Disturbed a House Wren Nest by Accident

There was a house wren's nest full of her clutch in this hen planter. This photo is after I put it back along with all the dead plants that I scooped up without knowing there was a nest.

I had my hands full and wanted to dump the soil near my parked car where I planted a Buttonwood Bush seedling my town gave out on Earth Day. I got 4 rooted cuttings of this native plant that is attractive to pollinators and butterflies.

When I bent down to spread the soil I noticed some movement and look closely and saw a pile of young wrens. There must have 6 or 7. The mother took them back with no problem but she made them fledge today.

Here is a photo of the empty nest. That was my excitement for the last couple of day. Tomorrow I will show you my overwintered geraniums that are looking so pretty on my balcony. xo

Birds and Yesterday's Snow.

Tufted Titmouse?

Black-Capped Chickadee

I think this is the Tufted Titmouse again.

Jd commented with a correction.  This a NUTHATCH.

Thanks, Jd.

The snow had just started when I took these photos yesterday and we got a couple of inches that required no shoveling at all. It changed to rain and everything melted overnight. It was fun to watch knowing it wouldn't last.

The clouds are lifting and the sun is coming out. 

This was my sky earlier this morning.

Have a great day.

xo

Bird with Perfect Camouflage

This bird give new meaning to "blending in" with its perfect camouflage. Found on Instagram @birds_perfection. 

Willow Ptarmigan(lagopus lagopus)  

Photograph By:©Anthony Madden

xo

First Front Yard Bird Photos

I am so happy to see my woodpecker friend again.

Yum. These sunflowers seeds are SO good!

Look at that bird just landing with his legs still outstretched.

I like the shadow on the brick wall too.

Look at the bird still in midair on the left.

I am getting reacquainted with my Nikon 35mm camera. The original rechargeable battery finally went completely dead months and months ago. I got the camera in 2005 so that was a really long time for a battery to last, wasn't it? I finally ordered a replacement and it arrived this week, just in time for birdfeeder photos. YAY! 

xo

Such A Lovely Day

Look carefully for the stump on the right. Click to enlarge. You can see the leaping stag very clearly. I watched him spin today when there was a little wind. 

Pam wanted to see more of the iron bird that was in yesterday's photo with my beautiful dahlia. Here it is in the birdbath showing the shallow oak leaf and a cluster of acorns. Little birds like this a lot. 

xo

Local Peacock Showing Off

 I wish I had seen this in person but I know where he lives. My friend sent this photo to me and I thought it was worth sharing. He's definitely posing for the camera -- look how firmly planted his feet are! WOW.🦚

Peacocks are the most amazing birds.

xo

Tiny Wren perched on A Walnut

This walnut is perfect for showing the small size of this tiny wren. The unknown photographer was certainly in the right place at the right time. Photo found here. xo

A Painted Bunting

If you live in the Southern US you might be lucky enough to see a painted bunting in person one day. Read more here. The photo doesn't real, does it? The article has more photos. They spend most of their time foraging for seeds in low, dense brush. Happy first full day of spring. xo

California Quail and Chick

Isn't this the sweetest photo?

Found on Instagram. Photo by Adam Skalzub 

The photographer noted that this was a male taking care of his 15 babies while his mate had the afternoon off. He also said that in all the wildlife photos he has taken in his career, this one is by far the most popular. I can see why too. ♡🐦♡

Sea Birds: Blue-Footed Boobies

Photo by: @dstogs_photography

Photo by:@libor_vaicenbacher

Photo by: @libor_vaivenbacher 

These photos of the world's most unusual seabirds are absolutely fabulous and they make me smile. Three Blue-footed boobies. One bird is a booby. 

All three photos were found on Instagram @exclusive_bird

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca7N-QmqOzt/

Learn more about Blue-Footed Boobies HERE.

Happy Friday! Have a nice weekend. xo

Two Rose-ringed Parakeets Peeking from Tree Cavity

Isn't this a spectacular photo of two beautiful birds peeking out of a tree cavity where they are nesting. It's Mother Nature at her best. Photo found here. The snow that is supposed to be coming my way hasn't started yet. It might be a little or it might be a lot. I'll just have to wait and see. xo

Grey Heron Taking the Stairs

Sometimes it's easier to take the stairs than to fly😂

Photo found here.

Owl with Heart Designs on His Feathers

Spot-bellied Eagle Owl with heart-shaped spots on his feathers. Photographed in Corbett National Park, India. 🖤 Photo found here.

The owlets are adorable. Found on Pinterest.

This one looks like a live stuffed toy. The rare Spot Bellied Eagle Owl has feathers with heart markings. This owl is also noted for its strange, human-sounding call. It is found primarily in the lower Himalayas from Kumaon east to Burma.

The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen

A photo from one of my books illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert

Did everyone have a nice weekend?

I am refreshed and ready to tackle more work.

Prayers for Louisiana and Ida's wrath.

Residual coming my way Wednesday & Thursday.

Be safe. xo

Beautiful Lavender Colored Bird

Wouldn't you think a bird named Plumbeous Water Redstart would be red? Instead he's a lovely shade of lavender.

♡♡HOME♡♡

The Bluebird Man - Video

I watched this PBS Documentary about Al Larson and it is simply wonderful. It's 30 minutes long and there is a lot of archival footage. I know you will enjoy his complete single-handed devotion to enlarging the bluebird population in Southern Idaho after he retired and beyond.

Read this article first and you will be encouraged to watch the video.

Meet the 96-Year-Old Man Who Turned Southern Idaho Into a Bluebird Haven

Al Larson is responsible for bringing 27,000 bluebirds into his hand-made nest boxes he nailed up on his ranch and along the numerous trails in the area. At least I think that was the figure mentioned in the documentary. Be prepared to fall in love with him. I know I did! 

Tomorrow I will update this post and put in a video about his wife.

A Memorial to Al Larson's wife Hilda.

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Bluebird Family Coming Soon

I am very excited that this bluebird and his mate are building a nest in my bluebird box for the first time in about three years. The Carolina wrens have always beat them to it. I made a few changes to the surrounding area that might have made a difference. I moved my bird feeder from my balcony to a spot near this nesting box and the bluebirds are enjoying perching atop the tall shepherd's hook to look for insects. I took this photo from inside the house with my telephoto lens on my Nikon. They perch here also looking for insects to eat themselves and feed their young after they hatch,

I also moved this tall chicken planter to the flower bed in front of the bluebird box where my poppies were last year. The female bluebird pulled a lot of the Spanish moss out from under this clay hen to "feather" her nest and I thought that was a good sign she was moving in and would soon lay her blue eggs. Fingers crossed for baby bluebirds once again. You know I love them so! Bluebirds are also perching all over this fancy wire plant stand to look for insects in the grass.

I took down this birdhouse and replaced it with the one with a copper roof. This is one of my bluebirds on an older post. I always thought this birdhouse was too small but I still have it and plan to put it up again in a different location on my property.

This is one of my bluebird photos from a post in 2009. As you can see, I sometimes add more photos to an existing post rather than make a totally new one. I started out with bluebirds last night and this morning they are still on my mind.

Listen to the birdsong of the Eastern Bluebird on YouTube.

My dog friend Missy is staying with me for three days and she settled right in. This is her second long weekend with me and the weather is perfect for our walks. I honestly don't know how people with dogs managed during the long winter with two feet of snow on the ground for so long. I guess I must be fair-weather dog person. 

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Purple Martin Bottle Gourd Bird House

Purple Martin 

From Illustrations of 

The Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio, 1886

Illustrated by Howard Jones

I have a bunch of these bottle gourds I grew one year and they were so much fun. I need to make bird houses from them his year.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker at My Feeder

Red-bellied Woodpecker at my feeder.

He's my favorite visitor and he comes often.

Winter is back but most of the snow has melted,

except for my Snow Mountain out front.

Have a great weekend! 🥰

Beautiful Woodcut with Three Birds

via

Lisbet Schulz, German Printmaker, Circa 1940s.

Hand-painted woodblock print.

Click photo to enlarge.

It's so beautiful!