In keeping with the theme of this blog of my attempt to learn something new each day, Here I present The Guild…. Now I have spoken about my Grandmothers  Church Guild before. (hear them too)  I don’t know why, but I knew they met on a Wednesday at the church each month.. Afterwards there was tea and scones.. Todays is a different type of Guild.

I have, as mentioned spent the better part of the last three days immersed in the gardening magazines given to me by my friend.. As I read, the birds feed on the black oil sun flower seeds on the perch. There were two feeders and a china cup filled with suet until yesterday.

But the Y’s had a hummingbird during the snow storm so I have replaced the suet feeder with a hummingbird feeder.  Last summer was just too much fun with the hummingbirds and I am eager to see their return.     (That is my hand holding the  feeder)

The birds battle for space below the feeder with the  squirrel. There are a few types of birds all gathered  together and they seem to all get along very well. The  Towhee and Chickadees have been here the better part of the winter. I have spoken before about my admiration for Crows with their Murders and the Geese with their Gaggles.  I have lamented the poor  Robins with no name for their  party and I   named ( it a hood)   But today I was delighted to find there is a  name for this group of birds on my perch. I produce here an excerpt from the Garden Wise Magazine,  Early Summer 2005.

Except for the islands and the north coast (where the chestnut – back is the only chickadee you will see) ……Chickadees often travel in mixed flocks of birds that forage in similar habitats. These are called “guilds”  a gang of chickadees may be joined by red breasted nuthatches, brown creeps, downy or hairy woodpeckers and a golden-crowned or ruby-crowned kinglets.

So I present to you “The Perch Guild”

We had such a gorgeous day on the island walking in the snow. We took lots of pictures and followed the tracks of racoons on the lawn at SoHo, deer behind my vegie garden and otter at The Point.

We took our chain saw with us in case we found any trees down.. Strangely the only two trees  down were on Owl lane.. A large Cherry (?) took down an Arbutus on the cliff behind our apple trees and dropped beside the oldest one.. (exactly where I have been working this week).  It landed beside the tree and didn’t harm a twig…. The other tree down was a small one across the road by the pond…

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eagles dinner time