Most often, my resident bluebirds will nest twice, then call it quits. On several occasions, however, they go for a third try as mine did this year. I don’t know why they do this unless they lost one nest or had a poor survival rate with the chicks. I know that two babies were around after the first nest, but the second nest vanished before I could get head count. This year’s pair has been one … [Read more...]

Nancy has been planting flowers like Impatiens along the sidewalk leading to our back patio – with mixed results. Often, the Impatiens got dug up by chipmunks and squirrels and sometimes succumbed to the summer’s heat. They needed water practically every day. This year, she planted Zinnias and they are loving life. The lovely flowers add lots of beauty to the yard as well as seeds for the … [Read more...]

My wife Nancy spends a lot of time working in our yard and it really shows. She has watered and weeded regularly and keeps things trim with her edging and weed eaters. Throughout the yard, ourflowers and shrubs are lovely. But the ones I believe both of us are proudest of are the wildflowers she planted around our birdbath. They were perennials and are flowers like you would typically find in a … [Read more...]

Last week I posted a picture of the potted Amaryllis plant we have on our front porch with three lovely blooms. Then, Hal Hurka, who donated the original Amaryllis bulb to our cause, sent the above picture of his Amaryllis collection. “Wow! What beauties.” Our plant should continue to grow and spread, but I think maybe we should add another pot or two and maybe even some new colors. … [Read more...]

My good friend Hal Hurka gave us an Amaryllis bulb last year as a thank you gift for some Lenten roses we gave him. Nancy planted the bulb, and it bloomed the first year with two flowers. A week ago, it bloomed again with three flowers, and it is the epitome of beautiful – delicate, graceful, and inviting. It transformed our porch into an art gallery. In some places called an Easter lily, … [Read more...]

We had some unexpected company at our birdfeeder this week. A stunning male Rose-breasted Grosbeak stopped by to sample our sunflower hearts. He came in the morning and returned for another snack that afternoon. I am always super excited when a feathered visitor stops by. I had seen a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak once or twice in the past, and what a beautiful bird - jet black feathers on his … [Read more...]

Where are my worms? I am the Mealworm Fairy. I am the one who magically fills the bluebirds’ feeder bowl with fat, juicy mealworms. Sometimes the bluebirds recognize that the Fairy has come, and sometimes they don’t have a clue and wonder where the heck all those worms came from. I have been feeding and observing bluebirds for over 20 years and the one thing I know for certain about these … [Read more...]

I grew up in what could be acknowledged as the Iris Capital of the World - Greenbrier County in West Virginia. Every May, the West Virginia Hills would spring to life with Iris blooms - along roads, bordering driveways, in massive beds and overwhelming the landscape with their beauty. The climate is perfect in this, one of the most beautiful counties in America. Add cool evenings, with warm … [Read more...]

Every year it’s the same. Within the same week, sometimes within a day or two, my snowbirds leave and my catbirds return. They must both get the same weather report or whatever it is that makes birds come and go. I had a large flock of snowbirds this year - maybe 20 in all and they practically camped out beneath my feeders. I made sure to toss them some extra seeds on the ground since they … [Read more...]

How do you spell beauty? P-h-l-o-x. Phlox, not flox. Phlox may be hard to spell, but they sure are pretty, and they are easy to grow. I remember when I first moved to Charlottesville, I made many trips to Sugar Hollow to engage the trout in the Moorman’s River with assorted flies. I also vividly remember that in early April, lawns all along Garth Road and Sugar Hollow Road were teeming with … [Read more...]