Autumn Birds

We shut the greenhouse down on Oct. 31 this year (2011). The tomato plants were not growing anymore, and we had picked most of the tomatoes anyway. The hours of sunlight is minimal right now and the greenhouse requires so much heat all night long. The temperatures have been about -6C or so, really not that bad, but during the day the temps now are only between +5 and +9 C. (Although on Sunday it was about +16C! in Red Deer during the afternoon- lovely!)

We composted the plants and harvested the rest of the tomatoes.  We have sooooo many tomatoes and have been giving them away to everybody! We had already made a batch of 'chow chow' ( pickled green tomatoes) and a batch of tomato salsa, which turned out superbly, if I do say so myself. :)  Two days ago Chris made a second batch of tomato salsa, plus we have been eating tomatoes every day, either sandwiches or in a tomato salad, which is the easiest thing to prepare... just slice tomatoes and add a bit of olive oil, vinegar and salt- you're done! Or sometimes we add a store bought vinegarette dressing.  I guess next year I won't start so many seedlings. Had about 26 plants, LOL! But I did give a few away to people.

Maybe next year I will have a competition, greenhouse tomatoes VS deck pots. :)

Now to the birds....

The wax wings have been visiting us. I think they might be bohemians which are a bit bigger then Cedars and a bit darker colored. I stepped out on the deck a few days agoand could hear there whirring sound. They are pretty 'flighty' though and hard to photograph because they disappear so suddenly ( just as you are getting your camera ready... )

Bohemian Wax Wings

The berries on the Mountain ash and the chokecherry trees attract a lot of birds. We actually saw 2 robins on the weekend. I wonder if they are going to stay all winter like one poor guy did 2 years in a row, LOL! Or maybe they are just migrating through.

The geese have been passing over in huge flocks. Again, you have to be ready with your camera if you want a photo. By the time you hear them overhead and run inside to grab the camera, they are quite a distance away. I am amazed by how fast the can fly. I love to watch the big "V" of geese in flight and see them change positions, how the front bird suddenly drops back from the 'pole position' and someone else automatically  flies into that first position.  Apparently that's the most difficult position to fly because they are getting all the wind on them. The flight positions further back are easier.  I always wish them a 'bon voyage' (safe journey) as they fly by and an 'auf wiedersehen' (see you again). I miss them when November sets in and the lake is empty of birds.  The arctic birds are passing through, too. Saw some trumpeter swans on the lake last week, but only from a distance.

Pine Grosbeak

Yesterday I saw an unusual bird in the ornamental cherry tree next to the deck. I looked in my Alberta bird book and it looked similar to a Pine Grosbeak but not quite. I sent photos to my friend Charlie Bird  who knows more about nature that anyone else I know. He asked a few of his knowledgeable friends and they think it was an unusually colored female or possibly young juvenile male Pine Grosbeak.

My wonderful Husband built us a new bird feeder. Our old one in the front yard was pretty beat up. It was here long before we were! Chris took the old one apart and used the pieces as a template to build a new one out of 3/4 inch plywood. The base is 9 3'4 " X 19 1/2" . The end pieces are 9 3/4 " wide by 10 1/4 " high at the point. The plexiglass sides are 6 1/2 " by 20".  The hole in the top (roof) is 4 inches wide and the door flap covering the hole is  7"X 7".  Chris stained in with one coat of med brown stain and it looks great!  :D

New bird feeder all set to go!

 Back to gardening :  I still have some deck pots next to the front door which are struggling along. Sigh! I know, I know, it's time to face reality.... It's November! 

Bird patrol