Celebrating the ordinary
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).
The migratory birds in the backyard have been a special treat lately. The first to arrive were the rose-breasted grosbeaks (Pheucticus ludovicianus). The name is obvious when you see the strikingly-marked male, while the female reminds me of a large sparrow. We often see these birds for a few days each spring and fall as they migrate through.
We also saw black-and-white (Mniotilta varia), yellow-rumped (Setophaga coronata), and Nashville warblers (Oreothlypis ruficapilla) and a Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula). We were especially surprised to see an indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) and a scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) – the first time we’ve seen either one in our backyard.
Click any photo for a larger image.
Our four-year-old pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa) is now covered with heart-shaped leaves. This year for the first time it has flowers. They are inconspicuous, and without prompting from my plant guru, Connie, I likely would have missed them.
