Yesterday as I was out walking in my yard....I heard the wonderful song of the Wren. I sat awhile and watched the little bird flit from house to house in the woods. I've seen her do this before....never quite knowing which house she will choose until moving in day. They are such busy little birds and I love to watch them. They can be a bit aggressive...pulling out the nesting material of another bird, who has just started moving in. They love a clean house and not many neighbors.
Back up at the house, a flash of bright orange flew by. I knew right away what it was. Joe saw the first Oriole just yesterday while eating a meal at the table in the breakfast nook. I had put the feeder out earlier, but it was empty. The Oriole pair just gave me a look as if to say, "Would you get this cup full of grape jelly?" Joe made Oriole feeders before they were selling in the stores. A little souffle cup is in the center of the little house like shape. Now, many birds have decided to eat from this feeder. The Sparrows love a sugary treat. The Blackbirds make a visit occasionally...although they don't like to eat at a feeder with a cover over their heads. They like to be out in the open....so they can watch everything. Even the squirrel comes to get a treat.....so I buy a lot of grape jelly in a year's time.The Orioles always give me warning that their feeder is empty. A pretty call and they fly away. I think that they are out in the woods, high in the trees, watching to see when it is filled, because it isn't long before they are back to eat.
Today is a little cloudy with sun just peeking through. I plan to go and find the plants I need for my stack and grow, the large planter in front, and maybe a few herbs. I hope it doesn't rain. We went to Mass last night, so I can get an early start. I'll be back to show you what I bought.
Balisha
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I feel like you are a neighbor of mine. We seem to be doing the same thing at the same time, but...I can't buy any annuals yet--just too chilly. Sun today and only in the 50's. I would like to "walk over" and sit with you and see the birds and discuss the gardens!
ReplyDeleteI love the little wrens. I haven't seen any orioles around here. I have seen them a bit northwest of here, near the Mississippi River. Last year I made the mistake of hanging my hummingbird feeder near the front porch. The next morning I discovered that something had been there, I don't think hummingbirds, and made the biggest sugary syrup mess splashed everywhere. Door, porch, nearby plants, and then the ants ensued. I took down the hummingbird feeder and this year I planted another bed of zinnias for my hummingbirds, so I can have some cut zinnias inside the house. I let the zinnias and finches have all but a very few of them last year.
ReplyDeleteWe had the same sticky mess and a downed feeder last year. Come to find out, it was a raccoon who was drinking from the feeder at night.
ReplyDeleteI did not know this about grape jelly!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile I bought california strawberries on sale the other day. Why I bother, who knows. No scent, and even crunchy when you cut into them. Well I sliced them up and sugared them and figured that in a day or two they'd at least have some taste and juice. I saved the tops...with some fruit left on them, and put them out on the squirrel feeder and on the ground by the cracked corn. Not one bird or squirrel was the least bit interested in these out of season berries from California :)
My wrens stopped coming around every day...only sporadically now...busy building their families, I guess. I loved your Oriole photo...I don't see them here / not yet anyway