Countdown to Springtime: Marching towards the Equinox 2007

Walter, our goldfinches are of the genus Spinus tristis, although the habits apper similar. Our Eastern (or common) Goldfinches dont migrate, and the male feathering (summer) is a full bright yellow with black and white striped wings. In winter the males and females look exactly the same, they take on a grayish green-yellow, almost a camouflage color.

As far as the beak goes, the european seems to have a more robust beak while the Common has a more narrow beak. They both eat lots of thistle seeds. For that reason I let one small pasture go to thistle for the last few years and its a goldfinch magnet. We also have a feeder net bag thats kept full of niger seed which they fly to and hang on the cloth bag, picking the seeds out of the fabric . They fly with a kind of flicker-like rise and fall. They peddle up the crest and then coast for a few wing beats. They, like our mockinbirds are two of the most people habituated bird species. They allow us to get close enough to photo in a normal 52mm lens.

Thanks, Noddy and farmerman!

i'm afraid that in eastern ontario - and northern new york , too - we are marching backwards !
tuesday we'll be waking up to a bone-chilling MINUS 21 C - about MINUS 10 F ! ...feels like MINUS 33 C - about MINUS 30 F , brrr !
i think i'll plug in the car overnight .
slight moderation expected by weekend - blame it all on an "arctic high" .
noticed that many schools are closed and activities cancelled "on the other side of the lake" - northern n.y. state .
hbg

Hamburger reminds me that at -40 , C and F are the same. We used to use a rapid calc to exchange temperature conversions that were based on that fact and Ive forgotten it. It was easy to calculate in yer head and dint have you do the 9/5C or the 5/9 F . It was the domain of lab chemistry and Its just another thing that just has slipped from my memory banks.

farmerman wrote :



perhaps we should consider forming a club :
"memory bank slippers united" - we should find plenty of potential members right here on a2k .

btw we were just posting re C to F conversion on another thread -
the name of the thread has "slipped from my memory bank" !
i was proud to display my knowledge of the 'reaumur' temperatur scale on that thread also :wink: ! 'reaumur' always makes an interesting subject to discuss .
hbg

the mud that had thawed has resolidified and the wind is howling. It is about 23 degrees F and the only things up are a couple of lonely and somehow scraggly looking snowdrops.

Snow is predicted again! Only a couple of inches but I would rather just sail into the mystic green time of spring. The plum tree has little knobby budlet lumps. The birdfeeder is full. Have seen one bluebird and fields of dumb robins. It's starting to happen whether the winter weather likes it or not.

Penn State Climatology center says that the cold Arctic air that is settled over Eastern US will be moderating by the weekend and most of the US will begin a warming trend. I hope they got this one right. I hate it when the mud turns to cement.

Farmerman and plantress....we're all in the same area (plantress, I believe you're in MD?)
I can deal with this cold snap because I know spring is on the way.....but DAMN this wind is driving me friggin' nuts!! I've got huge trees in back of my house that bend....and I'm so afraid one is going to come crashing down.

we have wooden shutters all around the house, and they flap like crazy in this really heavy wind, and were out in the middle of a high farm field area. YEah happycat, Im just about 15 miles North of the Conowingo in Lower Lancaster County.
The eagles have left the dam for their spring migration to their nesting areas.

March is a lion, torch-eyed and terrible.

At least early March is a lion.

Eventually the little lambs will skip home, wagging their tails behind them.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to get the courage to brave the wind chill for the morning newspapers. On days like this I covet Cheerful Running Footmen.

I haven't gone outside yet today, sun's bright, it's gotten much warmer lately, I was assuming 30's-40's, maybe even 50's. Checked weather.

16.



Ouch.

16 here too, soz. High today in the 20s


<grrrrrrr>

currently (8:03 a.m.) 29 F-expected high today 65F.

Soz--

Are you educating your eye to see the tree branches bouncing? On days like this the thought of the sap rising in the sun is a great comfort.

Hundreds if not thousands of daffodiles along the road in town have started to blossom: every year a fantastic picture, if it wasn't so dull today. (60°F at 3pm)

Walter and Wordsworth--relentless romantics.

I'm heading down the driveway for the newspapers (four hours after my usual time) and hoping that the mail has arrived as well.

walter wrote :



certainly not dull in eastern ontario , indeed the sun is shining brightly !
it was MINUS 23 C (MINUS 35 c with the windchill) at 8 am this morning when i took mrs h for her post-op eye checkup at the hospital .
the nurse/technican said : "i've got good news and bad news for you .
the good news : your eyesight inyour right eye is 20/20 .
the bad news : you'll be able to see your wrinkles again ! " .
smiles all around !
by friday we'll be out of the deep-freeze ! saturday PLUS 7 C !
hbg

Hamburger--

I'd say the good news wins.

I'm about 15 mi. South of the Conowingo....howdy neighbor!

Skunk arrived. At 3:15 this morning. Argh.