Maria’s view of Log Cabin Living

We saw our first robin yesterday, so I guess that Spring is on it’s way to Montana!  In a way, I’m sorry to see Winter leaving, but the freshness of a new season does bring a certain excitement and anticipation to us.   We’re anxious to see the wildflowers bloom, the grass and trees turn green, and the river rise.

The baby wrens pictured here were from last year.  The mom wren had moved into a birdhouse we put on a tree, and she raised her 5 babies there.  We watched her as she brought in sticks and twigs to build her nest.  Before too long, her eggs hatched and we began to hear the peeping of the babies. 

Some time later, the babies began to stick their heads out of the holes, as they hungrily waited for the mom to bring worms or bugs.  This was a seemingly endless process…all day long, mom wren would fly away and soon return with a tidbit for one of them.  I wondered if she could keep up with the 5 little ones’ hunger for food, but she did!   Did she ever find time for herself to eat? 

Then it was time for them to leave the nest, and we were thrilled to watch as each baby cautiously hopped out.  Hours later, after each of the babies had tried to return to the nest, some more than once (who can blame them?  it’s a tough world out there!), they ventured several feet away, into the brushy outskirts of our yard.  They found a heavily wooded bush and a pile of fallen limbs we’d gathered, in which they were able to play for hours, sheltered by the intertwining limbs.  They practiced hopping, perching, and even flew a little, their wings still not strong enough to support them in full flight.  I thought of a baby trying to walk for the first time, still unsure of just exactly what their legs will do.

 After several days and a lot of photo shooting, the little wrens had gained the strength to fly away.  And then they were gone.  We never saw them again.  Even I, as a spectator, felt something of an empty-nest syndrome.  Sure, it was a little quieter without them, but how we missed those baby wrens!

     Is there anything quite as majestic as America’s beloved Bald Eagle?  I’m honored to have the good fortune of seeing them fly down the Stillwater River by our cabin every day.  They have continued to do it all Winter, passing us 2 or 3 times a day.  I haven’t seen one of them dive down and get a fish, though I’m sure I will one day.

Also gracing us with their presence are the huge Golden Eagles, though not as often.  But this week, the Golden Eagle seems to be stalking our house.  Is he after a rabbit?  A fish?  One of my dogs?  Yesterday afternoon, I saw him dive down at 5 Canadian geese who were happily floating on the river.  The geese all fled at once, as the eagle dove almost to water level and then swerved back up.  He didn’t grab any of the geese, so now I wonder… did he see a fish and the geese just happened to be in the way?  Or was he after one of the geese?

One day last summer, after a particularly hard rain (I love rain!), I was sitting on the deck and admiring the amazing view, when I noticed 2 turkey vultures had landed high in a tree, just up the river from our cabin.  I called Hubby to come and see, then I grabbed the camera and got a shot or two, and then we waited and watched.  Soon after, another vulture landed in the same tree…and then another.  Finally, there was a whole flock (do vultures call themselves a “flock?”) in that same tree.  Yes, I know it sounds crazy to be excited about birds in a tree, but ya’ gotta’ keep in mind… we’re in a remote location in Montana, so we get our thrills with stuff like this.

  We watched those vultures and soon realized why they had landed.   They hadn’t landed there to conduct an orchestra.  It wasn’t to practice their drama queen routine for an upcoming stage debut, either.  No, it was because the sun was just beginning to come out, and one by one, the vultures opened their wings.  They were drying their wings in the sun!  I wondered how they could keep their balance with their wings fully raised, but they did.  This went on for 1/2 hour or so, then one by one they flew away.

Hey, they’re not much to look at (understatement of the year!!), but it was a fun afternoon with the vultures as entertainment.   I didn’t give a lot of thought to things like this, when I lived in the city.  Now that I’m slowing down and admiring the view, it’s a trip to see what the birds and wildlife are doing….at least, to me and hubby, it is.  I wonder how many people never notice..

‘Scuze me…the Canada Geese are outside, cruisin’ on the river…gotta’ run!

He was a little bit shy, the day he stopped by for a snack in our yard, but we were quick with the camera and caught him as he headed to the river.   He took a minute to pose for the camera, then he was gone.  The bucks seem to come infrequently, but the “girls” are here every day to grace me with their presence.  How did I get so lucky?

 Last Spring and Summer, we had dozens of different beautiful birds hanging around the yard, thanks to the wild bird feed that I distributed every day.  One was an especially pretty blue bird…similar to a blue jay, but different.  We still aren’t sure about what type he is.   Now that it’s freezing cold, I still put out the food (mostly sunflower seeds), but the birds are limited to black-capped chickadees and a small brown bird that arrives and leaves in a tightly-knit flock of about 5 dozen.  The brown bird flock lands high in a tree, then they nose-dive straight down towards the wooden shed roof…fluttering their wings just in time to make a soft landing.  It’s impossible to tell who is the leader…who directs them to take off all at the same time and land all at the same time.  I’m mesmerized by their aerial ballet..

This guy flies along the river every morning around 10:30 and late every afternoon.  I’ve read that their principal diet is fish, but I haven’t seen him dive for one yet.  Some days, a Golden Eagle will be perched high in a tree nearby…they seem to be friends with the Bald Eagle..

I have been told, by a longtime resident, that the Golden Eagle is more likely to pick up small animals such as cats and dogs….even small calves!  It seems so weird to me to be checking for eagles before letting the dogs out, but I do it. 

Here are some of “our” deer…I feel as if they’re ours, since they come by every day.  We’ve watched the fawns grow, since they were born in late May or early June.  The moms don’t bring the fawns out at first, until they’re about a month old, but they are adorable!

A few weeks ago, we drove 10 minutes from home to the Woodbine Trailhead area in Custer National Forest.  On the way there, while passing the Stillwater Mine, we chanced upon 30 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.   In Winter, they come down from high in the mountains to graze at our elevation, which is still over 5000 feet.  This big stocky guy is quite a talented climber!