#Blue Jays, Blackbirds, and Rabbits

I just came in from blowing the snow off my driveway—the second time this week. The weather is strange for this time of year. It was minus 10 C at lunch time. One day it is cold and the next day we get a warm-spell. Yesterday it even rained in some parts of Manitoba while it was minus 23 C in Churchill. Tomorrow it is supposed to go up to plus 3 Celsius and then cold again for the weekend. Not normal and not good for this time of year. We don’t have much snow, either. One thing, though, the sun was out and it was beautiful to be outside.

When I was done with cleaning the driveway I filled up the bird feeders. We don’t have too many birds right now. A few sparrows that come early in the morning and four Chickadees. They come every day. Actually, they hang around all day long, flitting back and forth from one tree to the other. They like the seeds of the Tamarack trees that grow behind the feeder. The same four have been here all summer. And then we get four Bluejays every day. I put out peanuts for them. They come and carry them away. I have no idea where they hide them. Not everyone likes the Bluejays, but I don’t mind them. I call them the ‘Parrots of the North’, because of their bright blue iridescent colors. Apparently, those colors are an illusion. A trick of light. I love listening to them whistle. You know when they are around.

 Last week I saw a lonely blackbird in the feeder. Either it stayed behind for some reason while the rest of them flew south or this is an early arrival. Today I saw it again sitting in our chokecherry tree. Our large bird feeder is under that tree. The poor thing was all fluffed up and didn’t look too happy. I hope it survives the winter. I’ll do my best to help it along. In the Springtime, we usually get a few blackbirds coming to the feeder. Last year one came every day. Perhaps this is the same one.

Let us not forget the little rabbit that lives under our sundeck. My wife doesn’t know it, but I put a small amount of dried alfalfa out for him under the bird feeder and a little mountain of seeds. I may have to trap him in the Spring when he starts eating the flowers, though, but for now I’ll enjoy watching him munch on the food I put out for him.