Yawn

I am not actually sure if this is a yawn or a jaw-stretch but it's something I've seen many birds do, usually when they've been perched for several minutes.  I was actually hoping to get a good shot of a male House Finch today so you could clearly see the difference between him and the Purple Finch I blipped yesterday. This shot really shows the difference in the streaking on the breast and belly.  

It was a lovely fall day so I took advantage of sunny skies to do some planting.  I got all but three of my bare=root plants in the ground and will finish tomorrow hopefully.  I carefully placed bright pink stakes where each root was placed so that when things start coming up in the spring I will know to leave them.  It would suck if I accidentally pulled all my newly planted "weeds!"  

Hubs and I took the canopy down which is always the final acknowledgment that winter is coming.  We also got the rest of the deck furniture moved down to the shed for winter.  

I am astonished at the size of the titmouse/chickadee/nuthatch feeding flock this year - at least 20 birds, probably closer to 30.  When they start hitting the feeder it is a steady stream of grab-n-go.  At one point this afternoon I went out to put some more seeds out and decided to stand there with a handful of sunflower seeds.  Sure enough, a nuthatch came and landed on my finger and grabbed a seed, followed by several chickadees.  I was out there, grinning like an idiot, enjoying every second.  Jax was laying on his bed, about 10 feet away, completely ignoring the birds (good boy!)

We took Jax to Lowes today which he really enjoyed - there were many interesting smells to be smelled.  When we got to the cashier, he went and sat right in front of her, looking up expectantly.  Unfortunately for him she didn't have treats so I had to slip him a few pieces of freeze dried chicken.  After we got home we took him out in the backyard so he could run - lots of fetch with sticks and just some crazy wild running.  #dogslife

I think dark with nuts today.

xo
Debbi