More Blooms From the Gardens

A few of the many blooms I've enjoyed this year...

First Angel Trumpet Blooms

My Aunt Joyce surprised me with a truckload of newly propagated Angel Trumpet trees.  She had them unloaded and lined up in my front yard before I knew what was going on.  I was all the more grateful for these passed down treasures from her collection of pink and yellow trumpets.  

For the time being, they're lined along my back porch in full sun and doing well.  The first pink blooms appeared a few days ago...

I love the way the long blooms dangle from the branches and sway in the breeze.  I'm looking forward to seeing these beauties grow into mature trees.

Male Eastern Towhee

An Eastern Towhee couple have been among the frequent visitors to our back yard this summer.  I had a great opportunity to take a few shots of the male the other day when the weather was clear and skies a little overcast.  His striking orange eyes nearly match his orange "vest"...

Hope you have a wonderful Friday!

So What If It's Raining?

Said the back yard birds...

Tuesday was the first time I'd seen fledgling bluebirds in our yard.

Three more bluebirds

Perhaps they were looking for worms.

I should put some meal worms out for them.

These two were huddled together during a break in the rain.

Aren't they cute?

Shake it off!

Here Comes the Rain Again...

A young cardinal gets a taste of wet suet from its mama.

I doubt there were any dry spots to be found that day

Tiger Lilies

I've admired the gorgeous tiger lilies which have recently bloomed in my garden. I planted these from tuberous roots last spring and they produced a few blooms on about 3 ft stems. This year, the stems reached approximately 4 feet tall and produced several beautiful, large blooms. Aren't they pretty?

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Kentucky Warbler

A sudden flash of yellow appeared from the tall oak tree near my back porch.  It streaked across the yard and disappeared in the green leaves of the Cleveland pear tree.  My eyes held fast to the tree, waiting for the presumed bird to reappear.  Rarely do I see a yellow bird in my yard during summer so I was quite curious about this one.  With my camera and super zoom lens ready for action, I waited...and waited.  Several minutes passed with no sighting.

A bit later I returned to my usual bird watching spot on the back porch.  Several cardinals and blue jays were at the feeders and on the ground below.  I sat straight up when that flash of yellow again appeared from the green leaves of the pear tree.  I hurriedly snapped several shots of the small jewel while given the chance.  For only seconds, the little visitor curiously watched other birds at the feeders directly below,  It quickly twisted and turned on the branch as it glanced back and forth, up and down.  Then, it was gone.  Just like that.  

Anxious to find out what species of bird it was, I was soon on my computer doing an online search. It didn't take long to convince me that this is a Kentucky Warbler.  A check with one of my bird enthusiast friends confirmed my guess, and stated it appeared to be a female. A couple of defining characteristics of this warbler species is the definitive yellow eyebrow and dark sideburns.   

The Kentucky Warbler breeds from southern Iowa and eastern Kansas east to New Jersey, and south from eastern Texas to Georgia. It spends winters in the tropics from central Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula south. During migration, it may be recorded farther west. Preferred habitats include low, moist, rich woodlands with luxuriant undergrowth.

Maybe I'll get lucky and see a little more of her.  I'll be looking!

The Juvenile Cardinals Have Arrived!

While recuperating from back surgery done last week, I've been sitting on my back porch a few minutes each day, observing the newcomers. I've been expecting them and knew they would arrive sooner or later. 

I've observed several juvenile cardinals at the bird feeders.  One group of them appear older than the others.  Additionally, it appears there are more females than males; however, it's not uncommon to err at this young age because immature males may be mistaken for females.  

Juveniles are fun to watch- their flight skills need further development and they're sometimes clumsy. They also fight frequently over the feeders- they don't like to share.  

They remind me of human behavior observed in own our children and grandchildren.  

Thank you for dropping in.  Have a beautiful Sunday!