Birdbath!

 

 

I found one!

And I love it.

My husband is being a good sport.

(He is anti-birdbath, but I'm hoping he'll come around after a summer or two--once he sees that I will not let it turn into a stagnant water mosquito hotel.)

 

This will not be its permanent home, but the place where I plan to put it is currently a staging area for extra wood. Once the projects are finished, that space will become {another!} flowerbed. This will go in the middle, with a trellis & vine of some sort behind it.

 

I was going to wait until birds were actually using it to take a picture, but I was too excited.

Maybe that will be tomorrow's post.

 

I stare at it every now and then with a silly grin on my face.

Yay! Birdbath!

Yellow-headed Blackbird

You have to look closely to spot this guy amongst the cattails.

I'm still learning how to zoom in without making everything blurry!

We have lots of the red-winged blackbirds around, but this was the first time I had seen this kind. Of course, I went home and tried to find it in my favorite bird book:

 

"The Backyard Bird Lover's Field Guide" by Sally Roth.

 

[Quick plug for this book: I have found it so useful! It includes a section of the most common backyard birds, followed by separate sections for different regions of the country. Best thing about it though, are the descriptions, including a "first impression," call or sounds, telltale traits, and where to find it. Also, ideas for how to lure each type of bird into your yard, including plant picks, feeder pleasers and tricks and treats.

No I am not getting a kickback for this review! I just use this book all the time!]

 

I knew I had the right one when it said you could find this bird "In marshes with cattails or other reeds."

Check.

 

It's so handy when the bird's name reflects its most obvious characteristic.

Makes it easy to remember and to point out to the kiddos.

Sunday Walk: Finding Beauty in Everyday Places

I'm linking up with the No Winter Whining meme again this week.

The theme is "Nature in Winter."

If that means weeds, cattails, and dirt icebergs, we're covered!

 

Within the last week most of our snow has melted, so the 2 older kiddos and I got out for a walk.

It was a bright, sunny day, and we all looked for things we thought were beautiful or interesting to take pictures of.

 

 

 

I was quite taken by this mossy rock. 

 

These, too.

 

"Look, Mom! The moss looks like little flowers!"

 

And then there was the dirt iceberg fascination.

 

(This one was my 5 year old's request.)

Interesting? Perhaps.

Beautiful? Not so much.

 

When I asked my 3 year old why I should photograph this particular one she said,

"Because it looks like a frog....with a hat on!"

 

Imagination is a beautiful thing. 

 

Then we reached the cattail park.

Oh, the joy to be had here!

There were even some fairly close to the path.

Our shoes [mostly] escaped the mud.

 

 

  

Yep, we did our part in keeping the cattail population alive and healthy.

You're welcome, city parks department.

Anytime. 

 

Mystery weed.

About the only green thing growing at the moment.

 

I believe these [hard to see] wavy dead weeds may have been thistles in a past life. 

 

Oh yes. Let's not forget the mysterious black cat roaming the far side of the park.

Wild animal it was not, but the kids were thrilled.

They tried to call it over, to no avail.

 

Finally, one big fat robin to end the walk on.

Does that mean spring is on the way?

Here's hoping!

Blurry goldfinches

They came about dusk and didn't stay long.

The female is on the upper right side of the picture.

I didn't click fast enough!

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Not a very clear picture, but at least I clicked it before he flew away.

I thought he looked different than the usual sparrows who have discovered the bird feeder.

Found him in my bird book tonight.

Gotcha!

First Harvest and Garden Update

This hawk is a frequent visitor to our back yard.

First harvest: zucchini and squash--what did we expect?

 

The whole garden, looking big and bushy.

I had one small tomato cage that I put a few of the branches through that were covering the walkway on the right-hand side. Next year I need to get cages and use them early on! The tomato plants are so thick that they are kind of holding each other up, but I don't think the tomatoes themselves are going to get ripe as well under all that bushiness.

I need to go through and pinch off the tops so that they have a chance of ripening before frost, at least.

 

Tiny cucumbers.

These would be a good candidate to start from seed here. They grew so fast in Missouri, usually producing and dying off by beginning of August, that I thought nothing of just planting small starts in June.

We may get a few cucumbers before frost, but it could be a close thing.

 

Sunflowers are looking healthy and beautiful, except no blossoms yet.

Bottom terrace, left side.

Cucumber is starting to fill up some space to the front.

Peppers are really struggling. Still just the one plant has any coming on it.

Bottom terrace, middle

Lemon cucumber is filling up the middle back space and coming all the way forward.

I've seen several blossoms on it, but no fruit yet either.

 Mini pumpkin plant is producing several of these cute little numbers.

All off-white, which would make them the "Baby Boo" variety, I believe.

I'll have to double check, but I think these are the ones that made good eating, too.

 This picture was to show how much the squash plants and pumpkin are taking over all available space on the top terrace. I always knew zucchini was a space hog. I'll have to get another picture to prove it, but it has almost taken up the empty space next to it (that would be a half a terrace!)

 More yellow squash coming.

  A little out of order: caged tomatoes, still green!

zukes blossoming freely