Making the Most of Winter Enjoying My Backyard Birds

 There's one perk to being retired during the dead of winter aside from not having to leave the house and that is the time I have to enjoy my backyard birds.  As if on cue, my backyard menagerie is especially active - and plentiful - during this ridiculously cold and snowy month of February and the antics outside my window provide me with entertainment and challenge as I try to photograph the comings and goings of so many varieties of feathered friends.  It's a fun time to be inside the warmth of the house. 

 

If you were to ask me what my favorite bird is, I'd be hard pressed to name just one.  I think I love them all for different reasons.  The bluebirds, which I'd never seen in person till about five years ago, are so colorful and so expressive.

Another favorite of mine is the Red-Bellied Woodpecker...  The male sports a solid red stripe extending from his beak but his female counterpart has a large area of grey between her beak and the start of her red cap.  Did you know this bird can stick it's barbed tongue out nearly 2" past the end of its beak?  His spit is sticky and enables him to snatch insects out of crevices.

The cute little Dark Eyed Juncos appear just as winter is about to arrive and then disappear with the arrival of spring.  At one time they were so fast, it was hard to photograph them.  Lately they seem more relaxed and even eat from the feeders, not just off the ground.

Who doesn't love the darling little Tufted Titmouse?  I love how they grab a seed and flit away, perching on the first nearby spot to crack it open.

There's never a shortage of Blue Jays, definitely not the wallflower at the dance.  These birds are assertive and just a little aggressive on the playground.  But there's no denying they are handsome!

Of course there are the Mourning Doves......

And the little Carolina Wrens......

The White Breasted Nuthatch.............

I was tickled this week for the return of the American Goldfinch....just look.....they are showing signs of their summer colors!!

My least favorite might be the European Starlings.  Besides the fact that they can empty a feeder in record time, they arrive in a mob and have horrible table manners.

The next group of patrons would be the Hairy Woodpecker and the Downy Woodpecker.  Do you know the difference?  The Hairy Woodpecker is slightly larger and has a longer beak.  The Downy has a shorter and squattier beak and he has spots on the sides of his tail feathers. The male of both species have a red spot on the back of their head - the females do not.

Of course, who doesn't love the Black-capped Chickadee....

If you saw my previous post, you know  I love Northern Cardinals.  Who doesn't?  

Whew!   All this birdwatching has made me sleepy.....I think somebody else is sleepy too....the House Finch.

I hope you've enjoyed some backyard birdwatching with me!  I can't say feeding this menagerie is cheap, but it's definitely worth the investment - year 'round.  I think my bird buddies would agree!

Come back soon for more Life As I See It and be sure to share this post with your bird loving friends!

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A Wildlife Adventure at the Wildlife Sports and Educational Museum

 Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!  While that may have been a line from the 'Wizard of Oz', a similar line might be used to describe our latest discovery, the Wildlife Sports and Educational Museum.

Located on Route 30, just south of Route 29 in the hamlet of Vail Mills in the town of Mayfield, we first noticed the museum last summer on our visit to the Adirondack Animal Land.  The museum is just a mile down the road from the popular safari venue, which would have made it a great combo adventure had we stopped last year.  We didn't though, and it wasn't until I read a wonderful article in the 'Simply Saratoga' magazine that I realized what we missed.  Our summer bucket list with the grandkids this year included a visit to the Wildlife Museum and today we took that excursion, and all I can say is Wow.  The grands used that same expression and after the littlest made that exclamation, he followed it up with, "and I'm not even kidding".  

The Wildlife Museum is located inside what was once a Grand Union which Bob purchased in 2001. The building itself, though adorned with beautiful wildlife murals, does little to entice passerby or hint at the enormous variety of animals housed in these humble walls, but trust me, walking through the entrance was a little like opening Pandora's Box.  The website mentioned a variety of animals on display, including 160 white tail deer trophy mounts, buffalo, wolves and more, but it's the 'more' that kept us in a constant state of wonder as we wandered the huge display.  As if that weren't impressive enough, an additional 13,000 sq. ft of space has been added to include more North American and African mounts.  This addition doubled the museum's square footage.

How often does a kid (or an adult) get to stand next to an Alaskan Bear, rhino, or lion?  We've all seen these animals on tv and in books, but seeing wild animals up close was impressive and as the kids would say, COOL.  In addition to the animals, there were fish, birds and so much more.

The museum also boasts over 500 artifacts of traps, fishing gear, rifles and more arranged in exhibits throughout the Museum. The traditions and history of hunting, fishing and trapping dating back to colonial times are alive in these items.  There is also a very large gift shop, and chairs scattered throughout for anyone. young or old, who needed a rest during their exploration.  The brainchild of Bob Kazmierski, this museum has “the largest collection of mounted trophies of fish, birds and animals in New York State.”  A taxidermist and owner of a taxidermist supply company, Bob has invested over a million dollars into purchasing the vacant Grand Union and filling it with animals galore.  

The most difficult part of sharing this treasure is choosing 30 of the 200 photos I took.  Consequently, I'll probably post an album of many more photos on my Facebook page in the coming days: (https://www.facebook.com/GAWelter/

For now the museum is open every day through the end of August, 10:30-4:00pm.  Fall/Winter hours are every Saturday 10:30-4:00pm.  To call for information:  (518) 883-4933.  Admission is $10 for adults, 7-17 is $5.00 and 6 and under are free. After visiting today, I think it's the best deal around. What a great place to take the kids, or the sportsman you know! Field trip for the school kids....what a great idea.

And as a special treat, a commentary from a guest blogger, my granddaughter:

"For someone like me, I loved this place. My favorite movie since I was a kid and forever is Disney's 'The Lion King', and I've seen the play three times. I have always been very fascinated with the safari animals and I love collecting the Schleich figurines that were in 'The Lion King'. I was so excited to see the safari animals (mainly the lions) and was amazed to see how tall giraffes are. I was also intrigued by the other animals. There were just so so many deer. I couldn't believe how big the bear and moose were. It was very cool to see some of the animals that I have never seen before and so up close, and I very much enjoyed the experience."  

There you have it! I hope this encourages you to visit the museum before Labor Day or some weekend thereafter. I know you'll love it. We sure did! 

The Wildlife Sports and Education Museum is a non-profit educational institution whose mission it is to promote public understanding and appreciation of the outdoor sports, traditions of hunting, fishing and trapping and to preserve the art, artifacts and memorabilia associated with those traditions for future generations." - museum website (https://wildlifesportsmuseum.com/index.htm) or their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Wildlife Sports and Educational Museum37551

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