October 15 / the holiday

Saw some geese flying over again today. 

Common birds: starling, house sparrow, blue jay, house finch (pair), chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker (male)

Overhead: gull, Canada goose

the harvest / October 14

It's getting cooler, particularly at night, and I don't think the tomatoes are liking it.  They don't withstand frost well, and although we haven't had any frost warnings I've heard about, the leaves are withering, and some of the fruit has blemishes.  Today I picked the largest of the remaining fruits, I've left the smaller ones, hoping to give them a little more time on the vine, but might have to give in because the forecast later in the week is cooler again.  They can be ripened off the vine, so I hope I manage to save most of them. 

Also, there were a number of hawks high above today, I counted 9.  

Common birds: house sparrow, blue jay, red-breasted nuthatch, chickadee, starling, downy woodpecker (male), house finch (female)

Fall visitors: golden-crowned kinglet, ruby crowned kinglet

Overhead: red-tailed hawk, gull

October 13 / the thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!  Having dinner with friends, making cranberry sauce, and a couple of other dishes to bring with me. 

Common birds: house sparrow, blue jay

the heron / October 12

Looked out my window as a great blue heron flew over today. 

Common birds: house sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch, chickadee, starling, house finch (male), blue jay, robin, cardinal (pair)

Fall visitors: golden-crowned kinglet, red-wing blackbird

Overhead: great blue heron, gull

October 11 / the games

Watched a some soccer on TV, got some sewing done, and watched a few birds. 

Common birds: starling, cardinal (male), downy woodpecker, chickadee, blue jay, house sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch, robin

Fall visitors: golden-crowned kinglet, ruby-crowned kinglet

Overhead: gull

the potato / October 10

My potato plant is getting so big it's funny.  I brought in one potato from it today, it was sitting on the surface of the soil.  I hope there will be a few more, though harvest is supposed to be after the plant stops blooming, and before/during die-back of the leaves, so I'm leaving it alone for now.

Common birds: house sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch, starling, blue jay, downy woodpecker (male), chickadee

October 9 / the predators

I saw two birds of prey today.  At the very top of the tall evergreen out back, first I saw the small bird of prey I mentioned recently, which I am guessing to be the American kestrel, which flew off, and was soon replaced on the same perch by the red-tailed hawk, which is about twice as big.

I also saw a sparrow, which was either the white-throated sparrow, as seen a few days ago, or the white crowned sparrow, which I think it was, but couldn't see its throat clearly enough to be certain.

Common birds: house sparrow, chickadee, downy woodpecker, red-tailed hawk, grackle, mourning dove

Fall visitors: American kestrel, white crowned (or white throated?) sparrow