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Taking The Stress Out Of Gluten-Free Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Living
Our Feathered Friends
Until we moved to New Hampshire, I’d never seen a Blue Jay in person. That’s a peanut in its beak.
They were very excited about the peanuts.
Their colors are stunning. And even though I’ve been told they’re the bullies on the block, I love to have them in our yard. So far, they are minding their P’s and Q’s.
They’re very observant and I think they are finally getting used to me standing in the window with a camera. This one has spotted me.
I’m hoping when spring comes they’ll allow me to sit quietly on the deck and snap a few shots. Then I can really get some photos of the fine details on their gorgeous tail feathers. Right now I’ll have to live with shots through dirty windows, camera experimentation, and standing very still with a very heavy zoom lens.
The Dark Eyed Juncos must be the risk takers. This feeder is on our deck and so far, they are the only ones willing to investigate. For the longest time they ate only on the side of the feeder that protected them from the house. See how he’s keeping an eye on me?
This one must have decided I couldn’t be all that bad if I was giving them good things to eat and staying behind the glass.
This is a Black Capped Chickadee. It was more concerned with staying on the bird feeder in the high winds than worrying about whether I would come outside or not. This one was interesting because it would take a seed from the feeder and put it between its toes and then eat it when the wind calmed down.
Peek A Boo.
Another gorgeous and stunning visitor. So bright it looks like I stuck a fake bird from the craft store on the bird feeder. So far we’ve only had one Cardinal a day. They must not like to travel together.
Right now it’s zero degrees with a wind chill of 14 degrees below zero. Looks like we’re stuck with some very frigid weather until next week. Then it will rise to a very comfortable 39 degrees.
Despite the frigid weather, we’re still loving New Hampshire. They have way more sunny winter days than what we’re used to in Washington state. We also have the pleasure of waking up to this view of Mount Monadnock out of our bedroom and living room window every morning.
A state full of beautiful birds, lakes and ponds everywhere you look, hiking trails right outside our door, restaurants that happily serve gluten free food, and some of the most incredibly friendly and genuine people we have ever met.
What’s not to like?
Enjoy your day! ~ April
12 Comments on “Our Feathered Friends”
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Great photos April! I am glad you like your new surroundings! 🙂
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Hi April, Aren’t the Blue Jays just beautiful! Great job on the photo captures.
Have you ever noticed how the brilliantly colored Cardinals often travel the feeders with their less brilliantly feathered mates?
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Hi Karen – They are gorgeous! I just never get tired of seeing them in our yard. We’re so new here, I can’t wait to get to know their patterns, the types of feed they like, and I certainly can’t wait to see the 95 or so more types of birds that my neighbor told me will be through here over the year!
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You did choose a wonderful locale for your new home, April, and you do have some beautiful birds visiting, You were told right, though. Blue jays can be downright mean around bird feeders. We’ve a cardinal that shows up every year in January and, sure enough, he made his first appearance last weekend. Where he’s been the last couple months is beyond me. But if he’s here, Spring is on its way — I hope. 🙂
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Beautiful pictures! I”m glad to hear you like New Hampshire, & that the people are nice. We are considering a move there when hubs graduates from CRNA school later this year. We were unsure if it would be a good match for our family. I will look more closely at it now, thanks to your reviews. Enjoy your new home!
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Thank you for stopping by! We love New Hampshire. Basically the whole state is rural. I’ve heard it’s a fantastic place to raise children (not Manchester or Concord though). Our son is 20 so we didn’t have to worry about that. If you’re “outdoor” people, you will definitely love it. Tons of lakes, hiking, fishing, hunting, and snowshoeing and skiing in the winter. There’s also good shopping (malls, etc.) within a reasonable distance. Tons of fantastic restaurants and of course, all the seafood you can eat! When you get serious about moving, feel free to email me and I’ll try to answer as many questions as I can. Oh, and the best part…no income tax or sales tax! 🙂
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Also, if you go back in my blog a bit, there’s more information about New Hampshire and a few of the places we’ve seen since we’ve been here. 🙂
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It sounds fantastic, April. The certainly is… The birds are so beautiful too; all I can see in my backyard are sparrows and magpies… 🙂
Have a lovely day!
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Great pictures, April. Around my birdfeeders, it seems like the smaller birds are the bravest. The first ones to show up after I fill the feeders, and the last ones to bolt when I come out. Bluejays get a bad rap, but they are so interesting to watch. Do you have grackles there? They are the bullies in my yard, as they travel in a gang and shout and flap at the other birds. They won’t let other birds eat when they are around, even though there’s plenty of feeding stations. But they move around a lot, so it doesn’t happen that often.
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Your Grackles sound like the Starlings we had in Washington. I googled Grackles and so far no, we haven’t had those. I’m sure the Blue Jays would give them a run for their money. LOL I’m excited to see what types of birds arrive in the spring! 🙂
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I love the look of that blue jay. They are so pretty. I would love to see one close up so if you do manage to get the shot… Your weather is unbelievably cold! I’ve never experienced those kinds of temperatures and my children have never seen snow! xx
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I love the snow! It’s snowing right now as a matter of fact. It’s so beautiful. The severe cold I can do without! The Blue Jays are particularly gorgeous, aren’t they? I will definitely get closer when the weather clears up. 🙂
I think you need to take your family somewhere they can see snow! What’s the closest place you could get with snow?
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