A SURPRISE IN MY GARDEN

Well, well, surprise, surprise! I walked out onto the back porch this morning to catch a bit of sun since the house, even with windows open, was a bit cool. I looked about, and up as I saw a movement. There, in one of the large holes in my well over one hundred year-old sugar maple tree, a baby raccoon was turning about to go back in to sleep. The screen door banging must have awakened him.

That explained why I had seen a mature raccoon shinning up that tree a month or so ago. I had thought since it was daylight, it must have been a hungry young male. Perhaps it was the same raccoon who climbed up the pine tree just outside my window. These sightings put the time around when raccoons breed. The little one I saw today is almost ready to leave the "nest," or den.

Which brings me to the tree. I had three large sugar maples, all badly damaged during our last ice storm. I had one cut down in 2006. It had been creaking noisily in the wind, and leaned toward the house. The second one was dropping large branches, so was dangerous. I had it cut this past year. One of the young tree men and I lost track counting over one hundred rings. The inside was rotten--big hollows in places. These two were at the front of the house.

This one, the tree man said, needed to come down in around two years. He cut off a number of large, dangerous, dead branches, which dropped parts bit by bit. Although the center is hollow, the tree is strong. He said it will not fall, just die off branch by branch at the top.

Birds return to their nesting areas to propogate their young, as do raccoons. The raccoons were no doubt related to the raccoons who lived and bred under my house before I could get the crawl spaces sealed off. I had to wait until the young were able to leave. Which means this little one may be related to the same crew. My cute little raccoon will soon "fly the coop," as it were. (There are usually two pups.) As I mentioned in another post, the male leaves at dusk to find food, and returns at first light. They are safe enough in the tree for a few years. I will get "uptight" if they eat my lettuce. They should be off to the woods soon.

This cute, cuddly little "surprise" made me want to write to you. How often does such an interesting surprise occur in one's garden?

MY GIANT HOUSE SPIDER

I have seen a GIANT HOUSE SPIDER (Tegenario duellica)

I had an unpleasant surprise the other day while working with a friend changing windows to screens. We were on our last one--the back door on the garden side. He was on the outside, I in, when he looked agitated and said to grab a broom, and come and look. I poked my head out, and there on the door jamb, high on one side--with a "possible" little hop into the house, was the largest house spider we had ever seen.

The spider was at least 3" (three inches) long, with a body 1 1/2" (one and one half) inches. We were stunned and in shock for several moments as we studied it. I lifted my broom and knocked it down while my friend stomped on it. Sorry about that for those of you who love Spiders, but the thing was too close for comfort. Perhaps it came from under the house in the crawl space.

We went inside and looked through as many books as possible to find it was a GIANT HOUSE SPIDER, Tegenaria duellica, now found all over North America. I looked on the web the next day confirming it. This one was a male. Tell me if I am wrong, but he was on his way to find a female nest where he would mate with the female at least two times. He would remain there and shortly die. The female would then eat him, thus providing nourishment for her offspring.

I have battled CELLAR SPIDERS for years, and the odd SMALL HOUSE SPIDER indoors, and outdoors live and let live with the large GARDEN SPIDERS (who eat many insects), and the odd DADDY LONG LEGS, but in living here in the country for over thirty years I have never seen such a large Spider.

I hope I shall never see a GIANT HOUSE SPIDER again.

SOME SURPRISING CHANGES IN MY GARDEN

It was warm for several days last week, so I sat outside to enjoy the heat. I read and watched the birds. It was wonderful to have the heat, but, alas, it has gone again. Now we are almost at freezing during the night, cool during the day.

During those warmer days, my Tufted Titmouse came back with a friend, so they must be staying to breed. I had only seen them once before in my area while walking in the woods.

Also last week, the day was a little slow. Restless, I looked out my front door. I heard the call before I saw them. There, on the bushes was a Cardinal and Cardinal female. The did not fly away as I expected. I began to chatter away. They chattered badk, and we carried on a "conversation" for at least ten minutes. They fluttered about, watching me. It was mostly the male. His mate stayed near and did her own chattering. Amidst this "conversation" a Titmouse poked his head in from around the corner of the house. He barely stayed, uninterested.

I gave up chattering with my friends and shut the door. Before I went back to my work, I looked out from the dining room window. There was the Cardinal male staring at me, looking in. I waved at him and he flew away. I truly had been "low" that day, and it seemed God had sent his little angels to cheer me up. It was awesome.

On the basis of that day I refilled the smaller feeder for these friends. It took a week for the blackbirds to find it, but my friends (plus other small birds) got there first. Today, the weather is cooler, and a Cowbird female, a dull brown/black, was at the feeder. The eyes were black, so I knew she was not a blackbird. Then I saw the male Cowbird with its dull brown head, and irridescent black body. They are as unlikeable to me as the blackbirds, for they lay their eggs in a smaller bird's nest, so that the young hatch and get the most food from the poor mother since they are larger. Ironic, is it not, but they are one of nature's conundrums. The Blackbirds, with whom they travel, came, and finished off the food.

I hear the weather is getting warmer in a few days. After all, it is spring, not just for the birds, but for the weather as well. It will get warm.

As an afterthought, do you have such problems with Blackbirds? I must have asked that question before.

SOME BIRDS STOPPING BY MY GARDEN

Yesterday I had a pleasant surprise. A WOOD THRUSH found its way into my garden. He was alone. It was impossible to mistake his rust brown head and back, with a white breast strewn with black and brown slash marks like lightning strikes. He sat only. He could not be mistaken for a Thrasher.

I remember hearing a WOOD THRUSH once before I saw it. I was out walking in the woods, not yet far from the houses. When I heard the glorious song, I stood still, and looked around. He sat atop a small tree singing his heart out. It was a most profound experience.

Another visitor was a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. I love the blobs of yellow on each side of his head, with the white and dark stripes. The body is a bland sparrow brown.

Today, a TUFTED TITMOUSE sat on a tree by my window, looking in. I believe he spotted me behind the geraniums. How charming his plump little gray body was, with a few slashes of rust on the lower sides.

Birds bring birds. Although there is little food left in the feeders, they come along anyway. I am thankful the BLACKBIRDS come seldom now. Families of JUNCOS are here often. One can see the striking white tail feathers when they fly. The DOVES visit from time to time. One male was most interested in a smaller female, but after all, it is Spring. Most of their families I see when the snow covers the ground.

The BLUE JAYS come for a peek to see if I have put any nuts out. Without these, they don't stay long. I Have been waiting for a rainless day to toss the nuts up to their stand.

Several of these birds are only passing through. I would love to have them stay. Sigh!

UNPLEASANT SIGNS OF SPRING

I have been remiss in posting to my blog, but must get this one off. The Blackbirds are back.

They came back massing on my trees. At the time they perhaps had just arrived, for they glared at my busy feeders and took themselves off.

After settling in, one by one they came, increasing in number, until there are now too many. They come by the half-dozen or more daily. Most of the food is gone.

My other birds have to scramble for food. There is almost nothing left for them. A Dove was here, a Cardinal family, Juncos and Sparrows. Unfortunately, that means I cannot feed these birds. I will miss seeing them, and hope they find food locally. The snow is gone, and with frequent rains the trees and bushes are budding, the grass growing. Soon natural food will be abailable for my birds. Or, others using feeders on the lower road, do not have the same problem with Blackbirds. I wish my birds the best. I hope to see them again in the fall when the Blackbirds have left the area.

I am too close to the woods where the Blackbirds mass by the hundreds when they come and go in Spring and Fall.

I refuse to feed Blackbirds.

SIGNS OF SPRING ARE ALL AROUND US

Spring is coming. I was told by a friend in Southern Ontario that the Robins are there now. I have yet to see one here in Quebec. We have a lot of snow still, but it is melting. I see the odd bird at my feeder I do not recognize. No doubt they are passing through. One type looked like smaller versions of Cedar Waxwings, with crests, but mostly gray in color. I could not find them in a Bird Book, but someone may recognize the description.

Now that a lot of snow has melted and the ground more visible, the birds come less often to the feeders. They find food elsewhere. Well, soon the blackbirds will be back and feeding will officially end by me. It is my cue. I continue to put out peanuts for the Jays from time to time. They come looking, but circumstances like busyness or cool winds intervene. If it was a case of needing the nuts...I see it more as a treat because they do have other sources of food.

Spring notwithstanding, the winds are cool, and much snow, uncovering the detritus--and hopefully grass--must melt away to encourage warmth. How odd to hear that because of the intensity of the Chile earthquake, the Earth day is a fraction of a second shorter. It is difficult to get one`s head around that if it is so. The days are getting longer, however. There is little doubt of that, and we will soon be able to say Spring has come.

SOME BEAUTIES OF THE ANIMAL WORLD

In the course of writing my novel, I needed to "speak" about horses, among which was The Arab Horse. While surfing the net I came across a number of articles on The Arab Horse. I admire the breed because they are so beautiful, a triumph of breeding by the Arabian Bedouins of Europe and Asia so many thousands of years ago. Today they are bred all around the world.

You can recognize The Arab Horse readily. Their beauty lies in their wedge-shaped head, giving it a dished look. They have small, wide flaring nostrils, with lovely large eyes, small ears, and beautifully arched necks. Their stamina and intelligence are legendary. You may find many articles about them, some at: ezinearticles.com/ for example, under the name, The Arabian Horse-Beauty and Versatility....

As I look out my window I often see several families of Cardinals come to my feeders. The males are truly beautiful in their red coats. One is more brilliant than the others, so I call him "Fatso," a rather shabby name for such a beauty. The other males have more gray on their wings and backs. I love the females as well--who are never far from their males--a lesson for us? Their bits of red and soft browns make them charming.

John Keats, in 1884, wrote in his poem, Endymion, Part I:
"A THING of Beauty is a Joy forever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness;...."

This certainly applies to the Cardinals and to The Arab Horses of the World.