Another Cardinal

We've had a few mild days, but winter is not finished.  The last couple of days, we kept hearing something about the probability of snow today.  I kept looking out of windows at work, as the clouds got thicker and thicker.  Around 1:30 this afternoon, I saw a few flakes falling.  I looked out again every few minutes, as the snowfall got heavier and heavier.  When I got off work, there was at least an inch on the vehicles.  I needed to stop at the store after work, and there were at least a couple inches of snow on the car after I got my 4 bags of groceries.  By supper, the news said we'd had 3 inches, and could get several inches more by tomorrow.

I know some of you are part of this system, too, or have had your own to deal with.  Where should we hold our pity party?  Well, I guess I should be glad for more moisture for the plants.  I am just having a harder time waiting for spring to get here than normal.

I took some photos of the snowy sky for SkyWatch Friday after work.  I am posting my sky photos on this blog now.

As we were eating supper this evening, Larry lightly tapped my arm, then pointed to the window feeder.  I went for my camera, but the cardinal he had noticed flew away.  Later, I saw one again, and started taking photos from the hall, but had problems because the glass shelf is in the way, and the top part of the bird was either distorted, or not in the photos.  I was able to get into the room and sit down, but when it's warm enough, we need to figure out where to put the feeder so I can get better photos.

 The bird turned around and faced the window after I took a few photos.  I'm not sure if I realized the belly was that much lighter than the back.

Finally, I got a photo of the head, but not much of the body.  Now, I'm wondering if the male flew away and this is a female.  (Thanks to those who told me this is a female.  I think what happened, was, that the male flew off as the female was landing.  I thought he had turned around, but it makes sense that the movement was them switching spots.)

Poor thing, out in the snow!  Enjoy the safflower seeds!
 

I hope all is well in your world.

Christmas for the Birds

I recently bought a nice pair shoes, and Larry, a coat, so we decided those would be our Christmas presents.  A week before Christmas, KJ, our grandson and I went to a store to get some presents for his parents, aunt, and grandpa.  Awhile back, I got KJ a new toothbrush, then he told Grandpa he needed a new one, too.  So, I had him pick out a toothbrush and toothpaste for Grandpa.  Then, he went into an aisle where there was bird food, and he picked up a suet cake.  I asked if he wanted to give that to Grandpa, too, and he nodded his head.  I had him pick up another.

I didn't remember if we still had a suet feeder, then had an idea for KJ to buy my parents a suet feeder and suet cakes from a local business, The Wild Bird Habitat Stores.  I also put the link to the owner's blog in my sidebar.  He hasn't posted in awhile, but I want to go back and read his articles.  Larry and I want to learn more about feeding birds instead of being hit and miss like we have been.

When I recently asked Larry when he was planning on getting the feeders out, he said he wasn't sure, but he wished we had a place to put them where we could see the birds better.  I hadn't been too much in a hurry to get the feeders out, since they have plenty of seed heads in the yard to enjoy.  I figured since it's almost January, we should be getting the feeders out.

Anyway, KJ had gotten up very early, and was too tired to go shopping, so I showed him the types of feeders online.  I was going to have Larry take him, and I had asked Larry to pick out a suet feeder for KJ to get for me.  Since that didn't work out, I went and got a feeder and suet for my parents.  I picked out a squirrel proof one to be for me.  I also bought Larry the feeder in the first photo so we could see the birds eating.  He forgot that the suet feeder was supposed to be for me, so since I had a package for him, he went out and bought me a bunch of chocolate and a container for them. ;o)

I was finishing my lunch today, when I noticed Larry was putting food in the new feeder.  I wish I'd have noticed earlier to get a better photo, but did have my camera close by, and got this one.  I then went around taking photos as he put more feeders out.  He hasn't gotten all of them out yet, but at least we have some out now.  I also bought some safflower seeds, which Larry put out later, after these photos were taken.

This suet feeder holds 2 cakes.  I hope the squirrels don't knock it down trying to get to the suet.

Since I spent over a certain amount, I got a free sock feeder and a bag of thistle seeds.  

I got the fruit feeder at an estate sale this summer.  I had planned on it being a decoration, but Larry very sweetly cut an apple this morning to put in it. 

I wonder if the squirrels will realize the corn is for them, and the apple is for the birds.

I think this is one of the feeders that was Larry's dad's.

Now, I hope the birds find the feeders soon. 

Have a great week!  I've been watching coverage of the big snow storm in the east.  I hope you all have heat and electricity, or will soon.  If you aren't home, I hope you get there safely, and without too much delay.

Videos of Birds and Trees on my Street

Different people have told me how to post videos, but when I didn't try it right away, I forgot. Rose from Prairie Rose's Garden explained it in a way that clicked for me, and I went right to trying. I had to figure out how to export the video. For photos, I do jpg, and that's what I tried first, but that didn't work. I went back and exported it as "original". I didn't realize the icon next to the photo is where you click for a video. Thanks Rose!

So, here are the birds I was taking photos of for Saturday's Camera Critters. I think they are grackles, as some suggested that's what they are in my comments. When I get a chance, I want to post some of my monarch and other videos I took this summer. Professional, they're not, but I had fun shooting them. (I see the video showed up small. If you click control or command and the + sign, it will get larger. You can do this more than once, and it will get even larger. Be sure your sound is turned on, because that's why I recorded them. Their voices filled the air. They were quite loud.

I decided to add this video that was taken before the previous one, because it shows the fall colors of the trees on my street, first to the west, and then to the east.

Wrens and Wild Squirrels for Camera Critters

Coming home from ladybug inspection across the street the other day, I noticed a house wren taking up residence in our bird house Larry hung on a shepherd's hook.  I'm not sure if he expected occupants, or if it was for decoration.  We really need to learn more about the proper placement for homes for critters.  I did look it up after taking pics, but couldn't find out if this home is going to be safe wobbling about in the wind.  I imagine they'd abandon it if we moved it to a safer place.  Any information would be appreciated.  I have a friend who lives on an acreage and puts out homes for blue birds.  She does not like wrens, but when we lived at our first home, which was on 3 lots, I enjoyed the wrens.  They would come watch me garden.

What I have pics of here, was something that was ongoing.  The bird kept putting things in for a nest, looking out, and then flying off for more.

While I was across the street with the ladybugs, I noticed a lot of squirrels around, both there and at home.  They sure were frisky, and one came toward me like it was going to charge me.  I stood up, and it scampered to the closest tree, then tried to have a staring contest with me.  I've had that happen a time or 2 at home, too.  I tell you, these squirrels are too tame for my comfort!  Later in the day, I saw a bird perched on the trellis.  When I opened the front door to take some photos, a squirrel dashed across the porch, less than 3 feet from me!  Then, one by one, 3 or 4 more dashed through the bushes where the snakes had been, and ran, either across the porch, or did a side step and went across the front of it.  It looked like either a crazy race or some kind of chasing game.  They were so fast, I couldn't get decent pictures of them.  I had to include at least one, though.  This was after they ran across our front to the neighbors, then scattered, some to the street, some back into our yard.  I counted at least 8.  Usually, I see 2 at a time at the most.  Oh, dear!

To see more critters or link yours, go to Camera Critters.

Birds and Blooms from Today

Beyond the flower bed, in the street, I noticed another pigeon was with the one from yesterday.  I don't know what they were eating in the street, and I don't know where they live, or if I should be glad they are in my neighborhood.

I wonder if they are the same kind of pigeon, one male, the other female.

I heard this baby robin before seeing it.  It was quite loud today, and apparently can't fly yet.

I kept my distance as much as I could, but needed to get a little closer to take a picture of my foxglove.  Most of the time, the baby looked the other way, I think hoping if it couldn't see me, then I must not be able to see it.  It did briefly look me in the eye.

 

Back to the back!

Here are some blooms in the front flower bed.  These dianthus/sweet Williams are like a bouquet.  I am pleased they survived the winter.

The foxgloves bloomed last year, too.

Recently planted snap dragons:

Some delphiniums near a bell flower that is in full bloom:

Birds and Blooms

The irises in the row next to the street don't all bloom at the same time, but the day lilies don't either.  I still enjoy them.  Here's the straggler that just opened yesterday:

Shell leaf penstemon:

One of the Dutch Iris turned out to be yellow.  Behind it are statice plants I had started inside.  They are growing!

I don't remember where I got this iris.  I need to deadhead the day lily.

One of the 3 different kinds of spiderworts is blooming.  I didn't realize when I first planted them, that they like lots of water.  They are with plants that don't need it, but I just try to give them drinks when I water the pots or newly planted flowers.

I brought these irises with us when we moved from our other house 11 years ago.

The birds are less flighty this year.  The dove pair let me take lots of photos of them as they walked down the street.  It was fun watching them.

I got this columbine from a neighbor when we first moved here, and it was the only one I could grow until recently.

I can't remember the name of this clematis, but it needs to be tied up to its support each year.  The lovely blue blooms are worth it.

Some kind of dianthus:

Another not remembered clematis on the veggie garden fence:

The iris in front of the bed started last June may be one I got from a pile my neighbor was getting rid of:

The robins have been getting close, too, but this one, I took from a distance, using my zoom.

I didn't include all the photos of the path the bird took as I snapped.  Digital photography is fun!

I thought I'd missed getting one of it on the path, but I got one!

I included this one of the robin in the grass to show off the flower beds.

As I was watching my grandson blowing bubbles, he pointed, like he does a lot, and said, "Bird!"  The photo I took of him pointing and saying that did not turn out well, but here's what he was pointing at:

He also saw this one playing "peek" with us:

Wildlife in the City Revisited

Nancy, at Gardening Gone Wild has done her summary post on wildlife in the garden.  I decided to go ahead and post a review of wildlife we have in our yard, and my thoughts and some questions before reading the posts I haven't read yet.  The pics were taken in March 2009 unless stated otherwise.

When I saw this robin tugging on the worm, I ran in and got my camera, and got out in time to catch it eating.

I am so excited to see the robins back, I included this, too.  I have already posted pics of cardinals.  We also have blue jays and woodpeckers, and an occasional hummingbird.

I was tickled to see the dove pair together on our shed.  They are shy, so I took this out of the window.  I did some adjustments to it to be able to see the doves a little better.

We have seen some grackles, but I can't remember if they are around a lot in the summer.

I have a few books on gardening with butterflies and other wildlife in mind, but rarely get more than a few pages read at a time, especially now that I'm blogging.  I remember reading about having brush piles for shelter.  What I'm not sure about, is how much this pile needs to be left alone.  This pile, near the compost pile, has either been blown by the wind, or moved by some critter or other.  I moved some back, and stepped on it lightly to secure it better, and that made me hope nothing was in it already.

This pile of sticks is in the neighbor's yard where I just started gardening.  I plan on moving these to the back of the yard, close to the compost I've started there.  Is this better than the smaller sized stems in the other pile?  Should I add some smaller stems?

Nancy mentioned that she quit feeding the birds when it got too expensive, but she noticed they were still around eating on the seed heads. In the 10 years we've lived here, we've been inconsistent in putting out bird seeds in the winter.  We never feed them in the summer.  Since I saw all the great bird pics here, I decided to ask Larry to get our feeders out and fill them.  We've had them in different places, trying to discourage the squirrels, or to save the flowers in one of my beds.  We gave up on the squirrel battle, and just have most of them in the carport.  We are inconsistent in keeping them filled. I'm thinking that's good, so they don't come to depend on it. Like Nancy, and others whose blogs I've read, I leave the flower bed clean up to spring.  I grow black eyed Susans, cone flowers, and a large variety of annuals and perennials.

This sparrow was talking to me as I was taking its picture.  I think it was telling me I forgot to put water in the bird bath Larry made with a clay pot and saucer.  The rocks are in it for butterflies to land on.  We try to keep fresh water in it and our two regular sized bird baths once the weather warms up.  

This was taken in January.  We have sparrows all year here.  

I recently bought some safflower seeds because doves are supposed to like them, and the squirrels supposedly don't eat them.  Larry layered them with sunflower seeds.  I didn't know he was going to do that.

We have some bird houses hanging around, but need to learn where to put them in order for the birds to consider using them.  

A sparrow couple has been building their nest and having babies right outside our bedroom window, next to our window air conditioner for several years.  Last year, Larry put some clay pots in the space, thinking he was blocking them from the area, but they made the nest right in there.  They probably are disappointed the pots aren't there this year.  I open the shade, knock on the window, turn a radio on loud, and when it's warm enough, the air conditioner, but they are not dissuaded from nesting there. When the babies are born, they wake us up before we are ready to get up.  :o(

Larry likes to set things around to decorate the yard and beds.  He puts broken pots here and there.  We haven't seen any critters in them, but they would be welcome.  (I will be moving the bench when the black eyed Susan needs the room.)

I noticed this today, and asked Larry if it was for critters, and he said it was if they wanted it. Maybe one of our garter snakes would like to curl up in it.

Last summer, I got interested in taking pictures of butterflies and moths and identifying what kind they were.  I put some of them in my sidebar.  I also learned about the caterpillars on my plants, and asked questions of the people on the butterfly and cottage garden forums on ivillage.  I was assured that the caterpillars were not going to kill the plants, so I left them alone.  I learned which plants I have that are host plants for the "cats" and decided I should add some more this year.  I am planning to plant lots of parsley this year for the swallowtails.  I read that it's good to plant host plants in groups rather than scattering them around.  I already had planted lots of plants that the butterflies like for nectar, such as lantana, verbena, butterfly bush, which some don't like because it's not native, marigolds, goldenrod, and asters. I saw them on most of the flowers, actually, but these, I remember the most being fed from.  

We have lots of bees and wasps, as well.  As I mentioned in my first post, we also had an opossum family living under our deck last year, and have an assortment of spiders and other insects, rabbits, and lots of garter snakes.  We live a block from a cemetery, where there is a flock of geese we see flying overhead sometimes.  They also have swans in their pond.  I bet there are other critters that live there, too.  

I like what I've read about living and letting live, and am rethinking whether I want to feed the birds and squirrels.  I do use Liquid Fence to keep the rabbits at bay.  They still eat plants, but it causes them to stay away awhile.  I'm glad we don't have deer!

Now, I am excited to find the other posts to see how others coexist with, encourage or discourage wildlife.