Nature Notes: A Gift of Fog

Late November. Dawn fog draws a veil of mystery over the world, revealing the ghosts of trees and drenching a captive milkweed in diamonds.




* If you're following the bucket-list project of hand-feeding wild birds - It's working!  
Today: SUCCESS!



Click here to visit Michelle's site, Rambling Woods, and see more Nature Notes

Bucket List Report: Success!

It happened! A chickadee accepted seeds from my hand today! Twice!

I just wrote in the previous post that I was temporarily postponing this project due to illness. However, I could see from the window that so many birds were visiting today that the morning seed ration was nearly gone already.

I went out to refill the feeder and thought, What the hey. I'll give it one quick go. And that was all it took.

I rested my arm outstretched on the rail under the feeder, as usual, with sunflower seeds and shelled peanuts in my palm. Within seconds, I had visitors. Both nuthatches and chickadees landed on the rail and began hopping toward me from both directions. At first, they darted to the feeder and sped away.

Unable to move a muscle, and keeping my eyes nearly closed, I heard and felt the experience more than seeing it. "Chick-a-deee-deee-deee!" sounded practically in my ear, and the flutter of wings overhead. Furtive hopping on the deck rail ... aaaand ... the quick tickle of a seed being seized from my hand! And again, only a minute later.

This may not have helped my asthma much, but it did wonders for my spirit. Things can only get better from here.

Bucket List Project #1: Progress Reports

Success!

It happened! A chickadee accepted seeds from my hand today! Twice!

I just wrote in the previous post that I was temporarily postponing this project due to illness. However, I could see from the window that so many birds were visiting today that the morning seed ration was nearly gone already.

I went out to refill the feeder and thought, What the hey. I'll give it one quick go. And that was all it took.

I rested my arm outstretched on the rail under the feeder, as usual, with sunflower seeds and shelled peanuts in my palm. Within seconds, I had visitors. Both nuthatches and chickadees landed on the rail and began hopping toward me from both directions. At first, they darted to the feeder and sped away.

Unable to move a muscle, and keeping my eyes nearly closed, I heard and felt the experience more than seeing it. "Chick-a-deee-deee-deee!" sounded practically in my ear, and the flutter of wings overhead. Furtive hopping on the deck rail ... aaaand ... the quick tickle of a seed being seized from my hand! And again, only a minute later.

This may not have helped my asthma much, but it did wonders for my spirit. Things can only get better from here.


 Day Whatever. I've Lost Track.  

This project is on temporary hold while I recover from a bad cold that started the day after Thanksgiving and has since turned into an ongoing, major asthma episode.

I have been hanging around the feeder for a minute or two after filling it in the mornings, just to keep the critters used to seeing me. But now is not the time to be standing out in the freezing air.

I'm not giving up; in fact I am hopeful that once snow covers up all the other food sources my chances will improve.

I'll keep ya posted as things progress, OK? But daily ... not so much.


Day Six: Happy Thanksgiving!

I don't know why I didn't think of this before: Since the chickadees don't have a problem with going to the feeder with my face practically in the thing, why not try just holding the feeder? 

I don't think there's going to be time to try it today, but first thing tomorrow I'm on it.

My new daughter in law is doing Thanksgiving at their house today - a first! I'm bringing pie and snacks, and that's it. It feels weird, not doing it all myself, but what a relief.

Hope you all have a fabulous meal and a day filled with laughter!






Day Five: Wednesday, November 21

It was seriously foggy this morning, and again there were few birds. I kept an eye on the feeder while making pie crust for tomorrow's big do. When a couple of chickadees showed up, I went out and assumed my post beside the feeder, arm outstretched on the railing, palm filled with seeds and nuts.

Strange as it may sound, I am beginning to enjoy the discipline of standing perfectly still, waiting for whatever nature will bring. It is like a meditation of sorts, an end in itself.

My reward was a chickadee nearly landing on my head! I actually felt the brush of its wingtip on my cheek. It perched on the rail, about ten inches from my face, and looked into my eyes before hopping onto the feeder and choosing a seed.

The little birds continued to come and go as I set up my camera to photograph this milkweed seed, caught in the remains of a hanging basket and bejeweled with dew. It's progress, don't you think?


Day Four: Tuesday, November 20

No birds are visiting the feeder this morning. And it's raining. I could go stand out there as an exercise in optimism, I suppose, but I'm just not that dedicated.  I did leave a seed pile on the spot where my hand would be, hoping they'll become accustomed to looking there.

This is not going nearly as well as I expected. Have any of you tamed wild birds? Any tips or tricks?


Day Three: Monday, November 19

Epic fail. Without the bait pile of seed on the railing, the chickadees landed on the far end of the rail and on the feeder right next to my head, but nowhere near my hand. Surprisingly, a nuthatch seemed very interested in me, though. Maybe I'll have better luck with those.

It's a work day, so my time was limited for standing perfectly still with a fist full of birdseed. Tomorrow: Maybe if I put my hand out the other way, near the feeder?





 Day Two: Sunday, November 18 
 
Yesterday I started working on a modest, but long-postponed goal: Taming wild chickadees. Specifically, to train them to eat from my hand. They were so fearless and friendly yesterday when I put up the feeder that I figured I had this one in the bag.

I was so eager to try it this morning that I got up at dawn. I donned my winter coat, filled the feeder, and took up my chilly post right next to it. (They had ignored me there yesterday.) I put a little pile of seeds on the deck rail about three feet away from me. (They came to one placed there yesterday.) Then I filled my palm with choice morsels and laid my arm on the rail, my hand about six inches from the pile, and waited. And waited. And waited. No birds. NO birds at all.

Arm fell asleep. Went back inside for coffee. Came back out and tried again when birds began to show up. Succeeded in scaring away all but the chickadees, which made a few exploratory circles around my head and left. 

Went back inside for breakfast with the hubby and discovered he had set up a camera on a tripod at the kitchen window, just in case. I'm never happy about having my picture taken. But my annoyance was short lived, as he had also made bacon. It's hard to stay peeved with someone who is giving you bacon.

Back outside again. Assumed the position. This time, two chickadees landed on the railing and considered me for a minute or so. I held very still and didn't make eye contact. One then flew to the feeder, about a foot from my head. The other went for the pile of seeds - just six inches from my hand! So close, so close.

Tomorrow - no seed pile. Just seeds in my hand. I'll update this post to let you know how it goes.

Bucket List Project #1: In Progress

Last week I announced here that I am planning to retire. Yesterday, I let my supervisor know. Today I have shifted into "moving on" mode. And I'm already loving it, already starting on that bucket list:

One of the many things I always wanted to get around to was to train wild birds to eat from my hand. Among my favorite memories are those of my bird-loving mother standing in the snow, surrounded by chickadees delicately picking seeds from her outstretched palms.

So today, when I filled the feeder I stayed there, holding very still. And would you believe it was only seconds before the first chickadee appeared? It landed right there on the feeder, only a foot or so away, grabbed a seed, and was gone.

Hardly daring to believe my luck, I placed a little pile of seeds on the deck railing, about three feet away. Sure enough, it was no time at all before another (or the same one?) fluttered in.

Photography time!

As I also mentioned last week, I intend to enjoy my remaining paychecks. I bought myself a fixed 50mm lens,which arrived Thursday and has been attached to my camera ever since. I retrieved it, set the Aperture to f 1.8, focused on the seeds, and waited.

I got off a few shots that turned out, including the one above. I am sooo happy. Already.

But here's the funny thing: I could have tried this any time. I didn't need to save it for Someday. So why did I?

Tomorrow: I'm holding out my hand. Wish me luck.

* To see how this turns out, check out the Progress Report post - updated daily! weekly? *



Click here to visit Michelle's site, Rambling Woods, and see more Nature Notes

Retiring: Standing at the Crossroads

 I am going to retire. Now.

There, I said it. Out loud. In print.

I am outta there, history, gone. So long, sayonara, and buh-bye.

I've never been so elated. I've never been so scared.

So, you may be wondering, What brought this on? After all, it says right up there in the banner that we decided to forego retirement in order to afford this place. (Note to self: I'm gonna need a new banner.)

Three things:
1. I'm almost out of time.
2. I don't want to spend any more of it being miserable.
3. I have so many things I was going to do "someday". Well, screw someday. I'm doing them Now.

No, I'm not dying. Not that I know of, anyway, not any time soon. But I am 61, and I do have health issues with the potential to rain on my parade if I delay it much longer.

I am a customer service call center rep, so I have learned to endure daily stress and abuse from both the overlords and the customers. However, my company recently implemented a popular management system better suited to increasing efficiency in manufacturing than in human interactions. It has exponentially increased the pressure on the staff and utterly demolished morale. This is not where I envisioned myself at this point in my life.

When I was young, I had a list of things I wanted to do. Some dropped of the list as I got older; Being in Times Square for New Years, for example. And marching in Mardi Gras. I can do without those now. And seeing the sunrise from the Great Wall of China probably sounds more romantic than it really would have been. Still, so many possible dreams remain, and I don't want to lose sight of any more of them.

Financially, we're OK. There's always that cold fear of things that could happen to scramble the nest egg. But that is never going to change, is it. Meanwhile, since my kid finishes college in December and the house is paid off, I think I'm entitled to spend my remaining paychecks on whatever the hell I want. I'm making a list.

The plan is to give notice next month - 30 to 90 days is required - and be free by, say mid-March at the latest. Just in time for Spring.

So yeah. I am retiring. Now. Advice, thoughts, tips and comments would be most welcome.