More Backyard Birds

My knitting has fallen by the wayside lately, as I have been working hard to get the shop updated for spring and work on the website too.  I have been enjoying the birds in my backyard though - I'm keeping the feeder full and watching who comes to visit as I have breakfast & coffee every morning.  So here's some birds to brighten your day ...

A cardinal couple continues to come and visit, and I'm pretty sure they are the same two birds.  The female seems to like the tree that doesn't have any feeders or houses, and I am wondering if she might be building a nest in there somewhere.  There was also a chickadee checking out one of my birdhouses yesterday.  I wonder how close birds are willing to have a nest to another nest.  I need to do some research on that, and luckily I have the resources at my fingertips!  I just ordered a new book by Sally Roth, called Backyard Bird Secrets for Every Season, and I am really looking forward to reading it.  I need to know, so I can recommend things to customers, right?  Wink, wink!

 

I do like mourning doves.  There is something very intriguing about them. 

 

Breakfast on the Patio

We had a beautiful warm spell last weekend, and I decided to celebrate by filling my birdfeeders.  There had been so much birdsong when I woke up Sunday morning that I knew it was time to bid my feathered friends welcome to my garden for the spring!  I filled my birdfeeder, hung it outside, and sat down on the patio steps with my new camera.  (Inserting shameless plug for the shop here - like my feeder?  Click on the photo to see!  We have a matching birdhouse too.)

 

[caption id="attachment_77" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dragonfly Tube Feeder from Dragonfly Garden"][/caption]

Within minutes, there were chickadees on the tree branches, chirping away.  I had scattered some seed on the ground, in order to entice anyone flying by, and was rewarded with a cardinal couple. Mr. and Mrs. came to munch on the seeds all over the ground. Mrs. had a few, and then flew up to sit on the fence post, while Mr. continued to eat.  Then I saw him pick up a black sunflower seed, fly up to the fence post where Mrs. was sitting and chirping, and he fed it to her!  It was amazing.  I have never witnessed such a thing, and I got to see it twice.  Didn't get the camera to react quickly enough of course, but that's okay.  Here are my new friends ...

After they flew off, I had another visitor.  This one had a fluffy tail, a furtive look and was carrying a peanut.  I am really enjoying the new camera - this shot was a digital zoom from the original.  I love technology!

[caption id="attachment_79" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Mr Peanut"][/caption]

 

All in all, Katie & I had a nice morning sitting out there watching the wildlife come to our backyard.  I was tickled to see that the birds would come to the feeder, even with me sitting there, and with the dog sitting there too.  I am really hoping to have a nest built in one of my birdhouses, and maybe I can see cardinal babies later this spring.  The past few mornings, I have been watching, and have seen chickadees, sparrows, mourning doves and a male and female cardinal.  I don't know if it is the same cardinal couple, but I'm hoping it is.  The mourning doves took a splash in the birdbath yesterday - its turning into quite the social gathering place!