Springtime, when the Goldfinches take over

I've never seen so many Goldfinches! We usually just call them yellow birds or peeps. Catch a glimpse of one in a cedar tree. From a distance they look just like marshmallow peeps, so popular at Easter. 

Yesterday was a spectacular day--one of the few perfect days--this spring. I wasn't the only one enjoying the day, as these Goldfinches partook of an abundance of sunflower seeds in our feeders. They perched on bird feeders, on the rungs of a nearby tomato cage we are using to protect a newly-planted baby crab apple tree. They frolicked in birdbaths, and even foraged on the ground. It was amazing. When they weren't feasting, they were chirping in the trees, drowning out a distant lawn mower. What a total delight to watch and hear these whimsical little birds take over our front yard!

Birds just wanna have fun!

My husband thought I was crazy when I had to have this concrete bird bath top at a yard sale. It didn't have a pedestal, but we have tons of old tree stumps around the yard. This is a perfect place for avian recreation--but don't take my word for it. Check out a typical morning--just after I water what is left of the garden and fill the bird baths. Yes, the weather is still hot! We continue to miss out on rain showers all around us. There is still joy in the little things. At least the birds are happy!

Water trumps food for birds

Despite the last few days being unseasonably warm, I've spent this spring  enjoying the front porch during the early morning hours.

Even before my eyes are fully ready to view the world, I amble to the kitchen, grab what I hope is a clean, empty, cup, and aim the coffee carafe toward it. My aim is pretty good, so I usually don't pour too much coffee onto the counter. Before heading out, I add a little cream and sugar because that's how I like it. Still in my pajamas, I position myself onto my favorite chair--a wicker rocking chair. Only then do I take that first sip. 

From then on, it is just pure enjoyment as I watch all my feathered friends going about their busy routines. It is so nice to move vicariously through them as I sit perfectly content and relaxed watching their frenzied behavior.


This little tufted titmouse had a great time enjoying the bird bath. 

There have been many more birds this spring. There are more than normal woodpeckers, blue jays, which never came into the yard, let alone to the feeders. Then there are the regulars; chickadees, cardinals, doves, nuthatches, indigo buntings, etc. This year, even the crows are eating at the feeders. What a site; they are just huge.

With the warm weather, the birds have been particularly fond of the three bird baths we have strategically placed in the front yard. In fact, I think the water was almost more of a draw for them than the bird feeders we painstakingly fill nearly every day.

For me, this is not just a study of avian behavior, but also one of human contentment.

Watch Great Blue Heron nesting

cornellherons on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Is this not the greatest thing? 

One of my favorite birds in all the world is the Great Blue Heron. Now, thanks to the Cornell  Lab of Ornathology, you can watch live as a Great Blue Heron--either the male or the female--sits on her nest. This is live streaming. The nest contains five eggs presently. They are due to hatch sometime at the end of this month. 

Hail to science; and hail to technology. 

Weather extremes days apart

What a difference a few days can make. 

Some of my favorite little birds--the Juncos--seemed to really enjoy the snow we received on February 14. The more they ate, the more energy they seemed to have, as they hurried from one place to another in a frantic attempt to find food.

Every now and then, they would take a break. My camera caught one of them doing just that, as he sat still on a dormant magnolia tree before taking off again. Perhaps he realized that it was easy to find food here, since the humans who inhabit this part of the forest always keep several feeders full during inclement weather.

See how they scurry beneath a feeder during the only real measurable snow we had this winter?
The picture shows how dark it was during the height of the snow storm that dumped about three inches.

I just love those dark, moody days!


I had forgotten these pictures were even in my camera until I aimed my lens once again toward the front bird feeder to capture a shot of this happy Cardinal  perched leisurely near his food source.

That was just nine days later--February 23. The temperature was a balmy 75º outside.

Not only was the weather different, but so was the mood in the bird community. The frenzied feeding from a few days earlier gave way to a more relaxed mealtime.

I shared a similar mood. Both of us were perched in our respective places--just enjoying the day. We both enjoyed the weather and promise of the soon-to-be spring.

Such weather extremes, just nine days apart, are common, here in the Ozarks. Personally, I love it. I was just as content to watch the snow fall from the chair in front of my sewing machine as I was to enjoy the warm breezes that swirled around my wicker rocker on  the front porch.

The name of the game is peace. I suppose it is an earned reward, acquired simply by living through the rigors of working and raising a family. Whatever the reason, I like it!