Female cardinal on nest

Most often bird nests stay hidden from me until winter when many trees have shed their foliage.  Today, though, I just chanced to see a nest in the little dogwood tree in the backyard.  The tree is one I dug out of the woods many years ago.  I think I planted it two or three times before I was completely satisfied with its location.  It is gratifying to see a nest in a tree that I planted myself.  I thought I could see a bird in the nest.  On closer inspection, I could see a female cardinal.  The give away was the bright beak.  Honestly, in this weather, I think the eggs would hatch even if she didn't sit on the nest, but I guess her instinct is to sit there regardless.

 

I saw her yesterday in the crepe myrtle which is beside the dogwood.  She appeared to be going after a beetle.  Good for her!

I guess she will raise a brood of birds that will grow up to steal my blueberries.  The main thieves of my blueberries are the cardinals and mockingbirds.

Meanwhile, in the front yard, the bluebirds are taking food to the bird box.  I think this is their third brood this year.  I can't imagine how hot it must be inside the birdhouse. 

The brown thrashers sometimes nest in the golden bells and sometimes in the blueberry bushes.  I'm not sure where they nested this year, but I see one frequently bathing in the water dish that sits on the ground under the sycamore.

I'm glad my yard is full of birds.

 



 

Baby sparrow

The birds are busy feeding their young.  The mockingbirds are probably getting a nice diet of blueberries if my diminishing harvest is any indication.  Yesterday, I saw a little bird in the trees in the front yard.  I believe it is a baby chipping sparrow.  It was noisily calling for food, food, food!  It didn't seem to mind me standing around taking pictures.

 

Butter beans

My little experiment with butter beans where I dug up the raspberry briars near the apple tree is starting to produce results.  I think I've only tried to grow butter beans once before, and I don't recall the first attempt being any kind of success at all.  As I mentioned, I cannot eat them, but my husband enjoys them.  Here is the small amount (just over a half cup) I shelled out this evening.  It would certainly have been more if I had waited till the beans were a little more mature.  I'm still on a learning curve there.

 

The vines have many more blooms on them, so hopefully I'll have more opportunity to learn how to pick a ripe bean.  Bending over to pick them sure gave my quads a workout.  A good workout without having to pay a gym membership fee--another bargain.

Topiary on a shoestring

When my son used to take piano lessons in an historic section of town, I would often take a walk while he practiced.  I enjoyed looking at the various landscapes. One house that had a particularly nice landscape had a Chinese juniper topiary in the back yard.  I didn't see any reason why I couldn't do that with a native juniper, Eastern red cedar (which, of course, is a juniper and not a true "cedar"), that had volunteered in the yard.  So that's just what I did. It had been getting a little wild looking lately, so I gave it a "haircut" today.
Before...

 

...and after.

 

A nice accent in the landscape that didn't cost me a dime.

Rescued clematis in bloom

The clematis that I rescued last summer has made it.  The house next door was under foreclosure when a hired lawn service came in and whacked the clematis (which was in bloom at the time!) down to a nubbin.  I dug it up and put it in a pot.

New leaves emerged,

and I overwintered the clematis in a pot by the south end of the house.

 

This past May, I planted the clematis in the ground next to the musk rose from Grandpa's house.

Just last Friday as I was mowing the yard, I saw the first bloom.  I'm delighted.  I guess this must be 'Clematis Jackmanii.'

 

(Caleb's pic)

 

I think I'll give myself a pat on the back.

 

Lots of June bugs this year

In prior years, I remember June bugs being a pest when the figs ripen, but this year I'm seeing more in my blueberries than I remember seeing before.  Yesterday, I collected about a dozen June bugs with the Japanese beetles.

This morning, I collected about a half dozen June bugs at first.  Then I wised up and got a bucket of water to catch them in.  I got at least 30 more June bugs from my blueberry bushes.  There were even more that I noticed as I picked the blueberries; I guess I will get some of them tomorrow. The chickens next door are  enjoying their daily rations.

Beetle battle continues

I definitely spoke too soon when I said the battle with the Japanese beetles was waning.  I know it will end soon, but right now it's still going strong.
Here are the beetles  I collected Saturday morning to give to my neighbor's chickens.

I collected quite a few Saturday evening too. There were lots this morning, yesterday morning, and Monday morning.  The beet(le) goes on.