It's March!

Well, here we are already in the third month for the year 2019, proving time does fly rather one is having fun or not! I hope someone remembers to wake Mooch (who can be seen in the Mutts comic strip posted atop this entry). But, maybe Mooch needs to sleep a bit more... after all, his pillow looks pretty comfortable and plus the weather might not be so great just yet.

As you undoubtedly know the beginning of March is associated with an idiom: "If March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb and if it comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb."

Evidently this is because "March straddles winter and spring in the northern hemisphere, it tends to have very harsh, unpleasant weather in the beginning but typically has milder, more palatable weather by the end." 

Here in NYC, March is beginning with moderate snowfall as seen in the picture below of my rooftop garden taken in the morning.

THE STORIES IN MY BOOKS TAKE PLACE IN MY GARDEN

In any event, according to a number of sources (including Holiday Insights AKA HI), the month of March in the United States is known as Irish American Month, Music in Our Schools Month, National Celery Month, National Craft Month National Frozen Food Month, National Irish American Heritage Month (designated by Congress in 1995), National Nutrition Month, National Peanut Month, National Women's History Month, Red Cross Month and Social Workers Month.

Let them eat snow!

It is the last day of 2017, and I really should be shredding documents as well as personal letters that are no longer relevant to me, but for now, I'm composing my third entry for this day. In my previous post for today, I mentioned that "it's only the seventh day of Christmas," which means it is the day when someone's true love gave to them seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Now, in honor of the occasion of someone giving their true love seven swans a swimming, I've posted an image of my swan-themed ornament atop this entry. You  might recognize her as she was featured in a 2016 posting here on Blogger.

However, at this time, I don't think they'll be many swans a swimming in many parts of the USA, as it is very cold in a number of parts of this county, so places they'd be swimming are frozen; and NYC, is hardly an exception!

Friday's Fact: I often give into a Blue jay's wide-eyed look...

During last week's snowstorm, a young Blue jay visited the Smoke Bush which I have in  my garden. From the vantage point of that shrub's branches, this bird seemed to be giving a wide-eyed look, as seen in the images atop this entry.

This is something cats and dogs also do when they want something to eat).... 

It's a look I find hard to resist and I want to oblige so I was most thankful to still have seed (from the generous MFH and her husband RH) at my disposal.

“A new day. A blue jay. A new beginning...."

Blue jays visit my garden frequently and the other day was no exception. My latest visitor can be seen in the image atop this entry as well as in the ones directly below.

Upon my seeing this creature, I thought of some lines from a poem by Eleanor Farjeon which go like this, “A new day. A blue jay. A new beginning...."

You may recognize her name as she wrote the hymn, "Morning Has Broken," which is usually associated with Cat Stevens whose recording of it popularized the song.

This bird type, which sometimes gets a bad rap, has influenced me from an early age when I drew (albeit not very well) the creature's picture.

WW* Pics of Jays Make Great Valentine's Day Greetings (*Wednesday's Wisdom)

CHECK THIS OUT ON FINE ART AMERICA

CHECK THIS OUT ON FINE ART AMERICA

According to a number of sources, including one related to the symbolism and meaning of certain birds, "Jays mate for life, giving them the symbolism and meaning of faithfulness and accord."

Because of this undisputed fact of their faithfulness, images of Blue Jays rendered on to cards make a perfect Valentine's Day card for the one near and dear to you.

Blue jays continue to beat the heat in my garden! (Tuesday's Truths WK 220)

No, the  Blue jay seen in the picture atop this entry is probably not using his/her feathers as a means to hide from the camera.

National Peanut Month 2021

The month of March arrived the other day and whether this month comes in like a lion or a lamb, it will always be known here in The United States as National Peanut Month.

Peanuts are a legume appreciated by members of the wildlife community including squirrels who over the course of many years, have stopped by my garden on countless occasions to eat them. This is evienced in the picture directly below.

Peanuts are also enjoyed by members of the wild bird community. In fact they are so popular with Northern cardinals, that my visiting cardinal Cam and her husband Mac, named one of their daughters,“Peanut,” in honor of this taste treat. These three cardinals can be seen (respectively) in the next sequence of photographs.

The stories of this cardinal couple along with the stories of an array of bird types are featured in my three volume hardcover book series, Words In Our Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

The books make a perfect gift for someone who may be in quarantine or lockdown due to consequences of the coronavirus because the stories in them can bring the outdoors into the homes of those who cannot go out and about.

Friday's Follow-Up Re A Visiting Jay

Atop this entry is a copy of a Mutts cartoon created by Patrick McDonnell. It was initially posted in celebration of the 2018 Winter Solstice and I thought of the sentiment expressed by Mooch during the nor'easter which occured in NYC this past Monday (2-1-2021).

As I said in my blog post about the event (which I published the next day) an array of bird types (including a lone American robin, several Dark-eyed juncoes, a number of House sparrows, an entourage of Mourning doves, and a lone Northern mockingbird) spent a lot of time in my garden during this storm. 

The day following the storm, which happened to be Groundhog Day, a Blue jay stopped by my place.

2021's Ground Hog Day + NYC's 1st Nor'easter for this Year (Tuesday's Truths WK 203)

Results are in! A couple of hours prior to this seemingly pensive Blue jay (seen in the picture directly above) alighting on the branches of the smoke bush that I have in my garden, NYC's spokes-groundhog predicted an early spring. However, Phil, the spokes-groundhog for nearby Pennsylvania predicts six more weeks of winter.

Friday's Follow Up to my 7-24-2020's Post

MY GARDEN IS THE SETTING FOR MY BOOK SERIES

Last Friday, I published a post here on Blogger which discussed Henry David Thoreau's well known quote, "The squirrel that you kill in jest, dies in earnest." 

In this follow-up post, I'd like to share with you what Thoreau had to say about this animal type in his essay, Walden 175.

I am prompted to do this upon seeing the squirrel (who has been visiting my rooftop garden since early July) enjoying peanuts from one of my bird feeders. He/she can be seen munching away while atop my ring-style feeder.

The reason I thought of Thoreau upon seeing this is I recently learned he was evidently known for leaving out ears of unripened sweet corn for these creatures during the winter.

I've never left out unripened corn in the winter (or any time for that matter) but during winter months, I have made sure my feeders (including my ring-style peanut feeder) are replenished during that season in order to provide my visiting birds with physical nourishment.

Attn! Peanuts may not be good for squirrels!?! Let them eat corn? (Wednesday's Wisdom)

THIS SQUIRREL IS FEATURED IN MANY BLOG POSTS

THIS SQUIRREL IS FEATURED IN MANY BLOG POSTS

THIS SQUIRREL IS FEATURED IN MANY BLOG POSTS

As those of you who follow this blog probably know, a alone squirrel, has been visiting my rooftop garden since July 8th 2020. He/she can be seen in the photo-ops atop this entry where he/she is spending his/her time at one of my bird feeders that I have to accommodate the needs of various birds who visit my place.

Let them eat unshelled peanuts.

The photographs atop this entry features a blue jay alighting on the twisting branches of one of the shrubs growing in my urban garden which is a Avellana corylus (Contorted Hazelnut). In the image he/she is eyeing a ball-style bird feeder that is nearly empty of the black-oil sunflower seeds which it holds. Blue Jays are known to eat these seeds as evidenced in the photo below, where a blue jay is availing him/herself of black-oil sunflowers seeds which I had placed on a a saucer.

This bird-type also enjoys eating berries, especially blueberries, as evidenced by the next set of images.

And blue jays eat suet, as you can see in the photos directly below.

However (according to WBU-MICH), "if you offered a buffet, their first choice would be peanuts in the shell."

I certainly agree with them on this, for I have offered un-shellled peanuts in a variety of ways, and my efforts have not been lost on this bird type!

Yesterday's "bomb cyclone."

MALE CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

At one point it was so windy during yesterday's "bomb cyclone" (a winter storm that hit NYC with a vengeance), that the "mohawk" of a male cardinal who was visiting my rooftop garden was blowing back and forth. Not even the stiffest hairspray could've helped his situation, as evidenced by the image atop this entry, where he is alighting upon the branches of my kiwi vines, while a lone male house sparrow tries to hold his own in the background.

Draw A Bird Day 2019

Today is Draw A Bird Day, a longstanding holiday which was created in honor of the dearly departed, Dorie Cooper, who died when she was a child. In bygone years, I have written about little girl and her "role" in the  creation of the holiday. 

Within some of the aforementioned entries, I've included a a copy the photograph atop this post that features one of the ways I was taught to draw a bird by using my hand as a model. In any event, it seems birds learn to draw humans in a similar manner, as evidenced in the cartoon directly below.

That being said, in terms of humans drawing birds, Charles Schultz often comes to my mind.

My Jumping Squirrel (Tuesday's Truths WK 189)

THIS SHRUB IS FEATURED IN VOL 1

In recent blog posts (including one published on 7-8-2020) and one published on 7-19-2020), I've been discussing my observations of a lone squirrel who has been spending a lot of his/her time in my rooftop garden.

One thing I've noticed is his/her's incredible ability to jump. She/he often enters my place by jumping from the trees in an adjacent courtyard on to one of the pole that supports my string lights and from there she jumps on to a stake in the container of my Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi) as seen in the photo atop this entry.

Friday's Fact: Blue Jays have a balding stage!

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

In yesterday's entry here on Blogger, I mentioned that Blue Jays can be quite the bird watchers, given the opportunity.

I'm following up on that post with information that I recently learned re this bird type and that is jays "of ages have a 'bald stage' in which all capital-tract feathers, those on the head, are dropped nearly simultaneously, resulting in individuals being nearly bald for about a week."

A jay experiencing this visited my garden the other week and he/she can be seen in the photograph atop this entry (as well as in the ones directly below) where he/she is alighting on one of my bird feeders.

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

As you may know, dear reader, the Blue jay bird type, has a story within volume three of my hardcover book series, Words In Our  Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

Jays got this: There's nothing like a relaxing bath! Tuesday's Truths WK !84

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

Yesterday a fledgling Blue Jay spent time splashing around in a bird bath that's in my garden! Then he/she hopped up on the ledge surrounding my outdoor space to dry off before taking another dip...

Summer Solstice 2020

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

In under three hours (at 5:44 PM EDT) on this day of June 20, 2020, the the summer solstice will occur in the Northern Hemisphere. The summer solstice, also known as the June solstice occurs when the Sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky. This event marks the start of summer in the northern half of the globe. (In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite: the June solstice marks the start of winter, when the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky.)

This date marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, "occurring when Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt (about 23.5 degrees) toward the Sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year. (By longest “day,” we mean the longest period of sunlight.) At the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at the most direct angle of the year."

It certainly is a hot last day of spring and a blue jay came to my garden to beat the heat in my "outdoor pool" as seen in the image atop this entry.

Feed the Birds Day 2018

I've posted a You Tube video atop this entry in honor of one of today's (February 3rd) holidays, which  is known as Feed the Birds Day (according to Holiday Insights who states the following):

"Date When Celebrated: Always February 3: Help the wild birds in your backyard to survive the long, cold winter by feeding them. That's exactly why this special day was created. Mid and late winter are especially hard on all outdoor animals. By mid winter, food sources become scarcer and scarcer for the wild birds that over-winter in your backyard..."

I featured this quote from Holiday Insights along with the Mary Poppins film clip that's included here in my 2017 blog entry for Feed the Birds Day,

In terms of the many photographs of wild birds eating that I used in the aforementioned entry, most of them are different than the ones I am using today.

"A bird in the bath is the soul of enjoyment..."

AMERICAN ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME 3

During our tremendous back to back heat waves in NYC which have come hot on the on the heels of lockdowns and gradual, partial re-openings (all due to the coronavirus pandemic), I'm most grateful to be able to provide relief for birds visiting my garden, including a young American robin, seen in the image atop this entry where he/she is taking refreshment from the brutal heat by spending time in one of my bird baths.

Seeing this sweet creature at my place has prompted me to do some research and one of the things I read, is, "Robins have hollow bones, so the are too light to submerge themselves. Instead, they bathe in shallow water and splash it up to wet their backs and heads," as one seems to be doing in the image atop this entry.