Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet October 2026

Outside Issues

 11:00am to 12:30pm,  55 Degrees, Clear Skies, Wind 9mph SSW, Bar 30.33 fall

I brought a lot to the Sit Spot today. An unpleasant person experience and the childhood events it evoked. It was at times hard to stay present. Nature has a wonderful calming effect. It is wonderful, however it is not a replacement for professional help. 

The birds were active and helpful to to get me into a better place. I spotted for sure my first Ruby-crowned Kinglet. (above) I saw a pair yesterday but was not sure. Now I am sure. Wonderful little birds. I even saw the ruby crown go up. What a gift! Also, I saw a house finch not on a feeder down in the Bog. 

The Blue Jays came in for peanuts again. They can be surprisingly quiet for such a noisy bird. The first ones I saw, were after I swiveled towards the feeder. The birds know where I am looking. Not just the jays. After a bit they were less stealthy. 

The leaves are thinning out. I am able to see farther into The Little Forrest. I saw my first adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Wow, far more impressive than the juveniles. It will be interesting to see what happens as fall progresses. 

Merlin Identified 25 species. I saw 15. One of which was a Hermit Thrush, that I saw and Merlin did not hear. I suspect most of the rest were there. Ruby-crowned Kinglet went from a red dot to Likely in Portland Today. They had that right. I saw a few!

If you are in a recovery program, it will not fix all your problems. It is not a substitute for medical care. No matter how many meeting I go to it will not fix my blood pressure! Heck, if I have an unpleasant person experience at a meeting it might even go up. Profesional help is good and sometimes neccesary!

Another Gift

 8:30 to 10:00am, 45 Degrees, Clear Skies, Wind 10mph NNW, Bar 30.40 rise

There were White-throated Sparrows all over the mouth of the Gulley. Just all over the place. It is hard to tell just how many are there. They feed on the ground and in among the plants. Lots of plants moving but do not perch that often. I took the picture of the one above as I was walking out. What a gift! The sparrow perched and stayed for a few moments. 

At times it felt slow in my sit spot today, Even though the white-throats were active just about the whole time. They were in The Bog too. Many hopped up into the Buckthorn above the feeder. They occasionally wandered around in the dry run below the feeder. At one point I saw birds flying low across Fall Brook. Not a usual thing. White throats! Were there thirty, forty, or a hundred. I am not sure how to count them. They were everywhere.

Merlin Identified 25 species. I saw 7 species. I am confident that most of them were there. Or flew over. I did not see the geese. I did hear them. Purple Finch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White Crowned Sparrow would alll be new to the list. I am not sure if I should add things I do not see or have confidence they are there. If I hear a clear call and Merlin says what it is yes. 

What feels like a gift to you in this moment?

Peanuts

8:00 to 9:40, 51 Degrees, Clear Skies, Wind 7mph W, Bar 29.98 even

It was really quiet and then birds were everywhere! Not sure why it was so quiet. I heard a few squirrels and chipmunks being alarmed. But not the whole forrest at once.  Not too windy for the birds, just quiet. It took over an hour for the first Black-capped Chickadee to come to the feeder. Even if it is only a pair or two hear and there they are around. I at least hear them. As does Merlin. Not today. I have been puttting a few peanuts out when I sit. Hoping that the Blue Jays will come in. 

First the chickadees came in. Then a large flock of robins. At one point there were five or more in the Buckthorn above the feeder. Twenty or thirty all around! White-breasted Nuthatches were coming in. Then Downy Woodpeckers. The Tufted Titmice came too. Then the Blue Jays started coming closer. Above and around. Watching what is going on in the Little Forrest. High but watching the feeder and me no doubt. They saw the peanuts! I do not know if the other birds let them know. However, the jays got closer and closer. Into the Buckthorn first. Then one grabbed a peanut. And then another. Before long a flock of jays were grabbing peanuts. One at a time. They never hit the regular feeder. I guess there is enough reward for a peanut to grab those, when I am there. When the peanuts were gone so were the jays.

While the feeder frenzy was happening, other birds were feeding in the Bog. White-throated Sparrows were everywhere. A few Carolina Wrens were about. And my favorite the Mystery Birds. Not sure why they were quiet and then not. A mystery. Many mysteries in The Little Forrest.

Merlin Identified 20 species. I saw 9 species. I think the Mallard was a agitated squirrel. I suspect the rest were there mostly the birds common to the Little Forrest. 

Peanuts. Often an expression of I did not get much. However, the small often seemingly insignificant things can bring great gifts. Do not overlook the small things. They can be great gifts. I had a wonderful experience for peanuts. What a gift!

Windy

 3:00 to 4:00pm, 68 Degrees, Clear Skies, Wind 14mph W, Bar 29.73 rise

When It is windy the birds are less visible. Just not much happening out in the sit spot today. I saw no Black-capped Chickadees today. I believe that is the first time since I moved down to the banks of Fall Brook. I guess if you weigh a half an once, like a chickadee, 14mph winds is a big deal. It does not feel windy down in the Fall Brook Valley. Especially if the wind is from the west. I am sitting probably fifty feet below the tops of the condominiums. I knew it would be slow. I decided to go out anyway.

It is possible to learn even when you don't know what you are learning. My guess is the gut level stuff is being learned on a sit like today. the yogis of old believed much memory was stored in our guts and our hearts. Not just our brains. the expression "it was a visceral reaction", "a gut reaction", "a heart felt reaction", are all examples of this. I can often distinguish between a branch moving because of wind, bird, squirrel. I think those are more stored in my body than brain. Stuff connected to the fight or flight responses. I think these things come from lived experience. Also, I think some of them are multi-generational memories. Perhaps, the lived experiences bring them out. 

Merlin heard 10 species. I saw 1. The wind keeps the birds down. I have no doubt that all the species it heard were there. I heard most of them myself. 

Picture of Downy Woodpecker from a few days ago.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

 Ruby throated Hummingbird September 2026. I think the feeders around the Little Forrest count. Also, I really want to replace this one. Next year...

Brown Creeper

 Brown Creeper October 2026 in The Little Forrest.