Butch, fairy lights, backyard tails

 I was sitting on the back deck, and watched Blond Butch go by. Butch May 16 

I am slowly weaning the birds off the feeders. If I take them down suddenly, the birds go after my hanging planters, searching for food. I put the penultimate feeder on the tree, just to have the birds scrape it clean.  There is one feeder remaining, which I put out in the morning and take in at night. Then, there is hungry lactating Blond Butch. 

I took photos and had fun putting them into a video. This is what she was after! Butch 

She noticed me, and took off up the tree.

 The nests are doing well. The ones that I can find. We've song sparrows, tree sparrows, the crows. 

I spotted the crows in the backyard May 16th📹. 

Phoebe laid the 5th egg May 7th, and they are due to hatch May 22. JB helped me, and I checked the nest out when phoebe was off feeding. nesting critters  

The cats have noticed the robins, peering between the boards at them, but they cannot get to them. The good news is the lilacs are blooming. I walked by the bush, and was surprised by the amazing smell. 

The back deck is buggy. It usually isn't so.  The bugs are really bad this year. Remembering my thoughts from a month ago, April was like May, I wondered about the bugs with the early spring and tried to live in the moment. I briefly spotted a summer tanager, the bug eaters are here, at least. 

I've been struggling with my fairy lights. Going to bed early, as I get up early, I kept forgetting the check them.

 I looked at them in the day and couldn't find an on/off switch. I bought these at an auction last year. I had forgotten to check if they were working in the dark.

I finally remembered by putting my camera on my bed after dinner, figuring it would trigger me to go check them in the dark. That worked, and NONE of them were on. Taking off the top, the silver collar, I found that the rechargeable batteries were corroded. That was an easy fix, I replaced them all. Now, I have 4/6 working. I may have to clean the last two out a bit, as the contacts aren't good.

It's good having gardening and outdoor chores. The ferns are looking amazing. We could use rain. 

I'm not sure if deer go after rhododendrons.  I took a photo, just in case! It looks as if I finally figured out a location for them. We've two, and haven't been able to get them to bloom since buying them. Cross your fingers!

Taking a breather on the lower deck on the swing bench, I saw something moving. Gray tree frog. 

I thought I was being watched! I put a hummingbird feeder on the back deck, she was eyeing me to see if she was safe. hummingbird  

Regarding new fish, It's the problem with the supply chain, methinks. I've had the goldfish reproduce in past years, Yam, with the common goldfish, but they never survived in the fish tank. I brought some in and gave Caitlin a dozen one year and they all died. 

I put on bug spray, to check on the lady slippers in the wetland. It is a must. From there, I went searching for my dowels. I found one yesterday. Not the nail file, though! 

Spring flowers!

Yellow Wood Poppy

After yesterday's bear encounter, I confined myself to the garden!

I love this time of year when the garden wakes up. My Orchid cactus was a gift from Nancy, and it likes being out in the sunshine.

 I have some plants that were new from last year. I'd forgotten about the jack-in-the-pulpit in that post. I hope it sprouts. They are from a native and rare plant nursery in southern Ontario. This Wood Poppy is one of the plants.

Marsh marigold - poisonous

Lilacs are ready

Orchid cactus

daffies

tulips

primrose

forget-me-nots

iris

Linda, AKA Crafty Gardener, has kindly ID'd the last flower as giant allium. I really don't remember buying them (there are two), let alone planting them!

The red trillium in the woods are still blooming. Nancy, my friend in Muskoka, writes about the difficulties of trillium spreading, as they depend upon critters, like ants!


The white trillium, in the garden, had a bit of a trim. This is a consistent story! At least they left me two blooms this year. Last year, Daisy guarded them for me!

May 2016

Daisy, fern, trillium, 2015

May 2014

Last year, I planted two apple trees, the last two that sat on the lot at our local nursery. Bambi has trimmed them, but they survived! I placed broken pine boughs around it to discourage them.

My horse chestnut has flowers this year. It didn't do well last year. It is heart-warming seeing everything come back after winter.