Saturday, October 12, 2019

New house, new birds...

It's been a long time since I posted...so long I almost forgot how to do it, but it all came back quickly, thank goodness! Where the heck was I? The same place as always, but I was so busy I didn't have time for birds (I can't believe I just said that, but it's true!). I was spending a lot of time getting our house ready to sell, fighting neck pain that prevented me from carrying my camera or binoculars, and riding and taking care of my horse, but now I have my priorities straight and birds once again are front and center -- where they should be for heaven's sake.

At the end of May Rick and I moved to a new (old) home with woods and fields around it. The new habitat meant new yard birds...eastern bluebirds, turkeys, phoebes, barn swallows, eastern wood peewees, and oven birds...all birds I never saw or heard in our yard at our old house! We spent the summer getting used to the house, making friends with our new neighbors, eating outside, and listening and looking for new birds to add to our yard list.  I think the bluebirds and turkeys are our favorites. It's really exciting to look out and see a flock (or "rafter") of turkeys weaving their way through the tall grass in the yard...

A turkey in dew-soaked grass foraging in our backyard in the morning light.



...and such a cute little rafter you three are! 

Prairie-dogging turkeys...gotta love them! 



14 comments:

Kim Smith said...

Ah, finally, some news of the new house! So glad you're enjoying it. We need to catch up soon!

Roy said...

Welcome back! And I love the shots of the Turkeys.We have lots around here, especially up on the meadow in the Dykeman Spring Nature Park and up on Timber Hill where mybrother lives. Alas, I live in town! I can't wait to see your other visitors.

Julie Rowan-Zoch said...

Such a pleasant surprise. Glad you’re back at it!

Roy Norris said...

Welcome back Kelly. Good to hear you are still around.:)
We also know all about the rigours of moving as we have moved to the South Coast of Dorset. I say moved, but waiting to move in to our new home from a hotel, but we are getting there.
You certainly have plenty to keep you busy now with all those new birds, which I look forward to seeing the results.

Rosemary Bauman said...

Love the turkey pics! We now have turkeys of both genders in our little urban forest in Louisville, Beargrass Creek SNP. So there can be turkeys in town, as folks have learned in the Northeast as well. Hoping to see "rafters" in a few years!

Rosemary Bauman said...

I blog about Beargrass Creek SNP - some pics of our urban turkeys - "7/12 Preen" at oneforestfragment.com

Anonymous said...

Looks like you moved to a beautiful place! And loved the shots of the turkeys. Glad to read your blog again.

sandy said...

Every once in awhile I would check here. Congrats on the new surroundings and the wildlife and birds - sounds like you landed in a great new life!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Kelly, It's good to hear from you. I don't blog much these days either... I try to post something every week but seldom take time to visit others' blogs like I used to....

Are your parents still in this area? Congrats on your move... Sounds marvelous... Where are you now? Are you still in Ohio?

I had a rough 2018 after developing a horrible case of A Fib.... Medications took care of the heart beat --but made me sick in so many other ways... This year I finally found a specialist and had a Cardiac Ablation in June... I'm doing GREAT right now --but there's no real cure for A Fib... It can come back at any time... SO---I'm enjoying my life right now as much as I can!!!!!!

If your parents are still here, then I'm sure that you know that we had a HORRIBLY HOT Fall and are in a terrible drought... No fall colors around here much this year. The leaves are just turning brown and dying... SAD....

How is your son doing these days... I think of you all often.

Great to hear from you.
Hugs,
Betsy

Elva Paulson said...

I want to trade backyards with you! At least I've got turkeys too. ... good to see you back.

Peter parker said...
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Mary said...

Great photos of the turkeys! Sounds like you moved to a wonderful place. Moving is always a long process and time consuming. We downsized and moved to a condo a year ago and it is exciting but also tiring. I was thrilled that we still have lots of the same birds and animals at our new home. I don't blog much any more, mostly just post my photos on Facebook. It seems easier, but I miss the blog sometimes. I guess I felt like I had posted the same birds and squirrels and such forever and there didn't seem much point. I may try to post occasionally, but my most faithful blog friends are also on Facebook and still see my post there, so it seems kind of pointless to do both. Good luck in the new home.

Kathy A. Johnson said...

How cute the turkeys are! It's good to see a post from you pop up, and you know I want to know more about this horse of yours! Are you keeping him/her on your own property? Do tell!

Kelly said...

...thank you everyone!!!!!! We have been having fun watching the turkeys all winter! Also new to the yard list are bluebirds and pileated woodpeckers. At our previous house, in 20 years we saw a pileated once...and bluebirds never! :-)