn't return.  I'm guessing that is the case this time.

I won't lambaste yas with a ton of photos of Ripper.  I think everyone who knows me or of me through my blogs and social media pages knows about this squirrel.  He was awesome and a highlight to the day anytime he came around over the 6 years.

Then we befriended a chipmunk in 2022 that Angie named Boop.  She was a real character and quickly took to being friends with us.  Boop made quite a tunnel system in our yard and overwintered with us.  I remember the day in late February 2023 when she emerged.  We never had something like that before with a chipmunk.  

Knowing she lived in our yard and slept underground down there through that winter was a sweet feeling.  One day I should blog about all the creatures that sleep in our yard, that we know of.

We do get chipmunks from time to time around the neighbourhood but none are ever long lasting.  Too many free roaming cats is one of the main reasons they don't last.  I also suspect there's a few around us with rodent traps.  Traps do not discriminate.  Boop disappeared last July.  I'd rather not think about what happened to her.  Just know that this tiny little girl touched our hearts and was a pleasure to get to know over the one year she was with us.  Morning coffee on the back deck in the summer was highly entertaining with her.

Then late summer, over the Labour Day long weekend, Gulliver too went MIA.  I blogged about her a few months ago.  She was an awesome pigeon friend; well they all are but some stand out more than others.  I always looked out for her and babied her.  I don't know what happened to her and I still hope that maybe one day she will return.  As time passes, that hope fades.  I remind myself of Pierre's long absences, and Charlie's too which broke Pierre's record for days away by a long shot.  Fond memories come to me as I look at all the pictures that I took of Gulliver over our time together.

A lot of the pigeons disappeared that weekend, or soon after.  The air show scared the heck out of them.  Then the fall migration brought in the cooper's hawks.  A few pigeons hung on to the 'hood as a feeding spot despite the dangers that lurked.  A couple birds, that I know of, lost their lives to the hawks.  One pigeon was unwell and became an easy target.  Then just last weekend, one lone bird came in early Sunday morning and *BOOM*.  That last pigeon was the only pigeon I had seen anywhere around here in over a week.  Since then, zero pigeons anywhere around here, not even on the wires along the main road.  I've been blessed with "pigeon friends" since the summer of 2012 when Pierre first flew into our lives.  Who ever thought that could have happened, befriending so many pigeons?  Who ever thought that there would be an end to all of this?  Maybe I am being over dramatic?  Maybe some of them will return?  Or, eventually, as the weather turns to spring, the hawks move along to nesting territories away from here, new pigeons will discover our yard, and maybe see me as their friend?  Time will tell.  In the past, there has been some dry spells but things feel different this time.  I've always said that I'd rather them be elsewhere, hopefully safer, than here and becoming prey.  I still mean that but man I do miss them.  It's only a few minutes out of my day, but it's been every day, well almost, for over 10 years.  Surely you can understand my sadness here.

If anyone would like to get the scoop on the whole pigeon thing, I ask that you check out the blog link I am adding.  I did it for Bird Canada a few years ago.  It is called Pierre and the Flock  

Happier blogs coming soon.  I promise.  I will get myself out of this.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for those who have asked me about how to follow my blog since Blogger took away the notification thing, at least that is what it seems to me with what happened.  I don't know what to tell you.  Angie, not my wife Angie, but the other Angie who commented in the last blog about this and what Blogger told you to do.  I will look into this on my end; but believe me when I say that I am not much of a "tech geek" so having me figure it out may not be an option.  HAHA!  I will try though.  Thank you for your kind words and wanting to follow me on these "adventures"!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to anyone who may be out there.  I hope you had a wonderful holiday season however you chose to spend it.

For us, we went for a walk at last night on new year's eve to a nearby green space.  We know where some long-eared owls have been roosting and I suggested that we visit the area just before dark in hopes to see the owls fly out from the large conifer that they hide in.  It's something to see any owl flying about at their own will, a natural thing, and not being flushed by a human encroaching on their space and scaring them to fly away.

It was a dark and cloudy day, and by the time we arrived at the location, the snow had started to fall.  Nothing major but enough to make things darker, and wet.  We saw a pair of coyotes under the grove of trees which was nice.  They were big healthy animals who took notice to us, watching us from a distance for a moment before moving along.  One animal went east and the other went west.  I managed to get one relatively clear photo before they left.

Then moments later out came one of the long-eared owls.  It landed on a branch just above where that coyote just was.  I like this capture of the owl's silhouette.

The owl flew around a bit, landing back at that branch.  I wandered around the grove of trees.  I spotted it again in the now almost total darkness.  I forgot to bring my glasses so I couldn't see my camera screen well enough to adjust my manual settings.  I fumbled with the buttons, remembering what does what, adjusting things and then pointed the camera at the owl, hoping to get something.  This is what I got.  I think I will share it to that Facebook group "Crap Wildlife Photography".  HAHA!

I made my way back around to where Angie was standing and just watching the trees for any movement.  Soon another owl flew out, and then another, and then another, and then another.  In the end, we were quite certain that we saw 8 long-eared owls fly out from these trees.  All soared across the field to another cluster of trees to the west.  It was neat to see despite not being that long lasting.  I guess that was for the better since the snow was getting heavier, it was new year's eve and we had other plans at home for the evening.  A nice nature outing to end 2023.

Now with the precipitation, I had hoped it would bring Little Al the eastern screech owl to our box in the backyard for the next day, New Year's Day.  It would be unique to say that the first bird of 2024 was an owl as most years it was a cardinal (nothing against cardinals, I love them too).  I told Angie that no matter how late we stayed up that I wanted to be out of bed by 7 AM so I could watch the "owl box".  We were in bed around 12:40 AM and next thing I know is Angie is poking me in the side and informing me that it was 7:18.  I was disappointed that it was 18 minutes later than the time I wanted to be up.  Why?  In past views of Little Al in the morning, he's in the box by 7:10-ish.  I debated for a moment as I lay in bed.  The thought of getting a little more sleep was very appealing.  In the end, I got up at 7:21.  

I found my clothes on the floor in the dark bedroom and walked out to the kitchen.  I opened the shutters and struggled to see the face of the box from the window as it was still quite dark outside.  I could make out that there was an owl at the entry hole.  Yay, Little Al was the first bird for 2024!  Now that I'm awake, I decided to step out to the deck for a better look and take a picture of the first bird.  A couple photos, then I put my bins on him for a nice memorable view of him with my own eyes.

I'm content and about to go back inside when suddenly I see from the corner of my eye an owl flying to the tree along the fence line!  It landed on a broken branch stump.  OMG, there are two screech owls in the yard!!!!!  I point my camera at this bird and take a few photos.  Thankfully it sat still for 15 seconds before it flew to the box.

I like this photo even if it is grainy since the natural lighting in the early morning was lacking.  I put it on my AI app and made it a little better, at least I think so.

I went back inside, going to the bedroom to inform Angie that there were two screech owls in the yard.  She told me that was her thought just as she had gone back to sleep, there will be two owls today.  She decided to get up, figuring she wouldn't get back to sleep again now, and headed to the kitchen for a look out the window.  One of the owls had its head sticking out the hole so her first bird of 2024 also was a screech owl.

I have to admit that in the last few weeks I suspected that there may have been two owls.  I had no proof though.  Why did I think this?  Behaviour.  Little Al is a very chill bird.  I can be outside and he pays almost no attention to me.  I don't abuse this privilege but if we do encounter each other out there, he ignores me for the most part, and just zones.  Then a couple times I have found that the owl at the box has been glaring at me.  One morning it spooked and flew out of the box, going to some cedars a few yards over.  Then as I went back inside, the owl returned to the box.  Little Al has never done that.  Now with two birds, both looking the same, I am extra cautious and treat both as the skittish new bird.

The evening of new year's day had us watching the box, to see if we could see both owls leave.  We saw an owl head.  Then it went back in the box.  Then an owl head again.  Another retreat inside.  Then a head again.  It was 5:18 PM, totally dark out, but we saw an owl leave the box.  Seconds later it was followed by the second owl.  Awesome!

Interesting is with the second owl, now they're both being quite elusive.  We've been monitoring the box the best we can from the kitchen.  Me in the morning and Angie at dusk because of our different work hours.  We aren't heavily monitoring but are making some effort to look out for them a little more.  No owls have been seen but that doesn't mean they aren't in there.  As I key this, I can see the kitchen window from the living room and the box as well.  Blue jays have attacked the box a few times so that's a pretty good sign someone, or both, are in there today.  My thoughts have been swimming with if they chose to nest here this coming spring.  Oh man!  The excitement.  The stress and worry over baby owls.  It will be something.

Here's a newly fledged screech owl that I saw a few Mays ago.  Adorable, eh.

So, again, happy new year to you.  How did you spend it?  I look forward to reading about it in the comments.  Cheers!