Nature's Sweetness

Backyard "Bird Tales"

Our bird activity has been extremely busy this Spring and we've been able to make so many wonderful observations in our Nature Studies.  The kids love making up special bird cards similar to the field guides they visit daily to look up information about a certain bird. 

One of our favorites is the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).

He is all about his incredible song and wakes me most mornings with his sweet melody right outside my bedroom window!  He has taken to perching at the top of a 40' Pine tree and singing to his heart's content!  It is truly a most pleasant wake up call!!  We are certain his nest is somewhere in our field and that he has designated our property as his territory!

The Meadowlark

Though the winds be dank,
And the sky be sober,
And the grieving Day
In a mantle gray
Hath let her waiting maiden robe her,--
All the fields along
I can hear the song
Of the meadow lark,
As she flits and flutters,
And laughs at the thunder when it mutters.
O happy bird, of heart most gay
To sing when skies are gray!

When the clouds are full,
And the tempest master
Lets the loud winds sweep
From his bosom deep

Like heralds of some dire disaster,
Then the heart alone
To itse]f makes moan;
And the songs come slow,
While the tears fall fleeter,
And silence than song by far seems
sweeter.
Oh, few are they along the way
Who sing when skies are gray! ~Paul Lawrence Dunbar Digital Collection~

Another visitor we have seen recently is the Western Tanager (Piranga ludoiciana)!

This lovely bird has graced us a few times with his prescence, but has been quite elusive to say the least.  We're hoping he sticks around for a while, as he is so stunning to look at!!

The Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) is a most remarkable little fellow!  His plumage alone leaves little to be unseen by his mate and at only 5 1/2" he's like a flash of the waters off Bermuda!!

We're hoping and praying to see one of these anytime soon!  Although, my guess is that it will have to warm up a bit more for him to show an appearance!  He has visited us before, so we'll patiently wait and watch!!

This little sweet bird is the smallest bird in North America and we've seen him only once!!  We're hoping to attract this Calliope Hummingbird (Stellula calliope) again.

We're much more likely to see this beautiful and a little larger Broad-Tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus).

Matthias has been keenly observing this beauty for about a week now, and he's very intrigued by how he'll just buzz right up to the window and look at us!!  He helped me make some beautiful Montessori Nomenclature Three-Part Hummingbird cards for Seamus and Sean-Paul, they love them!!  They keep waiting to see our little visitors too!!

I hope you enjoyed our Backyard "Bird Tales" and will let us know if you've seen any of these beautiful creatures in your Nature Studies this Spring and Summer!!

28 Butterflies!!

Well, actually, I don’t know if there are really 28, but there’s a lot!!  All of them are exactly alike, except Jodi, who is striped yellow and orange.  This is her:

Here are the others:

As you can see, they are dark green on the outside, but inside they are very bright yellow.  We are going to try and catch some white ones.

Oh yeah, I forgot, here are the names:  Timmy, Therese, Tommy, Teresa, Trigger, Tabitha, Toffee, Taffy, Trekker, Tracker, Tina, Topsy,Tacy, Tib, Thelma, Tibitha, Tibet, Tibeths, Tremain, Tess, Turbo, Tinker, Titty, Thumper, Telemaucas, and of course Jodi!

Violet's Fairy Houses!

Right now I really like building Fairy Houses.  First I made one like a little bower.  Mommy found some weeds that had wintered over and the stalks were kind of woody and the flowering part was dried and still had its seedpods intact.  I propped them up at the bottom of a tree in a wigwam shape.  I found a flat rock and a piece of tile to use as a stove.  I put some “lambs’ ear” leaves on the floor for a carpet.  I also used some “lambs’ ear” to cover some rocks to make a sofa.  When I found some little, soft, springy flowers I thought they would make a wonderful mattress and put more “lambs’ ear” over that for a sheet and another for a blanket.  Big dandelions make perfect pillows on the bed and sofa.  Another flat rock served well for a table and some smaller rocks for stools.  I molded a little bowl out of mud and when it was dry, I put some birdseed in it and put it on the table.  Then I covered the bower with dry grass and I made a windbreak out of more dry grass, and put the food storage on the other side of the tree! 

Here it is all finished:

I made another Fairy House in between two trees also like a Tee-Pee.  In a fork of one of the trees I used some mud to glue down a stick.  Then I put some dry grass on top of that.  For the floor, I put down some fresh green grass.  I found a square-shaped rock for a table and another for a stool.  (This is only a one-fairy house, so it is pretty small.)  I then made the bed exactly like the other house’s bed.  (That is how I make all my fairy beds.)  Then I made another mud bowl and filled it with seeds, and put it on the table.  I propped dry grasses up against the stick in the fork of the tree.  Then I tied the grass down with string and I tucked the fairy food under the string.

Here it is in progress:

And here it is finished:

Another house I made with Ben is kind of like a nest. I made a little circlet of long green grass and tied it with a piece of dry grass.  I then placed it on top of two forked branches.  I stuffed the bottom with grass and little tiny flowers.  I used “lambs ear” for the covers and a dandelion for a pillow. Then, Ben made a bower over the nest with dry grass and I secured it with string.  I put some food and a mud bowl with seeds in a part of the bower that looks like a storeroom.  (This one we didn't photograph.)

Right now, I am working on a fairy dugout.  Under a tree I dug a hole, and pounded the floor flat.  On the wall I dug out a little shelf and set up a bed on it. I have a table and some stools, and I have made the storeroom and filled it with food.  When you build a Fairy House always use natural items.  Leaves, birdseed, acorns, and other plants and flowers make good foods.

Here is the fairy dugout:

This is the storeroom:

I'm working on another one, however, it is not yet finished!! ~Violet~

Our Week's Highlights! Easter Week!

Our newest Robin's nest discovered in some lower branches of one of our Pine Trees.  We think this is a very young Robin!

We call this "lambs ears" although that's not really the name, it's a weed, but velvety soft.  If anyone knows what this is I'd love to know!!

A Tulip waiting patiently to bloom.  I wish I were more patient, we're desperately ready for some Spring color here!

Fairy House in progress.  Notice the detailed bowered entry!

Beginnings of ground cover that appears in our field before the alfalfa and grass start to emerge.  They are the teeniest, cutest little yellow flowers, like sunshine drops all over the field!

Beautiful House Finch at our new feeder!  These little guys are one of my favorites birds!

What would be a day without playing with a little ICE salvaged from the dogs water dish!!  Very interesting for this little guy!

We've had a great few weeks of nature fun, what have you been up to??  Thanks so much for popping in!

Are They Happy or What?

...to have their 10 acres and their playset back again!!

Weekend Delights!

A mallard and his wife flew over the house this afternoon, going down to one of the many ponds in our neighborhood, no doubt.  Reminds me to pull out Make Way for Ducklings to read, this is one of our favorites!!

Discovered this cool moss or lichen covering some large boulders set into the grass in the park behind our house.  Need to look up the difference between the two, they are both very distinct in their green and yellow coloring...

Crab Apple buds are really swelling as well, looks like it's going to be a great year for these trees!

And a little Burns to set the tone for our week ahead...

"In days when daisies deck the sod
And blackbirds whistle clear.
Wi' honest joy our hearts will bound
To greet the coming year?"

May you be blessed by something in nature this week, and all throughout the year!

Spring Weather Here!

Well we are getting the Lion's share of Spring weather so far this week.  Quite a contrast to the daily snow flurries of last week, so this is a welcome change!! 

No bunny sightings as of yet, this week, but we're still on the lookout!

A few fun discoveries over the weekend yielded some sure signs of Spring beginning besides the nice weather:

• My Bearded Iris are showing their first shoots:

• I'm pretty sure daffodils are coming up in one of the box beds. As this is a rental for us I have NO idea what is what as we were not here in early Spring last year, it'll be a bit of a mystery for a while.

• Our "Peely Bark" Tree, otherwise known in our house for lack of a better name, and I'm not exactly sure what kind of tree it is, I think it's a Birch of some kind???  The kids love to use the bark for secret "papyrus" notes to each other!

• Here is Our Lovely Lady, patiently awaiting Spring much in the same way she waited for Sweet Bernadette every day...

Off to see what else is sprouting!!  Thanks for coming in for a little Nature's Sweetness today!  Blessings!

The Bunny!

Well, it seems we have a little bunny.  It's been making it's appearance on occaision and we can't believe he's SO cute!  A nice little brown Easter type bunny.  Our neighborhood is so crowded and it's a wonder it hasn't been nabbed by one of the dogs yet, but there it is appearing to check for new grass and green shoots.  We are wondering where it's little burrow is....

More Snow!

Awoke to another two inches of snow this morning and boy were the birds singing!  Of course, it has all but melted and it's afternoon, but this looks like the trend for this week.

On and off snow for the rest of the day and saw some great action at the birdfeeders:  Junco's and Finches again!

Had our first housefly come in when we opened the back door, swell!

Snow Day!

Woke up to two inches of snow today!!  It's been a little chillier these past few days, but I certainly didn't expect anymore snow here, I guess we'll be always guessing!

At least dozen Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches combined on the Thistle Feeder, we love watching them hang upside down, they are amazingly efficient!

The sun came out by noon and everything was pretty much melted, but it's beautiful and sunny and actually fairly warm!!

Stay tuned for bunny sightings...Could the Easter Bunny be early this year???