reality is just crazy (but mostly fun)

so the plan was simple. build up the number of songbirds that frequent the feeder. start at first frost; make daily attention, frequent feeds, mix up the seeds. sounds good.
right?

 it actually worked like a charm.  sightings where made of junkos, chickadees, cardinals in pairs, titmouse, red-eyed vireo, blue jays (nasty little buggers), boreal chickadee, wrens, warblers, finches and ravens and dozens more. they all showed up. and while I am still waiting for that elusive indigo bunting, i am quite pleased with the turn out. sort of.
you see...when you live in the middle of the wilderness, you actually have no control over what shows up in your back yard, at your feeder; or for that matter on, around & under your feeder.

Sure, it was expected that the cats would show up below the feeder, leaving their sneaking prints as evidence in the nights snowfall; even the bobcats and the wolves and the coydogs were expected. this is winter after all. food is scarce. the deer and the bunnies, the squirrels and the mice come to nibble up the fallen seed and the bread crumbs. and where the prey go- so go the predators. no big deal. expected. that is why the feeders are away from the house. what i didn't expect were the turkeys.
okay- so you all are saying...duh! i fully appreciate that.  what i mean is, I did not expect the shear NUMBER of turkeys that showed up.  what started as 3 or 4, within days turned into a full rafter!!   on a good day (she says with maniacal laughter) that means about thirty. on every other day it means no less than fifty-seven. fifty-seven.  now. if you need to know anything about turkeys (more than the fact that they are yummy with cranberries and gravy) they are destructive birds - especially in large groups. there is nothing that gets in the way of their feeding. I have decided that, in fact, they would be a very good as an ecofriendly stump removal system as well as a remarkably efficient de-thatching program.

so now this is my morning:
envision if you will the dawn breaking on a secluded farm. the first sun rays break through the tree line and the fields burst into a golden amber hue. A slight breeze. the chatter of songbirds fill the air.
hidden in the shadows, peaking from her lair in the farmhouse there appears to be an escape mental patient clad only in a night shift, a sock monkey hat and green wellies ~ with hair flying and screaming 'TEE TEE TEE TEE' at the top of her lungs, she flings open the porch door, wielding two metal garbage can lids crashing together in symphony of pure chaos. panic. fear. FLIGHT!  the entire rafter takes flight in a fury of wings. the air filled with the disturbance of flight and the calls of terror. Breathless, the mental patient watches with satisfaction the clearing of her realm and turns back to the sanctuary of the farmhouse, thinking how fortunate it is that neighbors are few and far between. wait. stop. turn slowly to the left.
are you kidding me????

well, at least I have to give him props for his originality, failure to follow the crowd and ability to complete the task at hand, even under extreme duress. he comes back every day, refuses to be scared away- even when the firecrackers are lit off. he sticks it out.  i have had no choice but to name him. meet Jackamo.
{sigh}
such an interesting and spectacular place this is.


live well.
love each other.