Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Life around the bird feeder

I think this is a mourning dove 
First of all a big thank you for all your comments on my latest drawings for class, both here on the blog and on Facebook. It is all so much more fun because I get to show you and get your feedback! 
I am sitting on the back porch with the laptop writing this. We got a fan for out here to give us a little breeze and keep the mosquitoes away. It seems to be working, which means I'll get to spend much more time outside this summer (at least in the mornings) than in previous years!
One of the four cardinal babies frequenting our backyard
Our backyard is relatively small, and with eight big and healthy trees it is very shady. Throughout the last few years, Daniel has created a beautiful woodsy garden with oak leaf hydrangeas, many types of ferns, cast iron plants, bamboo, Japanese arelia and other plants that love shade and very sandy soil.
And - over the years, our garden has become filled with wildlife - toads, glass lizards, many kinds of birds, opossums and even raccoons on some nights.
A house finch
Right now, the chickadees and cardinals are showing up with their entire families. The babies will sit in the trees or on the fence and wait for mom or dad to feed them - so much fun to watch!
A very frequent visitor - the red-bellied woodpecker (female)
The red-bellied woodpeckers have a nest in our neighbor's tree and are busy, busy, busy with providing food for their young.
Aren't they beautiful birds?!
And here's the male red-bellied woodpecker

And then there are the squirrels. We feed them corn in a separate feeder, but they also love the bird seed. We don't mind and really like that "our" squirrels looks incredibly healthy with a shiny coat and bushy tail!
Coexisting with the many squirrels...
That's the news from our backyard this morning. I hope you are all having a great Tuesday!

I'm off to visit a few of your blogs now, something I have sorely neglected and missed in recent weeks...

14 comments:

  1. Love all the photos Silke, especially the one of the squirrel and the woodpecker (who just doesn't look sure he wants to share that tree!).
    You have a beautiful habitat for all the birds and animals~~~sounds lovely!
    Thanks for a wonderful post!

    XXOO~~
    Anne....not blog post up...and two blogs visited...

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  2. I love looking at your bird photos-especially that sweet baby cardinal!!

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  3. Wonderful photos, Silke. Your back yard sounds like a secret garden filled with beauty and peace. Isn't it nice to have somewhere soothing to go to relax and enjoy nature? Enjoy!

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  4. What a great idea to put a fan on the deck! I will have to try that for our little courtyard...

    Love the bird photos, your back yard sounds dreamy!
    Smooches, my friend!

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  5. Awwwww! Look at all of the pretty birds!!! The woodpeckers especially! Sounds like you're enjoying your garden almost as much as my hubby! :-) I don't like being outside with too much heat, pollen, and mosquitoes! You guys can have it!! Give me a beautiful view from my window and air conditioning any day!! :-]

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  6. Liebe Silke,
    ihr habt so viele schöne Vögel bei euch. Ich weiß wie schwer es ist, diese Momente einzufangen. Das ist dir echt gelungen.
    LG Sabine

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  7. Hello dearest Silke! I'm taking a tour of blogland too! Thanks so much for your lovely comment this morning. Those pretty birds! I so love to look at the different species and colours...such a contrast to ours which are no less beautiful (maybe less colourful!) Only the squirrels are the same! Of course that's because they were brought here from North America...I always forget that! Thanks for this visit to your lovely garden & love to you this week xoxo Rachel

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  8. Das ist ja wie im Paradies. Tolle Bilder. Ich freue mich, dass dir mein Küchenblog gefällt.

    GGLG Anne

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  9. La nature est une belle leçon de vie... J'apprécie beaucoup l'ensemble de vos photos...
    gros bisous

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  10. Liebe Silke
    Das sind ja wirklich traumhaft schöne Bilder! Vögel wie aus dem Bilderbuch....
    Vielen Dank auch für Deinen lieben Besuch auf meinem Blog.
    Herzlichste Grüsse aus der Schweiz sendet Dir Yvonne

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  11. wow! i could sit out there all day with you silke! how lovely you and daniel have made such a sanctuary for the animal and birdlife. this is so special, enjoy!

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  12. That's the best thing about sitting outside...enjoying the birds and listening to their beautiful songs!

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  13. These photos are so fabulous! I especially love the woodpecker. Thanks for sharing!!! :)

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