Birds and Coyotes

This has been a week to watch wildlife from my home.  On Wednesday I watched the birds at the suet feeder right in front of the porch.  It seemed that the smaller birds had the morning shift and larger ones later.  The morning began with the little Downy Woodpeckers coming for breakfast, Mr. and Mrs Downy, then the larger Hairy Woodpecker, only the male.  They took a short break and let the Nuthatches and Chickadees come in to feed for a few minutes.   Around 2 p.m. our very pretty Red-Bellied Woodpecker came in.  He is gorgeous with his very bright scarlet-orange cap on.  The Red-Bellied was a particular delight as he came in the yard last spring along with the Ladder-Back Woodpecker and the Red Headed Woodpecker. 

But back to the suet feeder, later still the Pileated Woodpecker delight me with his visit.  Generally they stay in the yard for 15 minutes or so, going from tree to tree giving me quite a show.  They also come frequently, but not every day.  Last but not least, I saw two Bald Eagles way, way in the back of the pastures next to the pine trees.  Two of them circling  then going into the Pines.  They are probably some 1000-1500 feet from the house, maybe more.

Well, if that wasn't enough excitement what do I see today????  A coyote, walking down the road at 11:45, heading east, I could hardly believe my eyes, right down the road, not in the snowbanks.  I went out on the porch and yelled.  Here puppy, he barely looked over his shoulder and kept on towards his mission.

Half hour later my husband comes in the house, all excited and said as he came from the garage walking to the back door, 20 feet, that same coyote came out from under the back porch and slithered around the foundation and around the house.  We watched it walk down the road, heading west this time.  We called a neighbor, who loves to shoot things and told him.  He could not get off the phone quick enough to go looking.

After talking with several neighbors, and the owner of the farm across the road, it was concluded that the coyote is very ill.  With it's scraggelly coat, hubby said it has the "mange"  A fatal condition, very painful for the animal.  The coyote was more than likely shunned from the pack and is on it's own.  So it is around the suet feeders and eating the chicken gizzards I threw out for the crows the other day.

Well that was just too much excitement for me and a big worry.  Our cats, dogs and the starving cats from down on the farm are in danger of catching the mange.  I hope Ed has his gun ready to put the poor suffering animal down.

Oh yes.....the purpose of this blog.....

Well I put the red clay to soak and is doing well, I am working on designing stamps to imprint tiles and whatever, while the clay is getting ready to be kneaded.