The Sun

It's come around again. The warmth. Still not quite above 60 degrees but what can we expect 1150 feet up in the air. I did notice nettles, about a foot tall, today. The tiny strawberry ground cover that grows everywhere is up and the thimble berry flowers are dying to make way for their fruit. A couple of weeks ago there were 3 trillium growing like lotus in the wetlands.

One of the most wondrous insights into the seasons is the arrival of new birds and other wildlife as the days grow longer. There were at the beginning, of course, a jury of Juncos. Now the list is much longer. There are Ravens, Bald Eagles, a Heron at the pond, Stellar Jays, Anna's and Rufous Hummingbirds, Hairy Woodpeckers, Red Breasted Sapsuckers, (which I wish would stop trying to find insects on my house!), Mourning Doves, Red Winged Blackbirds, Pileated Woodpeckers, Towhees, Nuthatches, Chickadees, Townsend's Chipmunks, Golden and White Crowned Sparrows, Brown Headed Cowbirds, Douglas and American Red Squirrels, and one of my very favorites so far, the Band Tail Pigeon.

Added 5-8  Black Headed and Evening Grosbeaks
Added 5-25 Violet Green Swallows and Gray Jays
Added 5-28 Downy Woodpecker    Also learned that the Sapsucker is not trying for insects!!! His drumming on my downspout is his mating call. He must have found her because it stopped about 4 days after the post about him.
Added 6-1 Evening Grosbeak
Added 6-3 Swainson's Thrush (heard)

George is really good with the birds but not so much with the squirrels and chipmunks. Fortunately, he can't bound beneath the bushes as easily as they can.

Tomorrow is a day of going to the dump and re potting the Mock Orange. Sometime after the back fill happens around the house I'll be able to plant. Until then, pots will have to do. Really looking forward to planting.

In the middle of Harry Potter binging so I'd better get back to it.