Animals | wordsfromanneli

December 24, 2021
by wordsfromanneli 43 Comments

Snow – The Double-edged Sword

Yes, yes, it’s a white Christmas and almost everyone is happy. Snow covers the ugliness of winter.

But it also covers all the seeds and insects the songbirds would love to pick at. This fox sparrow is probably wondering how he’s going to get through the next days. He doesn’t know that it’s going to get even colder in the next few days. I’m making sure to keep the bird feeders filled and in a relatively sheltered place.

But mostly I fear for the tiny hummingbirds. Why, oh why, didn’t they fly south when they had the chance?

The hummingbird feeder was already starting to get chilled by late afternoon. In the next days, the sugar water in the feeder will try to freeze even partway through the day. I’ve been bringing the feeders inside at night and I will probably have to exchange the frozen water for warmer sugar water before the day is over. The forecast says it will get very cold at night. Meanwhile, this hummingbird was happy to find the sugar water not frozen today. Poor little thing.

Snow at Christmas, what a treat,

But it hides what birds would eat.

Joyful people celebrate,

Birds though have a different fate.

Let us help them fight the cold,

In the deep snow, let’s be bold,

Filling feeders to the top,

So the birds can fill their crop.

Snow is pretty but it’s hard,

When it covers up the yard,

Birds and squirrels do their best,

Let’s all help them in their quest.

December 18, 2021
by wordsfromanneli 41 Comments

Holiday Time

It seems to be snowier this year, but only in dribs and drabs. It snows, and the next day it rains and the snow is gone. But the wind is bitter cold and the air is raw. I hope all the little birds and squirrels find warm places to spend the night. I know they’re out and about even in terrible weather, looking for bits of food to keep them warm enough. Even the hummingbirds that didn’t fly south are sipping at the cold sugar water in the feeder. Poor little things.

I hope you are all helping to keep the birds alive this winter by putting out suet or bird seed. Please don’t feed them bread. It’s not going to do them any good. They need proper bird seed and sunflower seeds. And if you have a cat, be sure not to put the feeder where a cat could get to it. On second thought, if you have a cat, don’t feed the birds. Let your neighbour do it.

I hope you all have a happy time over the Christmas holidays. Be good to your friends, neighbours, and families. There is probably not enough of that kindness in the world.

With so much Covid fear, it seems that we are losing the closeness we had with friends and family. Everyone is afraid of this monster illness. But maybe we need to work harder at keeping up our friendships by writing, or phoning, or having more over-the-fence visits, until we get a handle on this virus.

Let us try not to forget that humans are meant to hug, and smile without masks, and love each other. I worry about the toddlers who are not learning to read their parents’ facial expressions as they grow up. Somehow, someday, we need to get back to the way things were.

Have a healthy and happy Christmas time. I wish you all the best for 2022.

PS. I noticed I said, “I hope” several times in this post. I was going to change it, but then I thought, “No, I DO hope a lot.”

I hope you have a lot of hope too.

December 14, 2021
by wordsfromanneli 41 Comments

Lonely Spaniel

Somehow, these past two weeks have been filled with commitments, appointments, and reasons to go into town. With the weather alternating between cold rain and slushy snow, I don’t like to put Emma out in her kennel. She has a doghouse inside that fenced “playpen” and she’s quite safe in there, but it’s chilly when you don’t have a chance to run around much to stay warm.

So, we keep her in the house while we’re gone. She mostly sleeps on her dog bed until we get home again, but after leaving her for the third time within several days, I was feeling bad for her. She’s always so happy when we come home, so I know she gets lonely.

Today when I came home from an appointment, she met me at the door as usual, and I asked her where my slippers were. She always brings them to me when I come in from outside and I usually don’t even have to ask her for them.

But she brought me one of the Captain’s shoes so I went looking for my slippers and here is what I found.

A stash of six shoes on her bed! She must have gone up and down the stairs six times to bring them all to her bed upstairs so she could snuggle into them while we were away.

When the people go away,

No one knows how long they’ll stay.

Sure they leave me warm and fed,

And I curl up on my bed.

But the house can be so still,

Many quiet hours to fill,

Though my dog bed is all right,

Hope they come back before night.

Maybe I can find some shoes

And feel better while I snooze,

Into them I stick my snout,

The aroma knocks me out.

Extra lonely time today

Means I need those shoes for play,

Up and down the stairs each time,

With a shoe for every climb.

Six times down and six times up,

Six brown shoes for lonely pup,

Tired now, I’ll snooze and wait,

Hope the people won’t be late.

Emma says, “I suppose I could always pass the time by reading one of Anneli’s books. They’re still on for only 99 cents until December 31st. Check them out on Anneli’s blog post https://wordsfromanneli.com/2021/11/21/book-bargains/”

“They’re great books if you want entertainment for a tiny price.”

“And did you know that Anneli has another blog for writers and readers? It’s called annelisplace. You can find it here. https://annelisplace.wordpress.com/”

December 10, 2021
by wordsfromanneli 39 Comments

Under Cover

A few nights ago, while I snuggled under the covers, the outside world was also being put under a cover — from freshly fallen snow.

The hummingbird feeder I had taken down to be out of the wind on the exposed deck, was no longer nestled among the branches that the birds used to love to sit on. (See the photo below). It had become a snow trap. Any bird venturing into the maze of bent down boughs might get a snow shower which, in the case of a tiny hummingbird, could be fatal. I had some work to do but I fixed up a place for the hummingbirds to feed safely.

The regular birdfeeders needed a place that was safe from the Steller’s jays who would gobble up the whole contents of the feeder. I had found a place in the branches of the filbert (hazelnut) tree. But then it snowed. Can you find the feeder to the left of the tree trunk and about four feet off the ground? The birds were happy to scratch up spilled seeds under the tree.

The Steller’s jay is quite the bully no matter where I put the seeds.

Pretty as the snow is, I worry about my poor little animals out there, scratching for enough food to keep warm and stay alive.

Last night the air was oh, so cold,

It chilled me to the bone,

My sparrow girlfriend, oh so bold,

Was shivering on her phone.

She called her snowbird friends last night,

They’d almost all flown south,

And she was wishing that they might

Have messaged her by mouth.

She’d gladly be in warmer climes,

While leaving me behind,

Their happy chirps melodic chimes,

As sunshine they did find.

But here in Lotus Land of North,

The snow moved in and covered us,

To find some food we must go forth,

Lest heavy branches smother us.

The hedge and shrubs have been a boon

But still we have to eat

And battling jays from morn till noon

Is always quite a feat.

Those greedy birds take so much food,

They spill what they don’t need,

We have to fight the whole darn brood,

So we can get some feed.

My girlfriend had the right idea,

To call her friends who left,

But if she’d gone, I sadly fear,

I would have been bereft.

Together we will pick at seeds,

To bolster up our strength,

Then later when we’ve met our needs,

I’ll cuddle her at length.

December 5, 2021
by wordsfromanneli 24 Comments

More Than You Can Chew

Have you ever bitten off more than you can chew? I’m sure Lincoln will figure out that he has to chew it a bit at a time, but that filbert looks big enough to choke a horse.

Trouble is, there are three squirrels hanging around here now and the competition is getting fierce. The feeding frenzy is beginning as the temperature dropped and it feels like snow tonight.

The competition’s fierce these days,

I’m not sure what to do,

But in my frenzied eating craze,

I’ve more than I can chew.

By the way, Lincoln says, Don’t forget to look at Anneli’s bargains for her books at https://wordsfromanneli.com/2021/11/21/book-bargains/

The 99 cent sale lasts only through December. Grab the bargains now and add them to your e-reader. Just click on the link above.

*****And also, if you like language or writing, why not check out my other blog at anneli’s place?

https://annelisplace.wordpress.com/

November 29, 2021
by wordsfromanneli 53 Comments

Dim Sum

Sorry. It’s not about Chinese food, although I would love to have some right about now.

The brightness of the sky today got “dim some” when the fog rolled in. After days of heavy rain, the clouds regrouped and pondered their next mode of attack, increasingly darkening the sky as the day wore on.

After a while, the fog moved into our place higher up on the hill, and we lived in a cloud for much of the day.

Even Rufus, the spotted towhee, had trouble finding the feeder until Goldie (the golden crowned sparrow) chirped to let him in on the meal.

Groping, groping as we fly,

What has happened to the sky?

It’s not blue nor full of rain,

Will we see the sun again?

Chilly, chilly is the air,

Need to find nutritious fare,

Build our strength and warm us up,

Need some grains for us to sup.

Foggy, foggy all around,

Where can all the seeds be found?

Goldie chirps and calls to me,

She’s my compass, friend, I see.

Sharing, sharing all the seeds,

She has way more than she needs,

Nice of her to share her lunch,

Think I love her a whole bunch.

By the way, Rufus and Goldie both invite you to check out Anneli’s bargains for her books at https://wordsfromanneli.com/2021/11/21/book-bargains/

A great deal until Christmas.

November 25, 2021
by wordsfromanneli 40 Comments

Night Visitor

Reggie Raccoon came to visit last night. Emma dog was surprised when she went out for last call. Luckily for her, Reggie was a fast climber. I don’t think Emma would have come away unscathed from an interaction with Reggie.

Reggie likes to prowl at night,

Finds it safer without light,

Still he gets caught by surprise,

Up the tree he’s quick to rise.

Little dogs might seem so cute,

But it brings out Reggie Brute,

He can be so fiercely mean,

After all the fights he’s seen.

Up the tree’s the safest thing,

Better than the fighting ring,

Reggie needs to watch his back,

Just in case the dogs attack.

Waiting in the branch’s crook,

Fearful moments while he shook,

Seem a lifetime till it’s clear,

And he can release his fear.

All he wanted was to check,

If the squirrels had left a speck,

They are given so much food,

Thought they’d share if in the mood.

Nothing left though, that was clear,

And when coupled with the fear,

Reggie wonders why he came,

He must find some other game.

In the meantime he will smile,

For the camera all the while,

Long as he can look so sweet,

He can hope they’ll leave a treat.

Meanwhile Emma’s found a spot,

Where she can relax a lot,

Reggie doesn’t want to play,

Maybe try another day.

By the way, Emma says, Don’t forget to look at Anneli’s bargains for her books at https://wordsfromanneli.com/2021/11/21/book-bargains/

November 13, 2021
by wordsfromanneli 53 Comments

Winter Prep

Hi, I’m Crispin. Remember me from a few weeks ago in the maple tree?

I wasn’t much bigger than a Coffee Crisp bar then, and I’m not a lot bigger now, but it isn’t for want of eating enough.

I tried this wood but it wasn’t that tasty. Think I’ll try the walnuts instead.

My older brother Jasper is also hanging around today, but I want to avoid him. He gets annoyed if I try to eat from what he calls HIS plate.

Oh, I think I hear him up there gnawing on the old moose antlers.

Maybe I’ll sneak over to the walnut stash while he’s busy.

I just hope that Steller’s jay isn’t hanging around. He has a sharp beak, like a spear. Maybe when I grow up I’ll take him on, but for now, it’s better to play it safe.

See that beak? This was him last week with the sunflower seeds, but maybe he won’t try stealing the walnuts today…. Fat chance.

I was just about to head for the jar of walnuts when I saw that huge tool behind me. Is that a pick axe? Yikes! Made me lose my footing!

Okay, I’m all recovered now. My mother, Della, told me always to say grace before eating, so here goes. (I don’t think the god of squirrels will mind if I don’t close my eyes. Not a safe thing to do.)

And with that out of the way, I can dive in!

Yummy walnuts from the ornamental black walnut tree.

Many dangers, all I see,

Many dangers threaten me,

Tiptoe lightly as a breeze,

Tiptoe quickly, and then freeze.

Look around from left to right,

Look around, stay out of sight,

Hurry to the walnut stash,

Hurry, careful, do not crash.

Grab some nutmeat and abscond,

Grab the food of which I’m fond,

Nibble some and hide the rest,

Nibble fast and save the best.

Winter chill is coming soon,

Winter winds, perhaps typhoon,

Be prepared for hungry days,

Be prepared, these are my ways.

November 6, 2021
by wordsfromanneli 31 Comments

Spotted Towhee

This towhee and the eastern towhee both used to be called rufous- sided towhees, but to differentiate it from the eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), it is now called a spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus).

Rufus is trying to figure out the best way to get into Lincoln the squirrel’s food.

“Have you ever been undecided, and had a foot in each camp?” he asks.

He finally decided to just go for it. Showing off his acrobatic skills.

No, he didn’t get put in jail for stealing Lincoln’s sunflower seeds. He’s just hiding here in plain sight. Nothing can get him here behind this maze of twigs.