White-breasted Nuthatch

 

 

 

 

Like red-breasted nuthatches, white-breasted nuthatches can move in any direction up and down a tree.  This one spent more time right-side-up for us than the red-breasted one we sent pictures of a few weeks back though. 

 

 

Window covers

 

 

They work great when they’re up

 

But the attachment mechanism is a problem.  When the window covers aren’t up, all those metal bits stuck on the glass to line up with the magnets in the shades; visual clutter.  It’s distracting.

 

We have a solution in mind.  Replace the individual metal pieces with black metal strips that run along the top, bottom, and sides of the windows.  The strips would disappear into the black borders that are already there.  Being continuous strips, they would provide even more secure attachment points than the individual pieces do now.

 

To test the theory, we got some black electrical tape that’s the same width as the individual pieces we have already stuck on.  We ran the tape down over the metal pieces in (mostly) straight lines.  That worked!  The attachment points almost disappeared by comparison. 

 

A big improvement.  Next step is to source some thin metal strips of varying lengths, or get them cut to size, for each window.  Then I can stick them on with the same high temperature adhesive that came with our window cover kit, and we’ll call it good.

 

Pop Quiz

 

 

This little spot on our deck.

 

Is it a grasshopper, or something else?

 

 

 

Answer below.

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Answer:

 

Something else.

 

There are several other critters that look like grasshoppers but aren’t.  Katydids, Crickets, and Locusts.  The beauty pictured above is an adult Katydid.

 

Patterns in nature

 

 

 

Exposed weathered roots and fresh ground cover.

 

 

 

Spotted Towhee

 

 

 

 

Up to his ears in suet!

 

 

It’s that time of year

 

 

 

 

A few more flowers

 

 

I didn’t ever get to send out the rest of the pictures from Christie’s yard in Edmonds.  Here is the last batch: