Towheeblog

The siskins and juncos come out to feed when the rain and widn are not too strong. During the wildest squalls, they hide and stay dry. Two flocks of bigger birds appeared today. A half dozen Mourning Doves came as a flock. First time this season I’ve seen more than two in our garden. Then the neighborhood turkeys came by–fourteen today. That includes at least six smaller ones that were clearly born last summer. Surely they can fly into the conifers to roost at night, but they still have heft and height to add before they can match mom and the aunties.

We are now nearing an inch total for this series of rain squalls–that’ll more than double our month’s total to date. While Kentucky and an Amazon warehouse get slammed by deadly tornadoes out of season, we have plants that no longer read the calendar…in our garden lavender, violets, azalea, begonia and magnolia are blooming while some roses have been going since last March!

954 Ratcliff Drive SE, Marion, Oregon, US
Dec 11, 2021. 12 species

Mallard  2     fly over
Wild Turkey  14     single flock
Mourning Dove  6     single flock
Northern Flicker  1
California Scrub-Jay  X
American Crow  X
Black-capped Chickadee  1
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  1
Pine Siskin  30
Lesser Goldfinch  X
American Goldfinch  X
Dark-eyed Junco  40