Thank you Lin. The southside property line between me and my neightbors driveway I did a mixed shrub border. The azaleas are the very front row. They are there because they are really pretty in bloom. But the rest has all sorts of fruiting shrubs for the backyard birds to eat. Plus it made excellent habitat.
I do feed the birds cause I like to watch the seed eating birds visit. But even if I don't put seed out there are many birds around the yard.
Cormorant spreading it's wings to take off from the water, a pair of Doves in the Cypress tree and a Red-winged Blackbird at the feeder:
We have Northern Mockingbirds all over the place this year. They always seem to perch in the Cypress tree and yesterday evening I spotted one with what appeared to be a spider or bug of some sort in it's bill. It flew to the Cypress tree, then to the roof, watching me intently. I went back inside and watched from the kitchen window and it flew down to a shrub. I checked this morning and indeed there is a nest low in the shrub ... I'm thinking there are babies to be fed!
My husband went for a bicycle ride yesterday evening and came home and told me about a large Osprey Nest in the neighborhood, built atop a low pole in the tennis court area of our subdivision. The courts and clubhouse look abandoned; it was obvious from appearance that they don't get much use so I'm assuming the Ospreys felt comfortable nesting there. There was one adult at the nest when we arrived and I snapped a (not so great) photo before it quickly took off. We only stayed about 5 minutes because the bird appeared to be making distress calls as it circled the area and I sure don't like disturbing nesting birds. As we were walking back down the path to the parking lot another adult came flying in with a piece of wood in its talons and I was able to get a photo of him/her. I never saw any young ones in the nest (they could have been hunkered down in the nest bowl as birds do when the adults sense a threat. The adult birds usually begin to build up the sides of the nest as their babies grow so that they don't fall out before fledging so I'm assuming there was at least one juvenile in the nest. I cropped the last photo for a close view of the Osprey carrying the piece of wood:
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
Doves are one of my favorites, they're such peaceful birds and there's just something soothing about their cooing and calls. I went out at 7 O'clock yesterday morning to fill the feeders and I noticed a few feathers on the ground beneath a feeder but didn't think too much of it. After I filled the feeders I began pulling some weeds and noticed a dove laying dead at the end of a flower bed. It looked like one of it's eyes was gone but other than that I couldn't see any injuries. I buried it in the flowerbed.
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
Yeah, and they aren't real fast either. My first thought was feral cat but if it had been a feral cat the bird would have been eaten! I wonder if it flew into a window and then had a heart attack?
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
I have my seed out on the driveway and my usual lot of birds visiting. Morning Doves, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Song Sparrows, House Sparrows, Grackles, Cowbirds and Red Wings. And the darn squirrels!
In the morning, bird food is scarce before I fill feeders and such, because of night-raiders. These 2 were around about the same time, so I'm guessing Mr. & Mrs. Brown-headed Cowbird.
I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority. E. B.White
Integrity can never be taken. It can only be given, and I wasn't going to give it up to these people. Gary Mowad
Rita: We have more than our share of Tree Rats (Squirrel's) down here too ... always raiding the feeders, climbing across my screened porch from one side to the other; digging holes in the lawn AND my flower pots to bury their acorns and seeds ... and digging up my bulbs!%*#! But, they are cute little critters and it's fun to watch their antics sometimes.
Margaret: Thank you ... nope, no tripod and my hands do shake a lot!. There's actually a little icon in the viewfinder letting me know that the camera is shaking! I just take hundreds of photo's to end up with one or two decent shots.
Linda: Same here re: the night raiders! Now I fill the feeders @ 7:00 a.m. and again @ 3:00 p.m. so they are empty by nighttime. I just remembered though, I forgot to bring in the suet feeders before it got dark! I know if I leave them out overnight the raccoons will have a feast and probably steal one of them!! I better turn the outside lights on and go get them in. Great pic's of Mr. & Mrs. Yep, male and female Brown-headed Cowbirds!
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
I was walking through the yard this afternoon and spotted an Anhinga landing in the Cypress tree. I usually see them in the water diving for fish but every so often I spy one on land or perched in a tree as they dry their wings. This guy/gal sat preening its feathers and surveying its surroundings for a long time. My husband asked about (the last photo) if it was talking to me but nope, it didn't make a sound ... I think it was yawning!
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
Thanks Marilyn! I'm hoping to go back to check out the nest again sometime in the next few days. They are paving our road today so it doesn't look like I will be going anywhere for awhile ... guess I have no excuse but to play in the dirt!
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
Hopefully it will not stay that hot for very long!
I was watching the Song Sparrow taking a bath in the little plant saucer but I didn't have my camera handy. He was really enjoying himself and going at it. Splashing up a storm. He seemed to be having a good time and I enjoyed watching.
Looks so inviting!
The record high is 92. 
