Snow White stopped by our house last week. I didn’t see Dopey or Doc or any of her other Dwarf friends, but she was there in all her snow-white glory. I think my Snow White was an albino cowbird – at least it was the same size and shape as a cowbird. Interestingly, Nancy saw some grackles feeding that same bird a few days later. Cowbirds are notorious for laying their eggs in the nests of other … [Read more...]

Honeybee sightings are getting fewer and farther between. I consider it an honor just to see one in my yard. We have plants, Mountain Mint, that draws lots of bees in with their sweet aroma, but they haven’t bloomed yet, and – no bees. Honeybees, as most are aware, have been having a hard time of it in recent years. No one knows for sure, but their decline in numbers has been blames on several … [Read more...]

Nancy has planted flowers along the sidewalk to our back yard for several years. And for several years, the squirrels and chipmunks wait until the cultivated ground has been planted, then they dig up everything in sight and plant their own acorns and nuts. This can get discouraging. I suggested a box .177 caliber pellet gun projectiles to take care of her problem, but she was all about sparing the … [Read more...]

I love having strangers visit my yard – bird strangers, that is, not humans. One such bird that comes by on occasion is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. One stopped by this week, and I considered that my lucky day. There is an old saying, in fact, that simply seeing this lovely bird is associated with hope, joy and good fortune. It is a sign of positive changes on the horizon and who couldn’t use a … [Read more...]

I’m knocking on wood here, but I may have solved my birdfeeder problems for good. Squirrels and grackles are my mortal enemies, stealing my expensive bird seed meant for songbirds only. The grackles come in swarms, and they can empty a feeder in minutes. And squirrels? It’s like the 100 Years War – never ending. But two things are turning the tide in my favor. Hearts on Fire sunflower hearts … [Read more...]

I think I have a pet crow. Then again, maybe the crow in my back yard has a pet human. Whatever the case, it’s strange. I have always had a few crows around. Sometime three, sometimes four. They stop by periodically to see if there are any seeds or corn kernels left over after the squirrels have finished, and sometimes they will dunk a piece of bread in our bird bath. I like having crows … [Read more...]

Once or twice a year, a flock of evening grosbeaks will grace our yard and tree limbs. Nancy saw them last week. There were 20 or more birds fighting for space on the rim of our bird bath. A few flew down to our goldfish pond. They splashed a bit and then were off to who knows where - I assume they were on their way to their breeding grounds in northern carnivorous forests. Grosbeaks are … [Read more...]

We have a heart shaped hanger packed with llama hair dangling in our back yard. Our daughter Laura gave it to us as a present, knowing our affinity for birds. The llama hair is there for the picking as birds build their nests and line them with soft fibers – like llama hair. Animal hair and fur are prized possessions in the nest-building department. Chickadees are known to swoop down and pick fur … [Read more...]

While we were at Deltaville, I was enjoying a good cigar on the back deck when I saw a mockingbird fly into a small bush about 20 feet away. He hopped from limb to limb, pecking at things. At first, I thought he was finding a berry or two from last summer, but after a minute or so, the mockingbird reached into the bush and snapped off a two-inch twig, secured it in his mouth and flew off. The … [Read more...]

The first jonquils of the year are just beginning to pop up, but our Lenten Roses are and have been in full bloom for several weeks. Snow, sleet, frost, cold – it doesn’t matter to these hardy plants. They are the Energizer Bunnies of all our flowers. They are early bloomers, they are beautiful, they flourish in shady areas, and they have earned their rightful place as the most important flowers … [Read more...]