We have always had birds in our backyard of course, but this summer we have had a wider variety and closer encounters than in the past.
My hubby, Lee, put the birdfeeders closer to the house and keeps them filled and the birds happy. Well not just the birds…
So yes, we have these bushy-tailed guys stealing our birdies’ food every chance they get, but we also have lots of our feathered friends.
The red wing blackbird
Photography by Lee Bostic
The red wing blackbird is one of my new favorites. This guy is one of the most abundant and widely distributed birds in North America and is easily recognized by its black body with a conical red shoulder patch surrounded by yellow in most species. He is quite vocal, and I love his voice.
The bluebird
Photography by Lee Bostic
One of almost everyone’s favorites is the bluebird. They prefer platformed birdfeeders containing mealworms, but we have enjoyed this beautiful visitor who stops by our feeders from time to time.
The downy woodpecker
Photography by Lee Bostic
Photography by Lee Bostic
My husband captured these pictures of a female and a male downy woodpecker. I had never seen this smallest of the woodpeckers before–well I am a city-girl after all–until Lee put this feeder in our yard. I love watching them.
The Cardinal
It’s so pleasant to look up from my writing and see the bright red cardinal, too. His lady friend, though more subdued, is also lovely. Did you know that the colonists named this a cardinal because the red crest reminded them of the Catholic cardinal’s biretta?
There are times when I try very hard to keep my attention on my writing, but then all of a sudden…
I am convinced I’m keeping my neighbors entertained with my squirrel chasing, but what can I say? They can be real little squirrel pigs! And apparently, the word is out because they’re coming in groups now. So I make frequent visits to the door… or out to the deck… or sometimes all the way out in the yard to shoo them away. They no longer scamper away as soon as they see me. As a matter of fact, they sometimes give me a look that says,
“Seriously lady, if you don’t want us to eat it, then why’d you put it here?”
But at this rate, in a few more months he and his friends will probably look like this…
And I don’t want to be responsible for an increase in obesity among the squirrel population. So I’ll continue in my role as “The Squirrel Chaser” to try to give our birds more opportunities to eat and to pose for my photographer husband and me.
What kind of entertainment are you finding in your backyard this summer? I’d love to hear about it.
The Writings of G. K. Bostic 