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Sunday, April 27, 2014

BABY CAROLINA WRENS HAVE FLOWN THE NEST & SOON NEW BABY DOVES

  My redbud tree blooms have fallen off and now it has leaves, but this picture was so pretty I wanted to share it with you.


Every year as winter is ending, I so look forward to these blooms.
It's such a good feeling when I see the tiny buds starting.  


Purple martin house.
A couple of years ago, my baby oak trees were getting so tall that they were going to be interfering with the first flight of the baby purple martins.  So, for their sake I closed the house forever.  
A week ago I noticed this little dove nesting.  I guess it's as good as a tree for her.
There will be babies, soon.


Today, while I was in the yard I kept hearing baby birds.  Then, I realized it was the tiny carolina wrens already out of the nest and following their parents, learning how to forage.
I knew the wrens were nesting somewhere nearby, but this box is out of site from my kitchen window and I think they were nesting in it.  It looks like a wren nest to me.  I think baby wrens go back to the nest at night until they're more independent so I'll wait a while to clean out this nesting box.


And, he's gone now!
Around the middle of March, the visiting american goldfinches start coloring out for their trip back home to nest.  They're always at my feeders until late April and maybe early May.
This one finally left this past week.
I will miss their beautiful, striking colors.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

BEAUTIFUL SIGNS OF SPRING...MY FIRST WATER IRIS HAS OPENED


First water iris in my fish pond this year.  So pretty!
I took a break from painting and went outside to change the water in the bird baths, feed the birds and feed the fish and this beautiful water iris greeted me.  Everything else is just now turning green and starting over and it was so nice to see the beautiful, tall purple iris.


On the left, the american goldfinches have been coloring out and one by one, they've been heading back home to their nesting grounds.  
The little black back and bright yellow on the right is a lesser goldfinch.  Some of them will be heading back to somewhere, but lots of them hang around here year round.  
I just love the little finches.  Their twittering and songs are just so beautiful.
While I'm in the yard, filling the feeders or sweeping the rock walk, they stay up in the trees and sing.
Sweet little birds.


This little hummingbird was bathing in the sprinkler and I couldn't get a good picture because it kept wiggling and shaking off the water.  So cute!
This is such a wonderful time of year for me.  I love seeing the first black swallowtail and one has laid eggs on some of my herbs that I keep in a flower pot.
The crepe myrtles have their new leaves and will be flowering, soon.
Everything is starting over.
Life begins, again.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

POSSUM: DON'T BE MEAN TO ME JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK I'M UGLY

POSSUM:  DON'T BE MEAN TO ME JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK I'M UGLY

Possums are scavengers and the earth needs scavengers.
You are wrong about me. I mean you no harm. I do not chase, or attack you or your pets. I'm not fast. I'm not mean. No one has ever chosen me as their sports team's mascot. When I'm in trouble, I try to look tough, show my teeth, hiss and drool but less than 10 of us have tested positive for rabies in over 150 years. Practice what you teach your children: Don't be mean to me just because you think I'm ugly.
Possums are scavengers and the earth needs scavengers