A Sign Of Good Luck

Did you know that if a bird lands on your head, 

it's a sign of good luck?

No wonder my Garden Girl just keeps smiling!

Every day she has a little extra dose of luck added

to her growing stash.

I've had a butterfly land on my shoulder before.

Does that count?

I'm linking up with Annie and I'd Rather B Birdin'.

Click HERE to see more beautiful birds!

♥

Cedar Waxwing

We had a small flock of Cedar Waxwings come into the yard today

 to eat crab apples!  They don't show up here very often, so when

 they do, it's really something special!

See the red and yellow bits hanging from their wings and tail?

They are waxy pieces that give them their name.  Beautiful birds

 with those masks and crowns...they are fruit eaters,

so they weren't interested in the seed from the feeders. 

I'm linking up with Anni and her blog

I'd Rather B Birdin'.

Click HERE to see more beautiful bird photography!

♥

Baby Takes A Bath

...under the watchful eye of mama.

I'm linking up with Anni and

I'd Rather B Birdin.  Click here to visit her!

♥

Resident Robin

I stepped out on the back porch this week and my resident Robin

flew out of the tree, landed a couple of yards away and struck up 

a conversation!  I couldn't believe it!  That's a first!

He was still there when I slipped into the house for a handful

of dried cherries and my camera.  The closer I dropped the

treats, the closer he hopped, chirping a 'Thanks, Betsy'

with each one.  When he ate the last one, away he went.

  That was the sweetest thing that happened to me this week!

I'm linking up with Anni and other birders.

Click here to check out other photos from all over the world!

♥

American Tree Sparrow

A new-to-my-yard bird this morning!

The thing that caught my eye was the beak.

Yellow on the bottom and black on the top!

A little 'google' search told me his name!

I'm linking up with Anni and the other birders!

Click HERE to see birds from all over the world!

♥

Found A Peanut

In my yard yesterday!

One Blue Jay would swoop to the ground, grab a peanut and

sit in the tree and eat it.  Another Blue Jay would swoop down,

grab a peanut and bury it in the snow a few yards away!

I've never seen a bird do that before....more like a squirrel 

than a bird!

Slate didn't catch any birds, but he had fun trying!

I'm linking up with I'd Rather B Birdin.

Click HERE to see beautiful birds from all over the world!

♥

Snow Dance

Sweet little sparrow was really stirring up 

the snow on Garden Girl's head this week!

Judging by the smile, it looks like it tickled!

I'm linking up with I'd Rather B Birdin' today.

Click here to see more awesome bird shots from all over the world!

♥

White Crowned Sparrow

I'm joining I'd Rather B Birdin' with my little friend here!

To see other entries, click HERE.

♥

Bottoms Up!

Little chickadee is enjoying my new feeder!

It's the first bird feeder I've found that seems to have outsmarted

the raccoon who loves to climb into my trees, dump all the seed on 

the ground and scarf it down every night!  The top screws on, 

which I've done tightly, and the seed comes out very slowly in 

the tray.  I threaded it far along a branch so he couldn't

even pull the thing down to the ground.  So far, so good

and it's almost been a week!

I'm linking up with I'd Rather Be Birdin'.

Click HERE to see other great bird photos!

♥

Dad Comes To Help

First there was the Love Story.

Then there was Feeding Baby.

Then I saw Dad there to help!

I'm linking up with I'd Rather Be Birdin'.

Click here for more great bird photos!

♥

Feeding Baby

It's the next chapter after the Love Story!

You can see those photos HERE.

I'm joining up with I'd Rather Be Birdin.

Click HERE for more bird posts!

♥

Starlings At Ot Moor

I think it was Ed that originally told me about the groups

of Starlings that fly over Ot Moor, just east of Oxford, England.

Fifty acres of marshy land serve as a feeding ground for the Starlings.

During the evenings of the winter months, something truly

 amazing happens and this area becomes the most incredible

display of aeronautical skill, spreading across 25 miles.

As the afternoon light begins to fade, the starlings stop feeding

and take to the air, gathering in large flocks of up to a thousand.

They start out flying in groups they've been feeding with all day

and slowly merge into ever denser and bigger flocks.

Individual birds, yet moving as a single entity and never a collision!

Their dance should be impossible!   It's mesmerizing to 

watch.  I imagine them having a bit of fun with their Creator, who

amuses them as he draws circles and lines in the sky, 

and they follow his fingertip.

I hope you'll take 3 minutes to watch. 

It's definitely worth it!

Information for this post was gathered from Dylan Winter,

a travel journalist, who has the pleasure of seeing this

from his door step every night during the winter months.

I'm so jealous!

And although it isn't a photo of my own, I'm linking up with

 I'd Rather B Birdin, because I know all those bird lovers will love this!

Click HERE to visit this week's entries.

♥

My Little Red Crush

Don't tell The Mister! ha.

I'm linking up with Anni and I'd Rather B Birdin'.

Click HERE to see more lovely birds!

♥

Expecting

I've had a cute little House Finch couple in our yard

all spring and summer.  I've watched the lady every day

in the feeder and noticed she had quite a big belly 

on her this week.  Then she suddenly disappeared.

He's been around quite a bit more lately.

I bet she's sitting on her nest now

and he's bringing dinner to her.  Aw.

I'm linking up with Anni and I'd Rather B Birdin'.

Click HERE to visit more bird lovers!

♥

Nuthatch

These little guys move SO fast, any

photo in focus is worth celebrating!

I'm linking up with Anni at I'd Rather B Birdin'.

Click HERE to see more lovely birds!

♥

Mr. Wren

We have a male wren in our neighborhood.

He's desperately looking for a lady friend!

He's loud and persistent in his calls and can be heard

even inside our house with the windows closed!

For those of you who may not know, the male wren

will build 3-4 nests all on his own even before meeting 

his lady!  Then he will call and call for as long as it takes!

Once she shows up, he changes his calling to a romantic,

soft song and takes her around to all the nests he has made.

She gets to choose which ever nest she likes!

After she chooses, she starts tearing it apart

and then the two of them rebuild it together!

What a man, huh, to put up with all of that!?

Just after reading all of these facts a few years ago,

I got to witness it right in my own yard.

That obnoxious call that had been going on for days

suddenly turned into the sweetest little cooing!

I couldn't believe it was the same bird!

I took the photo this week when Mr. Wren must have 

 been checking out my hanging basket for bugs.

They don't eat seed!  

  And as I type this, he is still out there

calling his little lungs out!  I hope for his sake that

a sweet little girl wren shows up soon!

I've linked up with Anni at I'd Rather B Birdin'.

You can see other bird photos HERE!

♥

A Blue Shade Garden

Since Garden Girl was just standing in the side yard without

anything beautiful around her, I decided we should transform

that shady little spot into a lovely flower garden.

I'm looking out this window anyway, from my desk in the kitchen.

It might as well be a beautiful view as I bird-watch, right?

I really had a fun time at the garden center picking out

blue and white flowers and some slate pieces to create a

walk way to the gate.  It took me three carts and a couple

of checkouts, but I got it all loaded in the Jeep and then

arranged how I wanted it outside under the tree.

The Mister was nice enough to take up the grass, till the soil and plant

everything for me last night.  By the time I woke up this morning,

he had brought home a load of mulch and had it spread around.

Now I just need to keep it watered and enjoy the little sprouts

as they spread and fill in the whole space.

I really love how the sunlight comes softly through the tree

and makes dappled patterns on everything!

What an improvement to that little space!

*  I've joined up with I'd Rather Be Birdin' to

show off my photo of Mr. Blue Jay! *

♥