Yard birds report

It is a delightful season for us. All the birds and bees are in mating mode. I love the songs. Each day the leaf buds get a little bigger. We'll lose our sunsets, but nature unfurls.

Phoebe is proudly atop the purple pencil. It's a great vantage point. They should hatch in a couple of days.

Here is Momma phoebe. Tucked in the nest in the corner. We had ice on the bird bath Monday morning. 

The lilac tree is budding up, and the rose-breasted grosbeak was bug hunting. Bless their hearts.

You can see why so many bird counts should be done in May. They are breeding, singing in top form, and you can see them between the leaves.

Merlin is giving me some valuable information. 

It helps to know what to look for. This is a pair of Yellow-rumped Warblers. They were off in the distance, in the birch trees out back. Even with a zoom lens, it was tricky. This is the male.

The female was nearby. Hard to see her, but she is in the upper right. of the photo. Trust me! They are well-camouflaged.

I have found a bird new to me. 'Lifer' for someone who volunteers in hospice work just doesn't sound right to me! 

 Cinnamon and I were out front and I heard a bird. Next we had a towhee who visited. Merlin told me what it was. I am always dubious!

 

 It came to the bird feeder, but was shy! 

Also heard: Common Yellowthroat!

This bird eludes me. It looked more like a green heron on my iPhone. I wondered if it was a mistake, but it is a small one. I looked it up!

👂Listen, because there is no way I could spot it! 

Yay, SPRING!

Birds and deer

 I am ready! The hummingbird feeders are up.

#75 is cleaning up under the feeder. As I wrote yesterday, I will put away the sunflower seed feeder once I see the grosbeaks have returned! 

Evening grosbeak:

As a bonus, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak!

Maybe a little bit more time. I await the bears...

We haven't seen deer in weeks! A trio turned up Sunday morning. Can you see the Evening Grosbeak in the upper right corner on the feeder stand?!

She seems to have a round belly!

One was out in the backyard:

We had an adventure into Ottawa for Caitlin's concert. We had so much fun. More to come!

Phoebe, cherry tomatoes, Fred, et al

 Joe Brian looked at my images of the bombers from Canada Day. His uncle flew a Lancaster in WW II. He did not come back from the war. Aster took some great photos!

Happy July 4th to my American friends. 

Phoebe's 2nd brood hatched July 2nd. This is from a brood in the shed in another year. 

I watered the garden, as it is pretty dry. Watering the hanging planters is a daily task. Look at the cherry tomatoes!

The milkweed plants are so tall. It is a good year for them. I ordered some seeds online, but they haven't come yet. I'll have to wait for next year to sow those. 

Fred is looking tubby. They have a reproductive system like the deer. They are impregnated, but the fertilized eggs don't implant right away. They've a one-month gestation, so you'd think you'd notice teats by now. Babies are born hairless, and spend 44 days depending upon momma, but begin eating greens at three weeks. Maybe my research is moot! 

I've been hearing the rose-breasted grosbeak. It landed where the feeder used to be out the front window. This proof of life I snapped from my easy chair, while watching tennis. Thankfully, I've arched photos!

Wed., July 3rd

It began cloudy, but it cleared up. It was the day to test my aquarium fix. Removing most of the gravel, I realized that I should remove it all!  As I rotated the tank, a counter clockwise turn each time, it stuck in the newly laid caulk. I yelled for help from JB. He held the caulking gun each time I'd rotate. It really helped. 

I pulled the hose up from the middle deck, and a gray tree frog popped out of the middle. Filling it half full, we went to the TV to watch Canadians playing tennis. 

  

I left it for an undetermined amount of time, and there was a slow drip out the side that had the original leak. What's with this?! I'm not back to square one, at least the other corners are watertight. I'll need to do some more thinking. 

Crumbly Acres flora and fauna

We had a storm go through yesterday. Happily it passed by the time the Canada Day stage show and fireworks were ready to go in Ottawa. They had fireworks on the lake a km away – I could hear them. At least we'd had rain.

Front yard

I was out front putting up my red ribbons for Canada Day July 1st, and spotted a Ctenucha Virginica on the coreopsis. 

🦌 Across the highway, a pair of deer were watching me hang ribbons. 

Back further, were our two bucks who hang out together. The long weekend traffic was awful. The stores were packed, according to JB, parking lots full.

 

deer june 30 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

🐦 Can you see them? I could, sort of, against a smoky, cloudy sky. BIRDnet knew what I suspected. Three birds: Gray catbird, cedar waxwing, and brown thrasher. I think the thrasher landed on the hummingbird feeder, but it was quick.

The rose-breasted grosbeak likes the hummingbird feeder, as well. He's more of a frequent flyer!

rose-breasted grosbeak from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Front garden

In the front garden, evening primrose:

I have done pretty well plucking lily bugs off of the lilies. Can you see the second one hiding under the leaf? A snail watches.

The deerflies stick to my hat. So do the leaves!  Guinivere is astonished.

Backyard

Moving to the back, the pink Bridlewreath spirea and rose campion. 

I knew the House Wrens were about ready to go. You could see them in the port hole! 

 

house wren from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

After this they flew off. They took off into the forest, and have been hanging around the property. 

House wrens bushes from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I had to clean out the Bluebird nest box, well- christened by the House Wrens,  and a wee spider. I pulled all the sticks out. After I filled the water fountain, I rinsed it off with the hose as there were bugs and bird poop.

I think three of the four phoebe eggs have hatched.