Nesting News

A beautiful sunny Friday morning beckoned me to soak in the sun's rays and to sip my coffee (from my favorite mug, of course) on the bedroom balcony.  While here I noticed some nesting activity in the trees below.  

I repositioned myself to the lower deck so I could get a better angle on the nesting boxes.  This is a major lesson in patience for me....my camera is a Canon Power Shot point and shoot camera, no bells and whistles, no sports mode, only a 16x zoom.  After about 100 photos and some major cussing over missed shots, these are the photos I got.  

Three Springs ago, I hung 2 nesting boxes in the trees on the south side of my house.  One on the far right, I purchased at the local hardware store and it is made out of pine.  The one on the left, I so crudely made from untreated cedar scraps I had left over from when I made garden boxes.  Not having my own table saw to cut the wood to size, I just pieced it together as best as I could with wood screws and chiseled a hole in the front for an opening hoping that the birds might use it. 

Well, I am happy to say, this year a pair of Black-Capped Chickadees have deemed my crudely made nesting box fit for their brood!  Getting the nesting box ready is in full swing with the pair flitting back and forth with nest materials. 

I recently noticed that tree bark from some of the scrub oaks near the balcony has been stripped.  Now I know why, the chickadees are stripping bark to use in the nest building.

"You lookin' at me?"

I was also happy to notice that one of the chickadees is the one I spotted several months ago which has the overgrown upper mandible.  No picture of it yet, still trying.

Going in....

Flying out....

While back on the balcony, I heard a noise just over the ridge line above my house.  

What is it?  Looks like 2 huge birds of prey.....

but take a closer look...

An air glider is being towed to altitude by a Cessna airplane.  Morgan County Airport located a few miles East of my canyon is the glider airport for Northern Wasatch Front mountains.  An amazing sight to watch the gliders soar!

Well, thanks for joining me on my Friday morning adventure in My Mountain Green.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Rainy Day Visitors

While this weekend sports sunny blue skies and 70+F temps, the past week was a little unsettled with off & on showers and very gray skies, but that did not hinder many little visitors to my front yard bird feeders and eating every last seed!  Even a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves are hanging out each day...

Along with many American Goldfinches....

Almost standing on his head to get at that perfect seed!

This little Goldfinch is so obsessed with getting the seed he wanted he did not notice a House Finch landing nearby.  

If he does not watch out, he may get stuck!  He has his head stuck underneath the shield all the way to his wing bars!

Oh, yes, other visitors I saw that day were several Black-capped Chickadees, a Spotted Towhee, a female Red-Shafted Northern Flicker, a pair of Downy Woodpeckers, a couple of Western Scrub Jays, and a half of dozen Black-billed Magpies!

Every bird I saw this day in My Mountain Green are year round birds for my yard.  Last week while I was playing the in the Las Vegas Desert, the Dark Eyed Juncos decided to migrate out.  Now I am waiting for migrating birds and my usual Summer birds to show up.


Time to go outside and enjoy My Mountain Green! 

Red Rock Canyon - Las Vegas, Nevada

Last week, my husband and I took the 6 hour drive down to Las Vegas, Nevada to enjoy the food, wine, and sights of the desert for a few days.  On a beautiful, warm afternoon, Red Rock Canyon was our destination.  Unfortunately it was also the destination of hundreds of "spring break" visitors as well,  roads were congested, parking lots overflowing;  not my kind of enjoyment.  As a result, we did not even hike or climb.  We drove along the 13 mile road taking in the sights & scenery by car, while I took a few pictures, successfully not photographing any people. 

Red Rock Canyon lies west of Las Vegas, Nevada.  Its diverse rock formations are stunning.

Here are a few snapshots:

One of these days, My Mountain Green will venture back to Red Rocks to hike the trail leading into the box canyon in the above photo!  Without all the people next time!

While we did not have the experience we hoped, the stunning beauty of God's creation always lifts the soul.

Who's Looking at Who?!

Last week on one of the blogs I follow, Roy at The Fenlandwalker Countyside Blog, featured an owl sighting which not only made me laugh out loud, but also reminded me of a moose adventure that occurred in my yard a few years ago.   I dubbed the experience "who's looking at who?!"

In early April a few years ago, this young bull moose, about 2 years old and just under 6 feet tall, decides to check out what was going on INSIDE my house.   Now my house lot is cut into the hillside and the backyard is long and narrow with 20 foot rock wall, but that did not stop him from being curious.  










He walks onto the patio, looks over his shoulder then takes another step forward.  He looks directly at me.  

Murphy, the Sheltie, with excitement, looks back and forth between me and moose, yet Murphy does not bark.  I don't think Murphy knows what to do, he's never had an encounter like Shannon survived with the cow and calf that are featured in the side bar and header pictures.  








After a few seconds, the bull moose takes a couple more steps forward and peers in the window!  His nose is barely away from the window screen!

Nose to nose with Murphy!  

I feel like we were the ones in the "fish bowl"!  A staring contest between the moose and Murphy continues for a few more minutes before the moose decides that we were not coming out to play after all. He walks away stopping at the corner of the house to see what was going on in the driveway.

The moose hangs around the property another day or so before moving on. Below the moose is grazing on the scrub oak trees just above the rock wall in the back yard.  

There is never a dull moment in My Mountain Green!

Daffodils in White!

It's Springtime in Utah!

Daffodils in snow.  4-6-2012

Daffodils are the first bloomers in my yard!  I love how the soft yellow radiates the glory of creation and awakening of life!   The dwarf iris and tulips are next to shine.  These flowers are located along my front walk leading to the porch. 


Springtime in Utah is fickle to say the least! Beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures in the upper 70s F on Wednesday afternoon gave way to swirling snow and low 30's on this Friday morning! Now at 1pm, as I look out my office window, I see bright sunshine and blue skies!  


Welcome to Springtime in Utah where the weather changes by the hour!


Happy Easter from My Mountain Green!

Weber Canyon Sunset - Skywatch Friday

Weber Canyon Sunset on January 30, 2012.  

Picture taken from My Mountain Green front porch
 looking West-Southwest. 


Happy Skywatch Friday!


For more Skywatch Friday posts, click on link above.

Northern Wasatch Front - Skywatch Friday

As I am out and about birding in West Weber and Davis Counties in Northern Utah, I am stunned by this sight so I just had to stop and take a picture of the Wasatch Front Mountains.  A layer of low clouds obscure the base of the mountains. This photo has one looking East directly towards Weber Canyon. Ogden, UT is nestled at the base of the mountain on the left with Snowbasin Ski Resort and Mountain Green, UT on the backside; and nestled at the base of the mountain on the right is Layton and Fruit Heights, UT. 


Thanks for stopping by My Mountain Green!

Happy Skywatch Friday!