Why I Feed the Birds

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Why you ask do we feed the birds here...
since worms and bugs are all so near.

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The sunflower seeds are needed to lure...
the songbirds closer in order to hear!

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We buy a 40lb. bag...usually one or more.
If the price starts to rise...then it's 3 or 4...
neatly they're stacked on the basement floor...
if we catch a big sale, we even buy more.
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Birds are messy so they drop some seeds...
that grow into flowers among the weeds.





Very tall some grow, maybe six to seven feet





with sunny yellow faces, that are so sweet!



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That's it...end of the poem Marcy!


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We do have several feeders that keep me busy
filling them with the sunflower seeds...and we
do tend to stock up...when it goes on sale.




This one is on a pulley, just off the deck.
Empty, as you can see...blogging is to blame!

These were taken through the window earlier

this summer...the squirrels always manage

to get their share...and so would the raccoon

if not for the stove pipe.

The Cardinals share the feeders with the

Red-bellied woodpeckers...note the deer and

all the piles of leaves...blogging again probably!

This is a small Downy Woodpecker...

and a Goldfinch caught in flight!

This is newly fledged baby Carolina Wrens...

they would sleep overnight on the porch blinds.

Here we have Alivia looking for ants and worms...

which she found!...and I don't even do that!

I found this single locust just out of it's shell

Monday morning...

A Sunflower just before blooming...

These came up together in a planter...possibly

they were stored there by a chipmunk!

Sunflower in full bloom with visitors.

The main reason we buy Sunflower seeds...
other than to feed the birds...

and attract them here...

or have the enjoyment of watching...

dropped seeds grow...

into beautiful sun-like flowers

is to share nature

with grandchildren as they grow.

Alivia...a few years ago!

spreading Sunflower seeds...

...and examining them closer!

That's why I feed the birds!

Garden Party

Maybe I should name this lone little fawn....

who I just happened to look out and see.....

.

having himself a party....in my garden...

.

He was standing in the middle of some wild daisies.

I approached slowly and he didn't appear frightened...





but he did hike his tail.....





and ran away....




leaving my garden a little empty and boring.....




except for yellow lilies and yarrow...I just have
a few purple flowers in bloom...

Most of the Coneflowers still look like spiky buds....

so the garden is a little plain...well, except for a

mysterious face in the ornamental grass...My

son discovered it Sunday...while enlarging a photo

on last week's post....Can you see it?

After clicking on photo to enlarge...the statue like

face appears half way up...just below the plumes

of the tall ornamental grass...

-enlarge to see-

While some of the family was leaving Father's Day...

we saw the Mother and three fawns in the field.

Remember them?

The fawns kept her there several minutes....

nursing...and then they too...went away!

At least they aren't eating my Hostas this year....

not yet anyway.

Even with all the rain and moisture in the air...

I still have to water the potted cherry tomatoes

on the back porch every day...sometimes twice.

This end of the porch takes you to the back yard...

where the other tomatoes are planted and a small

water fountain for the birds is located...

You may be able to see a Finch sipping water in

this blurred photo...I took through the window.

-enlarge-

A birdhouse is located back here too...

the Carolina Wrens use it...

they are working on their second nest...

of the season.....

also back here....sometimes we see

Woodpeckers on the trees.....

-photos enlarge-

...and in the trees!

sometimes you may also find.....

Alivia...in a hammock!

Doesn't she look like she's day dreaming.....

...maybe about a "garden party"...

HiddenThings

We've had cheerful blue skies often this week...

giving birth to billowy clouds...

with glowing light reflected from the sunset...

a sunset hidden from my view behind our mass of trees.

.

.

Almost completely hidden from my view...

was this newborn baby fawn...

hiding behind it's mom...

in that same mass of trees...

-photos enlarge-


which leaves me wondering if the fawn might just
have been there too in this photo I took earlier of
a deer resting in the field... there ...but hidden.





This is an Indigo Bunting.....who decided to
finally visit the feeder...
.



whom I have seen on occasion over the years ...but he usually stays pretty well hidden...
he visited with us all day.





On Alivia's last visit...seen here with her puppy
named Biscuit and her ever present little purse...
...she never leaves home without one...
she had $5.50 hidden in it!




she wanted to explore the barn...
and see what we might find hidden away...




we found yet another bird's nest...
with only one egg so far...in an old wire basket.




Warm weather is bringing new life to everything...
including the flowers in the garden...



right along with the weeds...

which has kept me busy removing them...

and I'm sure there's more hiding out...

but after spreading composted cow manure...

and spraying the lilies with a concoction
to keep the deer away...

I'm just going to enjoy the flowers for a while...
like this pink Peony...

seen here with an ant circling an unopened bud.

-photos enlarge-


Just a caterpillar of some sort curled up on a rock.

He would be better off if he hid from the birds.

I found this toad on a rock...

hiding in my small vegetable and herb garden.

Doesn't he look just a little bit grumpy?...

that "look" reminds me of someone...

I wonder who...

...maybe our Birthday Boy Dylan!

Don't you see that same look on this cute face?
.

He does get a glint in his eyes sometimes...

and then tries to hide it...

he's charming...

he's very sweet!...

and he's getting older...turning 11 on the 28th.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DYLAN!

"THERE'S THAT LOOK AGAIN"

My youngest grandson Dylan Michael!

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Here's how the view from my porch looks today...
please come back and visit.

A Carolina Wren and a Wood Thrush singing.