Celebrating the ordinary
Goodness, it’s hot and dry. It is a challenging time for plants, wildlife, and gardeners. I previously blogged about why purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are one of my favorite perennials. They’re now proving to be one of my most drought-resistant plants and attracting the most visitors, including this orange sulphur butterfly (Colias eurytheme).
The morning after my “Baby robins” post I saw the young birds, but by afternoon the nest was empty. I was surprised at how much I missed them and wondered if something had gone wrong. However, in a few days a young robin that would have been about the right age appeared in the backyard. It was frequently begging for food and being fed by an adult male.
The scene of the robins’ nest has changed considerably since the previous post. Instead of four beautiful blue eggs there are now two nestlings – we have no idea what happened to the other two eggs. Now the adults are kept busy looking for insects and worms.
This wooden planter was made by our son about thirty years ago. It’s hanging on the fence near our patio and from a distance it looks empty. However it contains a special surprise.
There’s a lot going on in the backyard. Lots of blossoms and bees, and some butterflies. This area in particular is the scene of a lot of activity (click to view larger image).
