Weather Permitted - Mio - Nov 2, 2008

The weather in Mio this weekend was great. Saturday was warm and very clear. We unloaded the truck and after getting the kits all settled in I went out to fill the feeders and suet holders. First to take care of the ones close to the house, then off to my blind at the back end of the property. As I get the feeder filled with seed and the first suet holder filled I can hear the Nuthatch calling out as if to say "Come on guys, foods on". The last feeder I fill is the suet plugs in the dead tree about 30' from the blind.

It's about 4:00 when I find out what birds will be visiting me this weekend. First it's the White-breasted Nuthatch that shows, followed by the Black-capped Chickadee and now by the Tufted Titmouse. A Downy Woodpecker has made it's presence known and so does the Hairy.

I decided to go back and get my tripod to put in my blind so I'll be ready in the morning and won't have to carry so much out. As I walk to my blind I here the flapping of something big, landing on a tree in front of me is the Pileated Woodpecker. She stays attached to the tree for awhile and then she's off. Now I know Sunday has to be a good day.

Sunday morning (~8:00) I grab my bag and coffee and head out to my blind, there I will sit for the next 4 hours. The morning will bring the usual: White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker and the Hairy Woodpecker and something new to my area a Brown Creeper. While scoping out the area and making sure all is set up right I see something crawling around the tree, not sure what it is and not sure what I see I take aim and digiscope this little guy to find out later if I really got something. Thank God it wasn't my imagination.

When all is quiet I went out to the back path to sprinkle a little corn on the trail hoping that it will attract a deer for me to photograph but what it did do was kept the squirrels busy - that meant they weren't in my feeders. The corn and the bird seed dropped on the ground by the birds also brought the Turkeys (8 to be exact - 7 grown and 1 youngen).

On my way walking back to my blind - just as I stepped in I looked out the window and there she was the Pileated Woodpecker. Slowly I grabbed my Canon w/500mm lens and shot away. I had hoped to get a movie of this bird but as usual her timing was just right and my was off. I set up my tripod so I could get ready to digiscope a movie, stepped into my blind to get my small Nikon and wouldn't you know it there she flew in. Once this bird has landed you pretty much want to stay right where you are because they don't hang around too long after movement. Oh well there's always next time up.

Well that was my weekend, time to start packing up and getting on the road. Til my next post.