The Daily Bucket is a place where we post and exchange our observations about what is happening in the natural world in our neighborhood. Each note about the bugs, buds, and birds around us is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns of nature that are quietly unwinding around us.
Since there was no bucket scheduled today I thought I'd start one by sharing my morning walk around the yard and put in a couple pics I took this morning.
It's a chilly 51 degrees F here in mid Missouri this morning, but the birds don't seem to mind at all. Cardinals, titmice, chickadees, bluebirds, robins and goldfinches are singing up a storm and adding their color to the foliage in the yard.
I took a little walk around the yard just after daybreak hoping to find a new arrival or two but no new birds today so far. I did hear a voice I didn't recognize near the top of a large maple but although I spent so much time looking for it that I ended up with a crook in my neck I never was able to find it hidden in the leaves. And finally, just about the time my neck was telling me I had to stop with the contortions already, it flew away anyway. It was tiny and I got a glimpse of some yellow as it flew off so I'm guessing some kind of warbler but I'll never know. I did see a fairly large group of migrating Blue Jays though, probably around a hundred , flying in a very loose group that strung out for about a half mile. So if any of you more northern folks are missing any blue jays they are on their way.
We had a fairly hard frost a couple nights ago and I hadn't noticed any damage from it until this morning I saw that our grapes took a pretty good hit. It's odd because they seem to be the only thing on the place that was damaged. All the other fruiting plants look fine as do the flowers. Have to wait and see how it affects the grape crop.
This redbud tree is busy putting together the ingredients for next years seedlings.
Our roses seem to be taking all of this roller coaster spring weather right in stride and don't show any ill effects so far.
This particular bush not only has the advantage of sitting next to a south facing wall as it's neighbor in the preceding pic but also happens to sit directly under a window ledge that is a very popular pigeon lounge during the day, so this plant is on a steady drip fertilization program, and it seems to be working.
This bunch doesn't have all the advantages of the first two but it's doing alright too.
These peonies will really brighten this spot up in a short time. They are hard to beat for beauty and color but they just don't last long enough.
This group of Cedar Waxwings stopped for awhile in the front yard just to preen and rest for awhile, and unknowingly brighten up my morning. Mrs. burnt out says it looks like our walnut tree has a fine crop of peaches this year!
We have many different plantings of iris and some have been blooming for quite awhile and others are not quite there yet. A couple of new ones were waiting for me this morning. This lavender one just managed to beat the peonies growing in the same bed.
We have another bed with white ones that have already come and gone this year but this one is off by itself in another spot and it is just now coming on.
And this yellow one is the first to bloom in a whole bed of yellow ones that I got from my mother many years ago.These are special to me and I keep them separate from all the others. They give me the opportunity to say hello to mom whenever I pass near them.
And I'll close with a pic of this shade garden. That little pond will soon be full of grey tree frog eggs if this year is anything like past years. And I know that someone is going to ask me what those yellow flowers are and I can't tell you because I haven't been able to ID them. So if anyone recognizes them please let me know. I found these growing right next to a creek bank a few years ago and brought some home and transplanted them and they've thrived ever since.
I'll be doing some much needed yard work today but will check in from time to time to read and answer comments. In the meantime please tell us what's happening in your neck of the woods today.