GBBD: Counting Birds, Not Blooms

Today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, the day each month when gardeners from all over share whatever blooms they have, whether outdoors or indoors.  I had hoped after my paltry offering last month that I would finally have something to share today, but the anticipation I've felt the last couple of weeks has turned into disappointment.  Let's take a look, shall we?

From Jan. 21 to Feb. 4 to Feb. 14

It took awhile for my amaryllis bulb to show any signs of growth, but once it did, it quickly took off. But as you can see, the leaves are tall and glossy, but absolutely no sign of a flower stalk!  This isn't the first time this has happened to me; I wouldn't have been surprised if my older bulbs had done this because they've been pretty neglected, but this was a new bulb purchased this winter.  Looks like I need to go back to my local amaryllis expert to see what I did wrong this time.

My Kalanchoe has a few tiny blooms, and my Christmas cactus is budding up again.  But what I'm really interested in this week is not indoors, but outside:

This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count, a project sponsored each February by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society to collect data on wild birds across the world. With the snow cover we've had this winter, there has been no shortage of birds to count in my yard.

You don't have to be a birding expert to participate: the website has links to sites for bird i.d. help, including the one at Cornell, which is excellent.  I certainly don't know much about birds, but I have no trouble recognizing our state bird and my personal favorite, the cardinal, who has been a frequent visitor at the feeders.

Nor do I have any trouble recognizing the less flamboyant, but just as lovely, female cardinal. But what is that little bird to her left?   When I'm not sure, I turn to my well-worn copy of  Birds of Illinois Field Guide by Stan Tekiela.  Flipping through the pages, I'm pretty sure this is a goldfinch.  Not long ago, I discovered that the goldfinch, so easy to spot by its bright yellow body in the summer, turns to a dull brown in the winter.

A frequent visitor here every winter is the Downy Woodpecker, who particularly enjoys the suet feeders.  I've learned that little red spot on his head means he's a male, which means I have at least a pair here, because I've also seen one without the red spot, a female. The most common bird I've seen is the dark-eyed Junco, including the one perched atop the feeder here.There are so many of them, usually foraging on the ground, that I'm not sure--did I count that one already??

A less common sight is the Red-bellied Woodpecker.  I took this photo a week ago, so unless I see him again this weekend, unfortunately, he won't make the count.

You don't even have to step outside to participate in the GBBC, if you don't want to.  All the photos here were taken through my large living room window (badly in need of cleaning, I might add).  To make viewing from indoors even easier, I added a new feeder this year that attaches to the window with suction cups to replace an old one that broke.  The only problem I've found with this feeder is that  it doesn't have much of a perch, so the larger birds have trouble using it.  But maybe that's a good thing--it's been popular with the small birds, like this Tufted Titmouse.  Look at those little feet!

The small birds like the Titmouse and the Chickadees aren't the only ones who appreciate this feeder. Toby and the rest of the furry inhabitants of our household have been enjoying the close-up version of bird television, too.

Watching the birds at the feeders makes counting easier, but I also survey the trees for any others too shy to come closer.  Oops, I don't think this guy is going to make the count:)

Refilling the bird feeders has become a daily routine this winter--lots of hungry birds in this cold!  The Bluejays may have a reputation of being bullies, but I think they're beautiful, and I'll keep putting out more food to keep them and everyone else accomodated.

The Great Backyard Bird Count runs through this Monday, February 17, so you still have time to participate, if you wish.  You can spend as much time as you want counting birds over the weekend or as little as 15 minutes.  All the information collected will help scientists determine what is happening with bird populations.  It's a great activity to share with kids, too, as I've done in the past with my grandkids.  And in case any of you think I have digressed from the original topic here, I leave you with this image of a White-breasted Nuthatch--a photo of a bird and some blooms.

To see more of what's in bloom around the world, visit our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who always has something to share even if her garden is also covered in snow.

Monday Miscellany

A few weeks ago, Monica the Garden Faerie posted her first "Mish Mash Monday" post, and I liked the idea so well that I decided to join in today. I've changed the name slightly for my post to avoid any issues of copyright infringement:) Besides, I would have had to add an extra M word--"Mush"--to describe the state of my brain at the moment. Two weeks of fighting a virus and bronchitis have led to sleep deprivation, thus the mushy brain. I finally broke down and went to the doctor on Friday who gave me some medications which don't seem to be helping much. But she did reassure me that everyone who has come down with this virus and nasty cough lately has gotten over it in six weeks . . . Argh!!





But enough of my complaining. A week ago Beckie and I took a day off for some serious plant shopping, including a visit to the local Herb Society's plant sale. Our shopping expeditions and garden touring have been limited this spring, so it was fun to finally be able to find a day that fit both our schedules. This was the first time we had ever attended this event, and though neither of us grow many herbs, we both walked away with a few new purchases. I did buy some chives, but otherwise my choices were more for scent and appearance rather than cooking, such as the lemon verbena and pineapple sage I purchased.

At the same place as the herb sale, the local Hosta Society and the Prairie Plant Preservation Society were also holding a sale. All three vendors had lots of volunteers staffing them, which was great because they were more than willing to answer any questions we had about particular plants. I couldn't resist buying another hosta, of course, but I was especially intrigued by the Prairie Plant selections. All plants were clearly labelled, with large labels showing their appearance at maturity and some relevant facts about each. I was hoping to find a true prairie coneflower, but they weren't available on this day. However, I did manage to take home several other plants, including a New England aster pictured above, more butterfly weeds, an Obedient plant (which I might regret later), some Joe-Pye weed, and a spindly stalk of grass-looking plant, which the volunteer assured me would grow into a beautiful Blazing Star. If they all survive in my garden, I'll be sure to feature each in full bloom later in the season.

Outside, one of the first Farmers' Markets of the season was also being held. It was still too early in the season to find fresh fruits and vegetables, but lots of other vendors made for some interesting "window shopping." We checked out these whimsical metal garden ornaments, but they were rather pricey. Besides, there wouldn't have been room in my trunk for one after our plant purchases that morning in addition to the plants bought later at our favorite garden center.

Several of you commented after I showed a photo of my plant-filled car trunk last week that I certainly had my work cut out for me. I hate to tell you, but that trunk full was just one of several this spring. I have been buying lots of annuals for containers and a few new perennials, and I've also been buying some plants for my son and daughter-in-law to help them spruce up their landscaping.

All of this buying has resulted in what Marnie cleverly called a "pot ghetto" in front of my garage door. Nobody will be putting their car in the garage any time soon:) Part of the problem has been all the rain we have had which has kept me from being able to plant anything for some time. But that's a story for another day . . . think ABC . . . "R." In the meantime I've been trying to fill up containers; Tarzan will soon have to find another spot for his naps.

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After a little over a year of blogging, you would think I would have this blogging business down pat. I just figured out last week that I can actually move my pictures around on a post after uploading them! At the same time, I still haven't figured out the spacing issues here--Blogger seems to have a mind of its own on that. Another plus--after being unable to leave comments on certain blogs, I discovered it had something to do with my internet browser. Now I open Firefox instead of Explorer, and I have no problems. That brainstorm only took about 6 months to figure out:) And finally today, I figured out why my photo never showed up on anyone's "Followers" list--I had marked the "anonymous" following when I added most people to my "Blogs I Follow" list. So if you suddenly notice my photo as one of your followers, that's why. And if you don't see me, don't feel slighted . . . I did this one dreary day in February when I was bored, but I never got everyone uploaded on that list.

I told you my brain had turned to mush . . .

I have to show you this photo above even though the quality is terrible. My husband took it--a first--one day while I was occupied elsewhere. Sitting in the easy chair in the living room, he was watching a pair of cardinals on the suet feeder and quickly grabbed my camera. Once he figured out how to turn on the power, he started snapping away, getting this photo of the male feeding the female a piece of sunflower seed. I think cardinals are my favorite bird of all, not because they're so common here or because they are our state bird, but because of the loving behavior they show each other. Now that I've shown my husband where the zoom button is, maybe he can get a better photo next time:)

My five-year-old granddaughter commented one day while visiting, "Grandma, the birds like your yard much better than ours." I explained to my little nature lover that it probably had to do with all our trees, especially since they live in a new, virtually tree-less subdivision. I only wish she had been here the day I found this little guy on the ground. Well, actually, I didn't find him . . .

. . . Coconut did. Coconut was very concerned about this little creature, and together we managed to snare it in a butterfly net. I put it up on a tree branch, and it promptly flew off to the ground once again. I don't think it was injured in anyway; it just hadn't yet mastered high altitude flying. I realized afterwards it was probably a starling, those black bullies that I wish would leave our yard, but still I couldn't just leave it alone. Thank goodness none of the cats were out that day nor Sophie, whose curiosity is less gentle than Coconut's.

Thanks for following all my meandering thoughts this morning. I'm happy to report the sun is out this morning, and the forecast doesn't hold a drop of rain in it for the week! Maybe some of those homeless plants will finally get planted. Wishing everyone a good week in the garden!

This is for the Birds!

Have you ever wondered how this expression came about? I know I have used this comment frequently to express frustration and disgust, particularly in my teaching days. "This is for the birds!" was usually in reference to some state mandate or a project by an inept administrator requiring a mound of useless paperwork that somehow was supposed to improve student learning. But why would we compare something distasteful to birds? What have our feathered friends ever done to deserve such derogatory comments?

I know that you, my fellow bloggers, are all bird lovers, some to the point that you can identify the long-tailed whippersnapper or the orange-breasted grosamacallit, and some of you are photographers extraordinaire, posting amazing close-ups of a variety of birds in your posts. I am neither--I can't identify anything other than the most common species, and my camera doesn't have much zoom capability to capture them at close range--but I do enjoy watching the birds that flock to my yard and garden. And so, I ask you, in the true spirit of political correctness, to join with me in abolishing all negative epithets regarding birds, including "for the birds" or "birdbrain." I plan to eliminate all such expressions from my vocabulary, and I hope you will urge others to do the same. It's time we accord our avian friends the same respect and basic rights that we give to all other species, regardless of race, color, creed, or sexual preference.


In all seriousness, now that my garden is no longer blooming, the birds are providing me with much enjoyment. I wish I could identify the different species that have been visiting lately, but I do recognize the robins, sparrows, finches, cardinals, crows, starlings, and bluejays. There won't be any wonderful photos of them here, because of the aforementioned camera inadequacies, so unfortunately I can't ask for your help in identifying them either. And without photos you'll just have to trust me when I say I also saw a red-headed woodpecker the other day. (No, his name wasn't Woody, for those of you old enough to recognize that reference.)


The goldfinches have been residents here all summer long, and recently returned after what must have been a short vacation. They entertained me the other morning as they jockeyed for position on the finch feeder. Two of them even engaged in feather to feather combat in midair--I would have given anything to have my camera with me then! I'm not sure what they were fighting over, but I suspect it had something to do with territorial rights.

Besides the thistle seed in the feeder itself, the finches also enjoy the seedheads of the coneflower. This year I have decided to leave the dried flowers as they are. I'm not going to worry what passersby think of my roadside garden; the birds are enjoying it, and that's all that matters.

The cardinals have also kept me entertained, which gives me an excuse to show off my burning bushes again. They reached their peak of color in late September and kept this blazing red color for a month.

In the spring and early summer I am pretty sure a pair of cardinals had a nest here, because every time I worked in this flowerbed, a male would fly about, constantly scolding me. I tried to reassure him that I would work quietly and not disturb his family, but he kept a wary eye on me the whole time I was there.

Now the young ones have grown and moved away. The bushes, no longer needed to hide a nest of fledglings, have shed their leaves, creating a gorgeous red carpet on the ground.

But they will continue their usefulness to the birds by providing hundreds of berries for the winter.

By far the favorite attraction for the birds this fall, though, has been this flowering crabapple tree. Now completely denuded of its leaves, you can see the wealth of berries it holds.

This tree is situated directly in front of the porch swing, so that I have the perfect vantage point for bird-watching. In the time it takes me to drink my morning coffee, I can see 30 or more birds of different species settle in for a quick early-morning treat.

Yesterday morning I spied a pair of these little birds in the tree. I have no idea what type of bird they are . . . let's try to move in a little closer to see if we can get a better view.

Sorry, this is as close as I could get. When I first saw the flash of orange at their throat, I thought they were robins, but a closer inspection reveals they're not. Can anyone identify these little birds for me?

Here are two I can identify, though. If you click to enlarge this and look very closely, you will see a robin on the right and a cardinal to the left. I took several shots of the cardinal, but this was the best I could get--he just blended into the red berries in all the other photos. I really wish I could take good close-ups of the birds, but that would involve buying a new camera, and I'm not ready to spend money on a new one when mine is less than a year old. I do try to get as close as I can to the birds, but no matter how stealthily I approach them, they seem to notice the woman in the bright red jacket, camera in hand. And it doesn't help that my constant canine companion, Coconut, likes to run ahead of me to get in on the action.

And so I settle for these far-away photos and try not to disturb the birds too much. By the way, I am not doing an ABC Wednesday post tomorrow. The letter this week is R, so perhaps I could have included this fat Robin enjoying the view.

In September and early October I spent a great deal of time picking apples and preserving them for the winter. Climbing up and down a ladder causes very painful knees, so I decided just to pick the apples from the lowest branches and wait for the others to fall to the ground. Each day I collected the fallen apples before they could spoil, but time and the weather kept me from finishing the job. I noticed the other day that someone appreciated my neglect.

I guess I've unknowingly provided another treat for the birds this fall. Now I don't feel so guilty about not using up all those apples.

I'm going to continue to look out for my feathered friends this winter. I've asked for a new bird feeder for Christmas, but I may not wait to see if Santa brings me one. The long winter seems like the perfect time to check out some birding books to begin to learn the names of some of my visitors. And there's even a website I found with bird calls to help in identifying them. From now on, when you hear me say, "This is for the birds," I will be referring to apples or sunflower seeds or other treats. After all, birds have rights, too.