Yesterday afternoon, passing the open front door, flashes of blue caught my eye. On the birdbath beneath the now huge fig tree, our family of Eastern bluebirds was cooling off. There were all four, one parent sitting above on the feeder, preening and on the lookout for unwelcome visitors perhaps, the other watching the two youngsters as they splashed about. These pics are not very good, I only had a second to grab the nearest camera and take them through the glass storm door.
Notice my now second crop of figs (Celeste) coming
along - hoping enough ripen to make more jam
before cool weather arrives!
Seeing the bluebirds, who nest and raise young in our birdhouse each Spring, still in the garden and enjoying a bath on a hot late Summer afternoon, raised my hopes that they continue to proliferate. After many years of concern here in North Carolina as their numbers plummeted and they were considered endangered, the building of nesting boxes has been a huge statewide endeavor to entice these beautiful birds back........and thankfully it's working. Lovely handmade wooden bluebird boxes are always for sale at a very reasonable price at our local credit union office.
Note the small oak tree on the right. This has grown from an acorn - probably planted by a dastardly squirrel of course - during the past couple of years and is now about 10 feet tall. We've decided to let it grow to see just how it does, and the birds seem to enjoy it as an additional perching place as they fly by!
What's going on in your late Summer garden? Do you
have many birds visiting, and do you put up feeders
and/or nesting boxes to encourage wildlife?
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That must have been a sweet moment, Mary. Seeing something like that always makes me feel very privileged - blessed for the moment of two.
ReplyDeleteWe see a great many birds here at Pondside because of the water and the many berry bushes and berry-producing trees.
Oh they are adorable! I have not seen many but so glad there is an initiative to proliferate these beauties in NC.
ReplyDeleteM.
How fun to see them with the babies! We have a blue bird nesting box that got a lot of attention this year by the male bird, but the female bird didn't like it's location, so we will be moving it this fall to a new place.
ReplyDeleteI love your new header with those green bottles from Oddfellows.
xo
Penny
Your pictures look good to me even though you took them through the window. Sweet little birds having a bath. I hope they will flourish with the nesting boxes. Have a wonderful weekend. Tammy
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a blue bird! They are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteSmiles, Dottie
Bluebirds...I'm so envious! They didn't return to my yard this year.
ReplyDeleteOh those bluebirds are so special. I never see them here.
ReplyDeleteI thought I saw a humming bird the other day and put out a feeder. Turned out to be a Hawk Moth.
I love bluebirds, too. We had a family in one of our birdhouses this year.
ReplyDeleteToday there were four chickadees at the bird feeder outside my office window. They stayed for quite some time, and seem to be having great fun.
These are sweet pictures of the bluebirds, Mary. I'm sure they've flown toward your warmer climate from here now. I didn't see any this summer but I know they were nesting in bird houses of friends. I still have hummingbirds coming to the feeders. They are late this year. I have a nyjer seed silo and also a sunflower feeder out and there are lots of goldfinches and chickadees around. I really enjoy watching them. Have a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteWonderfully sweet - I'm glad they are making a comeback.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to help preserve these delightful little birds.
ReplyDeleteSlowly we are learning to work with nature by providing safe nesting habitats away from predators.
I have a bird bath on the patio where most of my visitors are common sparrows, blackbirds and starlings - fascinating to watch all the same!
Enjoy your weekend dear Mary.
We will be glued to the television in the morning watching the Americas Cup yachting - go Emirates Team New Zealand!!!!!!!!!
much love
Shane x
Bluebirds are such pretty things. You've captured the moment well. We enjoy watching the hummingbirds in our garden while we eat at the breakfast table. They love the buddleia bush just off the deck.
ReplyDeleteWe've had fog and rain the past few days and my summer garden is slowly fading. The dahlias droop in the rain so I have no compunction in cutting them for the house. Cosmos are still blooming cheerfully, too.