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Tom gave me the count from the field this morning.  One deer, two Canada geese, two sandhill cranes and four turkeys.

Looking out our back window, he was watching the wildlife in our field.  The corn was just planted this week, so we still have a clear view of our early morning visitors.

Our farm is situated just right for bird watching.  There is a swamp to our east which gives birds a place to nest and live.  We also have several bushes and small trees around the garage and house which gives the birds cover so they can fly in and eat.

We really enjoy watching the birds and the number of feeders in the yard shows just how much.

There are five feeders in front of the family room window and seven more over by the garage.  All 12 feeders stay busy all winter long with a variety of species.  There are book identification books by each window so you can look up any unusual sightings.

Last December we had a visitor to the feeder that was looking for something other than bird seed.  This is a Cooper's Hawk and they feed on small animals including birds.  The hawk swooped down in front of the family room window.  Immediately all the small birds disappeared but only for about 15 minutes and then they returned.   The hawk returned one time about a month later but must have decided our birds weren't worth the effort.

We also have a 20 acre 'feeder'-that is the field beside our house where the crops are raised.  That is where Tom saw the turkeys, deer, cranes and geese.  Last year soybeans were planted so we could watch the wildlife all summer long.  But this year the corn will hide the animals and give them cover before long.

This is going to be a big week at the farm here on 60th Street.  After 60 years of standing tall beside the barn, the silo is being taken down.  Age, rain, and wind have taken their toll on the silo.  It has become a danger with falling chunks of concrete this past few years. My next post will be to let  you know how this big project goes.