The Ruff\Important message

[Martin Berrigan]

I fell this morn'n badly,hurt my back can't hardly move,even thou in terrible pain I fed the Ruff .I really need the community to bond and to get out to support the Ruff,I'm out of commission for day's.V.C's will retrive the mealworm feeder that led to fall as it was along Virginia river,it's now in my car will be taken to Townsend site behind the Waterford as I learned this bird may only be eating bugs like a Kinglet does in Winter.Please make trips to the Spit,support V.C's while I'm out of commission,check on the feed sites,clear them of snow if needed be,YTW sites were done before fallThanks. Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

On Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 10:01:54 AM UTC-3:30, Martin Berrigan wrote:
> I fell this morn'n badly,hurt my back can't hardly move,even thou in terrible pain I fed the Ruff .I really need the community to bond and to get out to support the Ruff,I'm out of commission for day's.V.C's will retrive the mealworm feeder that led to fall as it was along Virginia river,it's now in my car will be taken to Townsend site behind the Waterford as I learned this bird may only be eating bugs like a Kinglet does in Winter.Please make trips to the Spit,support V.C's while I'm out of commission,check on the feed sites,clear them of snow if needed be,YTW sites were done before fallThanks. Gerard

I re-joined the Ruff Team this a.m,I'm sore but not missing such an important day,how will The Ruff survive such a day,well the myth that a bird can hunker down in such extreme cold and just wait it out is possible like a Duck that has reserves like a Bear but No!,the Ruff will need to eat at a high rate today,today is survival day and there is no hunkering down and sitting it out,he'd never make it.Here is the Ruff routine to ensure this bird has the best of chance to make it.I did sunrise feeding at 7:30 a.m,V.C's comes in at 8:30 a.m,back to me at 10:15 a.m,C.M at 12 noon to 12:30 p.m,back to me at 2:30 p.m,V.C at 4:30 p.m for the bedtime meal.The ladies have been thru a lot on there own and I'm happy to be back,although when you leave the routine to just go back out there at this suffice to say ain't no holiday that's for sure.The Ruff this a.m immediatedly came in for morn'n feed,on such days when extreme it's mealworm/suet cubes/Scratch and Varied seed mixture,that's right we are selling the house haha to ensure he makes it even thou it might be a she.Jelly that had some rain water frozen solid at Quidi Vidi YTW site was changed this a.m,Quidi Vidi YTW jelly bowl facing Graveyard looks good.The Pine warbler got a refill of his suet cage and he definitely had worked his way into the harder suet but he's gonna be happy with yesterday's refill.Big action happening at Kelly's Brook suet site that was also refilled,might the Orange-crown make an appearance,probably Not,that bird has found a garden in the vicinity somewhere only the bird and the Garden owner know's but Orange never tap out,super survivor!.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

The Ruff looked fine this a.m standing in the runout facing into the blistering wind but happily not cold today.He immediatedly went straight to the Spit for his seed breakfast.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

The Ruff looks great today,we have three cold days in the next week but the forecast looks amazing with good temperatures right up to the 10th of February.The Team of V.C's/C.M/myself and donator's are keeping are very consistent with feeding at least five times a day.We co-ordinate to give ourselves a break from it all.The Mission Impossible is now more positiver and seeing the finish line where water is open,it's warmer and he can forage endlessly.Pretty tame Ruff now,always with the Ducks,always at the Virginia run-out,alway's comes in to feed like clockwork.Gerard