Yay for Rita's wrens!

I wanted them to nest here as they do each spring. They picked the favorite box which is the front yard slotbox house. After that they choose a backyard box for the second clutch. Here is their home.


And before we were showing honeysuckles. This one started blooming. Called Pink Lemonade. I love it as it is so pretty.

Oh; Pink Lemonade is gorgeous!

Thanks. Honeysuckle is such a pretty vine to grow. And those hummers do love them.

Noticed this nest in the Burning Bush...must be occupied, the closer I got the louder the robin got...so, I retreated...

All Right J!

How cool ... a Robin's nest!!! Wish they nested down here but we only see them as winter visitors ... I've never seen a baby Robin and I bet they are so cute; I hope you are able to keep watch and get some shots of the babies as they fledge!

J, lucky you, I love to see the robins nests and watch the babies grow. !

Mourning Dove waiting for the feeders to be filled this morning:

Catbirds and House Wren singing here like crazy.

Lin, that is a lovely photo!

Newyorkrita said: Catbirds and House Wren singing here like crazy.

I can't imagine being without the pretty songs of our backyard birds!

Margaret: Thank you ... Doves are just so peaceful. We've been working in our yard a lot lately and a little while ago I went over to an area where my husband was taking out a dead shrub and he pointed to a bunch of feathers and said a Hawk had just flown in and tried to get a dove but the dove got away! I know the hawks have to eat too but I want them to go to another neighborhood to dine.

There's at least one baby in the Mockingbird nest; I've been watching the parents back and forth with food and hearing the babies ... hopefully I will get a picture before they fledge. I'm also hoping the crows or hawks don't get them.

I agree Lin, I wish the hawks would eat elsewhere. A Cooper's Hawk got one of the Ringed Doves in my yard a few weeks ago, then last week he got a female Evening Grosbeak .

It's so sad when the smaller birds get eaten by the raptors ... and although I know it's all part of nature it still hurts my heart a little bit when I witness it.

I knew I was hearing a baby Mockingbird in the nest in the Cedar tree and I've watched the adults back and forth with food ... well, we've been working in our yard a lot the past week or so and the past two days we've been out there the entire day; also helping our next door neighbor who is a pilot and she doesn't get much time for her yard. She flies internationally and had to take off to Orlando this morning to catch her flight to her base for her own flight to Hong Kong or wherever. As we were working I told my husband I thought it sounded like a baby Mockingbird was in another shrub and not the nest. Sure enough I watched from a distance and finally saw the baby in the Plumbago shrubbery. Mama or Daddy was perched on the neighbors roof watching me as I took a picture. I didn't get too close because I didn't want to frighten the little one ... so glad my camera could zoom in. I'm wondering if there's just a single chick ... will have to keep an eye out!

Ok ... off to get clean! I'm so dirty I had to hose off outside before coming into the house!

Northern Mockingbird parent on the neighbor's roof ... and baby in the shrub in my side yard:

the little guy is so adorable.

He's growing up fast --- already has his wing & side feathers real nice & his beak is fairly elongated. Won't be long now before he's living on his own.

Nice shot Lin.

Thanks ladies! I'm pretty sure there's more than one baby ... I was outside a few minutes ago to see if I could get a few more photo's before sunset; the little one I was photographing was sleeping at first and I definitely heard another baby peeping loudly somewhere in the shrubbery! The adults were back and forth with worms and bugs. The one baby I was observing woke up and began climbing through the Plumbago and ended up back in the Cedar tree where the nest is. The parents are staying real busy and I'm just praying the babies fledge okay and predators don't get them!

Fabulous pictures Lin, fabulous!

Nice pics, Lin...I hope the babies make it! I thought the posture this Golden-fronted Woodpecker got into was just hilarious! The orange coloring is on the back of its neck. Maybe I should find a feeder better suited to her? In additon to the 2 feeders, I put out birdseed and peanuts at the wildlife feeding area on the ground out there, but I didn't get around to checking on whether they needed more later because I wasn't feeling well...have a cold. Poor woodpecker!

And these two look like they're just two neighbors chatting away...although I know better!

Linda, love the shots of the woodpecker ... they will contort to some unusual postures to get to food, won't they! That's a cute shot of the WP and the Cardinal chatting over lunch!

Hope you get to feeling better soon!