A Few More ...

Today was an extremely busy day at our bird feeder.  Not only did we see a rose-breasted grosbeak, but a scarlet tanager appeared for the first time, too.

You couldn't miss this bright red-feathered guy!

 

The gray squirrel and cottontail rabbit are frequent visitors and both of them raided the feeders today. They keep us continually amused with their antics ...

 

Acrobatic upside down eater

 

Garden Muncher

We can't wait to see who shows up at Haney's Hollow Diner tomorrow :)



New Visitors

On this rainy day a new bird arrived at our backyard feeder ~ the rose-breasted grosbeak you see in the photograph above ~ a very pretty bird with striking black and white plumage and a bright, rosy red breast, living up to its given name.  Even though they still visit, the titmice, chickadees, and juncos, our most frequent winter visitors, have lessened in number at the feeder. Now, we see mostly goldfinches, both the showy yellow, black and white males and the dowdier, olive-toned females.  Flocks of them arrive every day to gorge on the sunflower seeds.

 

Three males and a lone female goldfinch eye the feeder above them for more sunflower seeds to rain down.  We've seen as many as six males at a time seated on the feeder with even more below them, like the ones you see here anxiously awaiting the seeds that are pushed out in the feeding frenzy.

 

Our backyard and the woods beyond provide endless opportunities to observe the local wildlife which makes our home here in the mountains such a haven!

Easter Blessings

 

My daughter is visiting for the Easter holiday.  We've kept our Easter tradition of coloring eggs going strong!

 

 

It's picture perfect springtime weather here in the Catoctin Mountains.  The bees and tiny azure blue butterflies are enjoying all the new flowers like the violets above. 

 

 

Our gnome is enjoying his new springtime home and flower gardens, too :)

 

 

Easter Blessings Everyone!!!

Shades of Spring

 

Home for a Gnome

Today, our gnome got his own garden home.  Now that our weather has definitely turned to springtime with warm & sunny days, we started to do our plantings ... on a small scale :)

True Signs

 

It's been a long, harsh winter...but once daffodils bloom, it's a sure sign spring is making its arrival known.  One of the fun things about being in a new place and inheriting your predecessor's plantings, is that there are so many surprises.  We'd never seen our land in the springtime and finding that we have daffodils and tulips coming up brought great delight!  It's incredible to have color outside again!

 

The trees and bushes are slower to "green up," but many are starting to bud, like the lilac you can see in the above photograph.  I'm so happy to have lilac bushes in our yard.  Their flowers are beautiful and their scent is heavenly.  Lilacs have been a favorite ever since I was a little girl. The Smiths, an elderly couple who lived next door to my family when I was very young, had huge lilac bushes growing next to their home. Each year, Mrs. Smith snipped a few of the pendulous blooms for me to take home.  Ever since that early experience,  I find there is nothing that compares to the scent of fresh lilacs.

 

   

In this last photo, you can see that we put up a new bird bath.  It's still a little chilly for bathing, but the chickadees and titmice have been sipping from the basin ever since we put the bath up.  The cherry tree is brightening our backyard view with its bright yellow flowers ... the colors are such a soothing sight for eyes that have seen way too much winter!