Nature

[movie zombie]

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i've created a bit of a bird "sancturary" in my garden with bird baths, feeders, plants, etc. we've got at least 13 different types of birds that come in and take advantage of it.

periodically we find a dead pidgeon. i've seen a hawk sit on the fence and not be that anxious to leave despite my insistence it do so.
however, this morning was the first time i saw a hawk fly over the 7 foot fence with a pidgeon in its talons! barely cleared the fence.

sort of sad but everything has to eat.

food chain in action.....sigh.

 

[iLander]

It's sad, but it's necessary.

I'd love to see a picture! I think it's awesome to have birds come through. I had some Bluebirds this year, first time I've ever seen them in my whole life, and I was touched and thrilled. They stayed for 4 days. It's a memory I'll treasure.

Did you know you could have your yard certified by the National Wildlife Federation? I did it for our yard, and you get a nifty little sign for the yard. It helps your guests realize that even their own yard can have an environmental impact (something you already know)

Here's the links: http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Outdoor-Activities/Garden-for-Wildlife/Certify-Your-Wildlife-Garden.aspx

http://www.nwf.org/CertifiedWildlifeHabitat/UserAccount/SignIn

I had fun doing it, and it explains to the neighbors why I don't mow down all (nesting areas) of our green stuff. I have primarily native plants (alternating with fruit trees) with tons of bird berries, etc. It aggravates me that the birds don't seem to know a couple of my bushes are edible!

Yup, you're a lucky lady to have all those birds, Mozo.

 

[Okie_girl]

I have mostly pidgeons, sparrows, blue jays and cardinals. On occasion I've seen what I think is a sharp shinned hawk lurking around the sparrows. I did see it grab a sparrow, hold it down for a few moments, then fly away with the sparrow in its talons. Unsettling for sure, but somehow, oddly fascinating.

Only twice in my life have I seen birds that took my breath away. A bluebird one time, and the other, an indigo bunting. I still remember the feeling of seeing those beautiful creatures!

The fellows below are regular visitors to my house. I've lived in this house for 10 years now, and the first summer, two mallard ducks appeared. Edna and Drake, I called them. For 10 summers now Edna and Drake, their children, and now probably their grand- or great-grandchildren have shown up for breakfast.

 

[Haven]

Wow! I think that's kind of cool.

Our yard abuts a red winged blackbird sanctuary, so we get a ton of different birdies back there. My three little kitties love to sit at the screen door and chirp at the birds all day long. Some of them are really gorgeous. There's a bike path that winds through the sanctuary, and we spend a lot of time on it. (We have a gate in the back fence of our yard so we can just go right through it into the sanctuary and onto the path.) I love having so much wildlife nearby. (We live in a suburb, so it's not all that normal around here.)

ETA: My favorite thing is that we have owls! Maybe it's just one, but we'll often hear him at night, and see him up in one of the trees. So cool!

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Some might know my fear of the feathered beasts, but, they are a necessary "evil." Our garden season here has been quite extended due to an abnormal winter/spring and that means an extended bug season. In an effort to help curb bugs more naturally, we put out a feeder for the disgusting dirty flying things.

Don't get me wrong, birds can be beautiful, I particularly love when the gold finches visit the feeder.

But I do not like the idea of the dirty little things being so close to me

It is really neat to see the parent birds show baby birds how to find food. We have about 30 sparrows adults and fledgelings that decimate the feeder. A few doves (don't get me started on doves ) juncos, grosbeaks, and other things I'm not to familiar with. Northeast birds are different than Sierra Nevada Mountain birds I grew up with.

Once or twice a week we see the little birds go after hawks or crows that hunt the creek near the house. I always root for the little guys Plus they keep the hawk distracted as our little dogs romp through the yard LOL (yes I do fear a hawk swooping down and taking our 12 pound pup away... don't judge LOL)

 

[partgypsy]

How nice to have created a "sanctuary" in your spot. They say that predators are a sign of a healthy ecosystem, but it is hard if you have an emotional attachment. We have owls living on our block. A robin built a nest in the eave of our front porch. Of a total of 6 babies from 2 nestings, only 1 survived to fledge (the rest I assume were eaten). I can't imagine having to go through that as a mom! I am always in awe of the resilience and perserverance of nature; it inspires me.


We have a very small yard but we do have a bird bath and a feeding platform, in winter a place I put suet cakes, and have bushes and undergrowth. It was funny, I was reading up on bird and butterfly-friendly plants to add more to our property, and it made me realize how many we already had just by happenstance, eucalyptus, jasmine, honeysuckle, holly bushes, trumpet vine, yarrow, and zinnias. I do want to purchase some milkweed and plant them along the outside of our fence, and for a dry area that is difficult to grow anything, throw some cosmos seeds there next year.

The most amazing thing for me, is spotting a hummingbird. that makes my day when I see one of those.