On a warm, sunny fall day the geese were spending the day on my South Lawn.  The daisies in my garden were blooming to their fullest.

These Geese were in my backyard in the fall, picking up the last of the sweet corn left by the fall harvest. The lot that they would rest on has a house built on it now and  I will miss them.   They would quickly propel themselves into the air all together and would form a V shape.  Loudly honking they would pass over the house flying just over the tree line.

A friend of mine who lives North of Albert Lea came home one afternoon to find a large pile of wood chips below a big tree in her yard.  Two large Pileated Woodpeckers were busily eating bugs…thus making an annoying tapping sound while pecking the rotting  trunk of a dead tree in her front yard.   She ran to get her camera but they were gone by the time she got back.  She and her husband loaded up the wood chips and placed  them around some new  little trees that they had planted…they had lots of wood chips.  I thought this was interesting so I took a picture of it.  They were evidently just going through town on a trip up North….because they didn’t come back. 

Pileated Woodpecker

The Original Woody Woodpecker was a Pileated Woodpecker

Identification Tips:

• Length: 15 inches
• Very large (crow-sized) black and white woodpecker
• Prominent red crest at rear of head
• White throat
• Entirely black body plumage at rest except a white line that extends from bill down sides of neck to upper flanks
• In flight shows pale bases to primaries on upperwing and entirely white underwing covert

Adult male:

• Red forehead
• Red malar area

Adult female:

• Black forehead
• Black malar stripe

 

            

 

Tom Pays His Last Respects

This big Tom Turkey visited my deck and yard everyday for about two years. He took on the job as a neighborhood watch dog and was seen chasing cars and busses as they passed by.  An older  neighbor lady fed him corn everyday so he stayed close by.   After a long illness she passed away but the turkey didn't understand why he wasn't being fed anymore.  One of her one last wishes was to be able to pass by her home of many years on her way to her final resting place.  As they passed her home with the long line of friends and family following, the turkey appeared and appeared and ran beside the hearse as it traveled down South Broadway.    Everyone was amazed with his timely appearance and it was a thought that he somehow knew she was near.  He was a novelty in the neighborhood until he met his demise at the hands of a neighbor, a turkey hunter.  This was a sad day for those of us who enjoyed him. 

 

Watch Turkey Chases Salesmen

     One day an insurance man came to my door in a unexpected "hurry".  He rushed into my back door without even knocking...panicked and out of breath.  The big turkey Tom was right behind him and  had been chasing him when he got out of his car.  He followed him onto the deck and chased him into the house.  The salesman was wearing a black trench coat and I think Tom thought he was protecting his territory from another "turkey".  Tom peered in the window and would "peck" at the window.  Surprised at this actions, I chased him off the deck.  When the salesman left,  Tom was standing by his car so the salesman was afraid to go out.  I wasn't afraid of Tom so I grabbed my "broom"and kept him at bay until the "shook up" salesman could safely get into his little black car.  As he left, Tom was in full pursuit and followed his car for a long distance down South Broadway.  The salesman enjoys telling the story about the fact that he doesn't worry only about being chased by dogs anymore...now he is watching for neighborhood "Turkeys".