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. |
In the spring, we look forward to the return of some of the residents in the small wood behind our house. They have been away to friendlier climes for several months. We try to maintain a quiet and peaceful neighborhood for them as encouragement for their return.
There are the usual summer residents that hang out on and around this sunflower feeder. The squirrels have learned not to jump on it. It is motorized and will spin them off. I have it hung from a rope and pulley so it is out of reach of deer and raccoons. We enjoy watching and listening to the visitors from the deck above. This is the west side of the house. The trees are tall and provide nice afternoon shade back here.
Stand under the deck and look back the other direction. The view is into the small wood. It drops off into a drainage area with another backyard in the distance on the other side. In the summer, we can't see their house or yard very well because of the leaves.
If you look to the left from under the deck, you see a thistle feeder. Usually it is covered with fully ripened goldfinches in the summer. Today, they must have found another feeder to gather at for their meeting.
This weekend we noticed one of our favorite return visitors on the support above that feeder. He was dressed in mostly black. There were some splashes of white in the black with a mostly white chest. The feature that stood out was the beautiful rosy ascot he wore.
This is the Rose Breasted Grosbeak. The link here from All About Birds will fill in the details if you are unfamiliar with this fellow. We were also treated to the song. Here is a recording.
Some call it a glorified robin song. Whatever you call it, we are happy to see him. Mrs. G. Is back there in the woods, too. She is much more subdued in coloration with a lot of browns. The All About Birds link shows her farther down the page.
What is happening in your backyard? How is the weather for you? How does your garden grow? Tell us about it down below.