A Mountain Stream

Welcome, you are probably the few who would understand this, comprehend the insanity. This is a top view of the top portion of our water feature stream. The water use to squirt illogically from between and under a rock pile in the water course. Now it originates from snow melt high in the mountains - on the upper left under the yew bush. It flows down a narrow canyon to the cliff edge and drops in a picturesque tourist favorite 5" waterfall.

Actually the water recycles in from the reserve tank in a flexible pipe right before it falls into the existing water course - which is currently filled with oak leaves. Also I need to spread the fake stream width just a little - jack the rocks apart a bit before the stream falls over the edge, and next Spring plant some giant doug firs on the mountain slopes. Or a few stonecrop sedums.

Obsessively yours, 

Gunnar

"Birder 2, this is Birder 1, over."

When we are birding and separated, communication is often an issue. Silence being golden, hollering, whistling and pointing has proven to be less than satisfactory. I shopped around for electronic attention getters - buzzers, whistles, etc. I finally settled on these little walkie-talkies for $32 a pair. Really little more than toys, the reviewers complained about lack of range, which shouldn't be an issue for us. 

Now we have to review our radio protocol. "Breaker, breaker, good buddie? ", or the more formal military radio protocol, "Birder 1, this is Birder 2"? 

The only downside so far is that white and blue really ain't birder colors, but they missed the market niche and olive drab isn't an option. 

Birder 1: over, and out.  

Spotted Towhee

I have seen an Eastern Towhee in our yard once thirty years ago. Towhees are about as dressed up as a sparrow can get, so when a pair showed up today I was excited, snapping photos with one hand, calling Lorna on the cell with the other. Fixated on the male😖, I got some nice shots, as did Lorna.

(Addendum: This has proven to be an out of range Spotted Towhee.)

Lucky boy, 

Gunnar

New Birding Venue

When the spring or fall Warbler migration hits I like to sit down by the Growlery to take photos. Lorna prefers looking down from the high deck steps. This fall she began sitting on the deck walkway outside our bedroom door. This puts her eye level and very near birds in the trees above the water and gives her a close top view of the stream. 

She was squatting down, shooting between the deck uprights, which was awkward and a potential back killer. So her husband, a retired designer and general putzer, made a discreet gate - virtually invisible, kid and dog friendly when closed and latched. The view below is of the gate closed. What gate you ask?

Below, the view with the gate open. She has a low camping chair and now her view of the trees and stream below are unobstructed. 

If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy. 

- handy Gunnar