Flutter By

I was setting some plants in my flower garden when a beautiful butterfly 

decided to check out some nearby blooms...

Spicebush Swallowtail

Courting at the Bird Feeders

This pair of courting Northern Cardinals were at the bird feeder this morning and were feeding each other sunflower seeds.  I noticed the male left the female a couple of times, but returned within a few seconds with seeds from another feeder which he then gave her.  Their bonding behavior is normal during breeding season.  It's such a sweet thing to watch :) 

Love, sweet love

Wildflowers

A few of the wild flowers growing in our back yard

this spring...

A couple of thistles were nearly as tall as me!  

I can't imagine falling into one of these prickly plants, OUCH!

March Photos of Cardinals

During the early days of Spring, our Cleveland Pear tree bears its beautiful white blooms.  When they begin to fade, the Cardinals will sometimes eat what's left.  They seem to love it.  

The males are brilliantly red right now.  I've noticed the past couple of weeks that the Cardinals have all been sparring quite a bit.  Maybe it's because nesting season is near and they're trying to find mates and establish territorial boundaries.  Whatever the reasons, they're very active these days-  constantly chasing each other through the trees and being more dominant than usual at the bird feeders.  Grumpy birds.  

Female Downy Woodpecker

I don't often have the pleasure of seeing a Downy Woodpecker in our yard,

but I got lucky a couple of days ago...

She stayed on the Mimosa tree trunk for several minutes, pecking around for insects.  

Such a cute little beauty.

Wren Couple Returns

I had the pleasure of watching a pair of Carolina Wrens prepare their nest in one of the birdhouses yesterday. They raised a brood in the same birdhouse about this time last year. There's a brand new birdhouse in our back yard but they chose the old one. I call it a bird "townhouse", and they chose the most dilapidated house. I figure maybe it's because the cracks on the side allow for more ventilation. I don't know. We are all creatures of habit, aren't we? I watched them for about an hour or so, flying back and forth, gathering sticks and leaves to cushion and protect their forthcoming eggs. They worked as a team. Sometimes Dad wren would take a break and perch on top during which time he'd sing. It's incredible to hear such a loud song coming from this tiny bird.

The last photo is NOT a Carolina Wren.  It's a Chipping Sparrow that decided to check out the activity going on at the bird townhouse.  He didn't seem all that impressed so he didn't hang around for long.