Crossdressers-Haven.com

Since moving up on this mountain, we have been doing a bit of yard work and put out four bird feeders. Well actually five as we have a Hummingbird feeder too. Anyway, the birds are certainly enjoying the free food, American finches, doves, crows, titmouse, English sparrows, once in a while a cardinal and bluebirds.

Today SL and I were in a rather unkempt part of the yard and saw what we first thought to be a baby hummingbird. I mean this thing was tiny and flitting about the thistle. It hovered and once or twice came very close to us. We were astonished as it seemed to have a set of "whiskers" or "feelers" on either side of its bill. We came in this evening and began some research (did not know that there were so many varieties of hummingbirds). Well come to find out what we saw was evidently a rarity - a hummingbird MOTH!!!! It mimics the hummingbird in most ways, but it is a moth! and some say crossdressers are strange.

Ain't nature great!?

Just had to pass that on!

Love,

Virginia

How big was the moth Virginia ?

Virginia my dear,

You wait until winter and you will see all kinds of strange birds, soon you and SL will be just like us country folks. Have fun and enjoy the new digs,

very fun. let us know what you find next.

Absaroka

Just watch out for those bears, Virginia! they like bird seed too!!

Rikki

Virginia

Are you sure it wasn't a fairy?

Funny you should say that Susan. I've only seen them twice. Once here in Florida and another in Texas. It was just as the sun was setting and with the rays glinting on their wings they sure looked the part.

Virginia

You think what you saw was strange! What do you think the wildlife is thinking about those new people who have just moved in?

You girls are certainly more well versed in "nature" than perhaps you are given credit for.
The hummingbird moth could not have been more than 2" in length and as for it being mistaken for a mountain nymph, I guess that is possible, although the "whiskers" it was sporting were a bit more than most "girls" would have put up with. We have a catalogue from a company called "Toscano" and they have a lot of yard statuary that you can buy, several being various faries such as Fiona the Flower Fairy and Rowan and Willow and Rhiannon the Archer Fairy we have not purchased any of them yet as we are waiting on the real ones to show up!
This morning something scared the finches out of their bird feeder and I soon saw what it was -- three deer walked up the driveway and into the woods across from the feeder. Really neat stuff.

Love,

Virginia

Aaaahh, yes. As the minister said to the buck and the doe, "Deerly beloved, we are gathered here to bless the union of these worthy cervids that they may go forth and multiply to the seventh integer.......That hunters may have a better chance of success and leave cows, donkeys, and people to go their merry way.

But then, last fall a well antlered buck attempted to make several "points" in a hunter in Oklahoma..........


Sorry about this chief. I'm tired and going to bed now.

Good night, sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite.

my favorite was the fox that came to dinner. My daughter had been talking about a fox that only showed up when we weren't there and we were all skeptical. One night at dinner she said "there's the fox" and we looked up to see it kill a bird at the birdfeeder just outside the kitchen door. I thought it was quite well mannered of it to have provided it's own meal when it came to dinner but it preferred to eat in private so it left soon after.

Another time I was walking down the road by our house and saw a fox walking down the road towards me acting as if it was just another pedestrian. As it walked past me I saw it had a dead rat in it's mouth.


On the other hand one summer night there was a fight between a fox and a racoon right on the porch just outside our (open) bedroom screen door. It was un nerving.


Yes I think you really did see a fairy by the way. The fair folk infest the mountains where you live.


Absaroka

Yes Virginia, you have a lot more to see as winter comes upon you. What! No quail in you area. I have loads of them. Want some. The babies are so cute, they follow the mom everywhere while dad uses himself as a decoy.

Let's see, the other evening I turned into the driveway and there were seven crows, each with its own rock perch at the top of the driveway, all facing the same direction. Crows are just sooo coool, of course they all flew off. plus the two on the ground eating seed.
A hen/turkey and seven of her brood walked across the road right in front of me several days ago. We have also some of the neatest birds come to the feeders, but no quail, have seen some but not around our yard.
I am putting together a feeder to hold peanut butter and orange marmalade as I have read that that too attracts some other varieties of birds.
The hummingbirds are getting more use to us than the finches as they will "buzz" us sometimes when we are sitting on the porch.
It is just sooooo nice here.
Tonight I had to measure and cut some intricate moves on a piece of siding and it was something that Virginia is pretty good at and I got it measured and cut and did not even break a nail.

Love ya all,

Virginia

Today I saw a pair of kestrels flying over a patch of woodland 100yds from where I live. I also regularly see swifts there too. Living at the mouth of the Mersey we get a lot of sea and water-birds, too many flavours to list. The river also throws surprises at us. For example fish that are about 6 foot long and even whales have been seen in the river.

What a wonderful world we live in.

The yard this time of year is full of Humming Birds, Yellow Finches, Red Cardinals other breeds of finches. Also, black birds, blue birds doves are completing the views.
The squirrels are playful and enjoyable to watch but very costly to feed. Have used the Have-a-heart trap to catch a few an relocated them to the state forest about 5 miles away. The chipmunks are playful and very energetic and always busy. They never stop filling up the nest.
Nice to have nature near the kitchen.