This time of year there is a cloud of testosterone hanging over the garden... Our male birds of color become just dazzling in their breeding plumage. With two exceptions all of the birds in this photo collage are our spring and summer birds of color. Not all come to the feeders as some feed on insects. Lower right are the varied thrush and one of two species of waxwings which just pass through fall and winter... The gold finch, chickadee, nuthatches, house finches, quail, and woodpeckers are with us year round..
I especially appreciate these flying spectacles of color as the majority of the birds in the garden are shades of grays and browns such as the hawk , dove and wren below. (Not that I love them any less.)
When we bought the farm 33 years ago there were only two varieties of birds.... killdeer and meadowlark. There was just this derelict house on a barren piece of land and 2 nearly dead locust trees.. Our huge variety of birds is not by accident. The requirement for absolutely everything planted over the years has been that it had to provide either food or habitat for birds.
your planting efforts certainly paid off. We have song birds here (which I don't recognize) that I love to listen to. I'd love to have a recording of just song birds that I could play when I'm quilting or stitching. They could alternate with Stevie Ray Vaughn and Mercedes Sosa. Definitely an eclectic mix.
ReplyDeleteWell done, wish more people would think of the wild life, they appreciate some help and we get the rewards of seeing them.
ReplyDeleteWe have a pigeon sitting on a nest in the bole of the tree right outside of our bedroom window, she/he sits there through all the rain and wind and apparently it takes 18 days for the eggs to hatch, I think we are up to about 8 days so far.
Briony
x
For me, its a thrill to find new birds stopping at the feeders regularly. We also make our land attractive to all birds....except ducks that try to get the pond fish.
ReplyDeleteWell done creating such lush growth on that barren ground, and welcoming the birds to your farm. I wish everyone planted to attract the wildlife.
ReplyDeletenow I am envious and jealous too of all your beautiful birds, they are not vices I usually suffer from but to see the pretty little birds from your window it must be delightful, here I have sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and of course the magpies have appeared now there are eggs being laid.
ReplyDelete