August 9, 2014

Saturday Yard Work and the Birds

August 9, 2014

Great Kiskadee

This morning I was up early to get the laundry started before my housekeeper arrived.  She was early, arriving at 7:30, but that was good so that things could get done and both of us could move on to other activities.  While she cleaned, I worked in the yard for a while, mowing and watering the hanging plants, filling ponds, bird baths, and pools.

Green Jay

Again, today, like yesterday was overcast and that made the day more bearable.  The birds quickly discovered the filled feeders and I had Green Jays, Tufted Titmice, Great Kiskadees, Bewick's Wrens, and the ever present sparrows and grackles as well as a returned blue budgie!  I had not seen any of them since about January, but the beautiful pale blue one showed up at the feeders this morning and stayed around much of the day.  There was constant "chatter" in the trees as they were filled with birds telling me to go in the house so they could eat!

Budgie

The birds were active at the feeders and birdbaths all day.  It is fun to watch the young ones as they venture out into the world.  There were lots of sparrow babies and they are so curious.  There has been one bird calling loudly from the trees but we have not identified it.  Ron worked in the yard all afternoon and has messed with some of their habitat.  I don't like to leave them without places to hide, but there was an area that just had to be cleaned out. 

Baby Bewick's Wren getting a bath

The sewing machine finally got some use as I worked on a second block to the same pattern I had played with recently.  I finished it this evening. 

I had worked on it for a while after lunch and then spent 2 hours late this afternoon working in the yard, weeding, trimming, pulling down dead vines, and creating huge mounds of clippings for Ron to haul to the brush pile.  I finally got too hot and left it all to him and finished the quilt square before starting supper.

While I worked in the yard, the little blue budgie came into the tree alone.  The other birds were staying away since we were working in the yard.  I talked to him a lot and hoped I could get him to come to me.  He got within about 6 inches and then backed off.  I put some seed in a little ceramic umbrella that hangs in one of the trees.  He hopped in there and ate for a long time.  He has been injured and I think it must have happened today in our yard.  I guess a grackle attacked him.  There were little blue feathers on the ground.  Poor little guy.  While I would talk to him he would watch me and edge closer and closer, but just never would come to me.  Maybe tomorrow, although I think that the longer he is in the wild, the harder it will be to catch him.  I do believe he is an escaped pet.