What is new today in my beds

This is what is new in my beds this week.  My lilies are about to bloom.  I can't wait!

Today is Fertilizer Fridays/Flaunt your Flower. Thanks to Tootsie Time. You can check out the others here.

Brown-headed Cowbird

This is the first time I have seen a Brown-headed Cowbird at my feeders, therefore I wanted to learn more about them.

The Brown-headed Cowbird has a fascinating approach to raising its young. Females forgo building nests and instead put all their energy into producing eggs, sometimes more than three dozen a summer. These they lay in the nests of other birds, abandoning their young to foster parents, usually at the expense of at least some of the host’s own chicks. Once a Cowbird locates the nest, she usually waits until the host has laid two or more eggs, but before incubation begins. She generally removes one egg or more the day she lays her egg in the nest, or sometimes before. She only lays one egg in a nest. Cowbirds have been known to lay eggs in the nests of some 220 other species. About 20% of these nests are of Eastern Phoebe, 25% of Carolina Wren, and 40% of Song Sparrow nests. Since they raised by other species, they do not learn how to behave like a Cowbird from their forest parents. It appears this information is genetic. Therefore, a Cowbird knows its own song and calls, and recognizes and mates with its own species, despite having never encountered another of its own kind before.

Although I am totally fascinated by these birds, I hope I don’t see them at my feeders again.

Today is Outdoor Wednesday. Please check out these other great blogs at A Southern Daydreamer.

House Finch

We finally received some snow.  With this white background the red of the male House Finch sure stands out.

A House Finch is a slender, sparrow-sized bird around 5 to 5.75 inches long with short, stubby convex bill and square-tipped tail.

House Finches remember where they can find a source of food. Once you attract certain House Finches to your feeder, they will be sure to keep coming back as long as you keep refilling your feeder.

House finches come easily to my feeders for sunflower seeds.  I really enjoy watching them.

A few of my backyard friends

This is a window feeder.  I just love it!

Today is Outdoor Wednesday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Susan at a Southern Daydreamer.

Black-capped Chickadee

These cute little chickadees have been busy first thing in the morning at my feeders. I also have a feeder attached to my window and they just come and eat out of it. It has been so much fun to watch them.



Chickadees can gain as much as 10 percent of their body weight each day and lose it all again during a cold winter night. Chickadees weigh less than one-half of an ounce. Good thing we have had such a mild winter. Temps have been in the 40’s.

 

Today is Outdoor Wednesday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Susan at a Southern Daydreamer.

Double Trouble

Today is Outdoor Wednesday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Susan at a Southern Daydreamer.

Baby House Finches

The nest of the house finch was made in a hanging petunia basket.

My friend, Tami, had a hard time watering this hanging basket. Her sweet nieces just loved the quick peek at the nest.

These babies are about to leave the nest.

Today is Outdoor Wednesday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Susan at a Southern Daydreamer.

Some fun shots taken this week.

Double Columbine

Yellow Columbine

Perennial Geranium

Prairie Smoke

Baby Chickadees

Male Baltimore Oriole

Today is Outdoor Wednesday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Susan at a Southern Daydreamer.

Baltimore Oriole's

 Female Baltimore Oriole

Male Baltimore Oriole

My dad made me this Oriole feeder.  I love it and so do the Oriole's.

Eagles

It was windy and raining when I took these photos, but it is always fun the see the eagles!

Backyard friends

Just a few of the birds that have showed up in my backyard.

Today is Outdoor Wednesday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Susan at a Southern Daydreamer.

Mourning Dove

This is the first Mourning Dove I have seen this Spring.The Mourning Dove is about 12 inches in length, and weighs an average of 4 to 6 ounces. Mourning Doves have perching feet, with three toes forward and one reversed. The legs are short and reddish colored. I had forgotten how red the legs are.

FUN FACT: The Mourning Dove is monogamous and forms strong pair bonds. Mourning Doves often mate for life. If one is killed, the breeding pair is lost.

Dark-eyed Junco

We have had lots of Dark-eyed Juncos in our yard all winter.  I think they they are so hard to photograph, because their eyes just blend in.  The sun was shining yesterday when I took this photo, and I was able to see its eye.

Love the Color

We still have mountains of snow, and it will be a while before I see soil.  I am really excited to see the color of the birds.  The male House Finch is so colorful.

House Finch and Snow Update

The snow is down to 16 1/2".  We are having thunder storms today with high of 37° F.

Tomorrow we are getting snow with the high at 26° F.

 This is the view from my front door.  I am starting to see some soil!

The house finches are back.  This means warmer weather!

It is melting!

 It is down 4" in 2 days.  YEAH!

 Sorry about the poor photo quality,  but I was so excited to see it.

Just a few of my favorite shots of the week

Today is Outdoor Wednesday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Susan at a Southern Daydreamer.

Camouflaged

The female cardinal is my favorite bird. I just love her.  Sometimes she is hard to see, because she is a rusty brown and is easily camouflaged.