August on the Meadow

Oh my goodness ~ it's been too long since I posted on the Homestone.  
Life is crazy good.  

David and I just returned from a long overdue and wonderful holiday which we spent visiting family and old friends who we don't see often enough.  
Most of our time was spent in the southern end of the province where summer days are hot and the nights are equally as warm. We were so pleased that it was rainy and cool for the first leg of our journey.  It allowed us to work up to the hotter weather that arrived. 

We got in some wonderful visits, good hugs and conversations and home cooked meals with folks!  We have vowed to get away more often.  

Arriving home to our cool mountain meadow was wonderful too.  It's so great to have Vincent here.  He is the caretaker and steward of our 'solar powered idyll' and having him here means we don't worry about a thing when we take some time away.  


The hummingbirds are due to leave soon. Their numbers have already dwindled.

The swallows that are left are mostly raising their second broods and so there are still little ones in flight school and learning the ropes on how to be swallows.
We have three blue herons who are enjoying the fishing in Mackin Creek and lots of other birds about; finches, siskins, blackbirds, thrushes, nighthawks, kingfishers... and of course our community of marmots. 

It is socked in today on the meadow with weather reports of thunder storms this afternoon. This morning we lit the kitchen wood stove ~ just to take the chill off.  Is that fall in the air??
The potatoes are flourishing in our new outdoor garden area, we have loads of greens that are keeping us well fed.  Chard and Kale and boc choi and chives ... herbs and sunflowers. Corn and beans too though we likely started these guys a bit late.   There is always next year :)  

For now, we are tucking in and getting back to work with much to catch up on.  Emails from so many wonderful people to respond to and rings to build and summer projects to resume.

Here is a sweet pic David got of two of our marmots who were having quite a conversation on the path down by the creek the other day.  Well, that's a quick update. 
As always, thanks for dropping by and much love. Have a great August!  
As ever, Nicola and David

Mid November on the Meadow

 Some mid-November Meadow moments.  Welcome! 

Our dear Whiskey Jacks looking a little bedraggled today.  First real snowfall of the year. Hopefully the treats at the feeders warm them up a little.

Just before today's Whiskey Jack snow fall, David and I took a wander round the meadow and got some pics of our almost winter white world ~ that transition day when fall is almost a memory under the first brush strokes of winter.

  Looking up ~ way up.

   The days are short now.  Sunsets sneak up on us.

   Welcome to Winter on the meadow. It's a beautiful time of year!

Whiskey Jack on the meadow ~ a post from David

The Canada Jay lives here all year round, and like the Raven, Pine Siskin, Chickadees and Juncos, his cheery company can be counted on even in the coldest weather. At this time of year he is busy stashing food ...in spruce trees mostly from what we have observed. Larger spruce have naturally peeling bark that provides shingled crevices, perfect places to protect and hide the stash.

They eat and stash a wide variety of food ... meat, eggs, insects, fruit, sunflower seeds, suet, (left over turkey chopped fine saturated with bacon fat ...) and etc. We have to wait till the bears hibernate before we put suet or bacon fat in our feeders or we will have unwelcome guests ...

Grey Jays are adaptive and intelligent, naturally curious and friendly. A bit of patience will get one feeding from your hand and coming back daily for more. They do have natural predators and so they are very alert, keeping one eye on the sky. Most hawks eventually migrate, so the winter skies are much safer.

Their vocabulary varies from chatter to whistles, and they can imitate other birds. They are territorial and monogamous, and yes they do find a new mate if an accident befalls their partner. They nest in April, which is a cold and barren time of year here, so they depend on this food stash to feed their fledglings.

All offspring from the current year except the dominant male are pushed out of the territory before winter, and the remaining young male joins Mom and Dad for a year till he matures, helping feed the young by retrieving caches. He eventually pairs with a female pushed out of another territory and the gene pool is protected.

The name "Whiskey Jack" is the oldest name we have for this widespread North American bird. It is a derivative of the Cree and Inuit ...Wee-sah-ka-shat (many spellings). Wee-sha-ka-shat, along with the beaver, otter and muskrat, is responsible for the order of things.

The Canada Jay or Grey Jay by modern definition....


well feathered everywhere, this bird is equipped to handle forty below ....


Sometimes called Camp Robber, the Canada Jay is omnivorous and an opportunist.


He is curious and interactive and will come to your voice.


His rounded tail and wings provide a silent and stealthy flight despite his steady wingbeats ...


He keeps one eye on the sky watching for hawks or the shrike.


He can carry a tremendous amount of booty away from the feeders, reminding me of a chipmunk as he stuffs his crop.


That tail acts as a flag to signal when the mouth is too full to talk.... lol.


The winter would be a lot quieter and less cheery without this little bird. They are such good company.

by David Finch

Hummingbird Arrival

Our newest arrival.  Sunday afternoon; our first hummingbird of the season made his appearance. Very exciting.  By late May and into early September we enjoy well over a hundred hummingbirds at our feeders on a daily basis! It’s absolutely magical.

David is incredibly in tune with our wild birds ~ he observes, listens and communicates with them.  Somehow, he knew it was time! I was sure we wouldn’t see a hummer for a few weeks yet, but David insisted on hanging a feeder about 4 days ago and sure enough, on Sunday afternoon ~ our first hummer arrived!!

Here’s our Sunday arrival on the tree outside our kitchen door that we sometimes refer to as our Christmas Tree because it’s a bird magnet.  During these next few months it’s almost always completely decorated with hummingbirds and other wee birdlets.

For all you fellow bird lovers; May 9th is 'Global Big Day' under the wing (haha) of Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology.  Go birding wherever you are, for any length of time on May 9 and enter your lists in ebird. Here's a link to the Global Big Day 2015 site.   

Their primary goal is fundraising for their excellent work with birds, but May 9th is about finding as many species as possible for the Global Big Day tally and to have a worldwide show of support for the birds! I hope you enjoy your birds wherever you are and if you have some time on the ninth of May ~ please count and record any that you see.