Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Feathered Friends

I'm a bird nerd.  Yep, it's true.  I spend a lot of time creating habitats for my feathered friends.  Not only my much loved chickens, but for all birds.  I have feeders out everywhere, in both the front and back properties.  I have bird houses for them to nest in.  I have planted plants to specifically attract them, and have provided clean water in bird baths for them to drink and keep cool.  This afternoon I set a chair in the grove, equipped with my telephoto lens, and I waited.   I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the wren I suspected had taken up residence in one of the bluebird houses I put in the grove.  The nest is built up nice and high, and when I stood on a chair and peeked in today, I could see two tiny white eggs nestled in the very bottom of the cozy nest.  When Mama Wren is finished laying the eggs, she will begin to sit on the nest, keeping it warm to incubate the eggs, leaving only long enough to gather food.  Never letting the eggs get cool.  My patience paid off, and soon I heard the familiar whistle of Mama Wren, with a dinner in her beak.
I watched as a male and female House Finch shared a bit of grape jelly and reamed the orange slice set on the feeder.
In nearly every species of birds, the male is the prettier, more colorful one.  The pretty red breasted one is the male.  With the plain gray female on the left. You can see her pointing to the nest where he will be sleeping on the couch tonight!  I think I heard her say, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?  You said you were flying to the corner to pick up a few worms and flying straight back!!!!!"  I was really hoping my much loved Oriole would hop onto the feeder to let me take a picture, but he was too shy, and wouldn't come close enough. 
This handsome Goldfinch came close enough to say hello.
And this guy too.
My little fat hens were happily rummaging about for worms and bugs.
Sammy  coming by for a quick hello with food still in her beak.
If  you have chickens, then you know what the term "fluffy butt" means.  I had heard other chicken farmers say it, and didn't know what it was.  I do now!!!
They have so many different layers and textures.
My son says that chickens "creep" him out!  He says that they are so prehistoric looking.  I think that they are beautiful!!!
This is one of their favorite grazing spots right before dusk.
My grape iris' are blooming everywhere!  I just love this time of year with the awakening of my yards.
They are stretching tall above the poppies that are scattered willy nilly beneath them.
The roses that I dug up from my parents yard when my Mom sold their home following my Dad's passing.  He had planted these just before becoming ill. 
Every year I wait for them to bloom, and each year they seem more beautiful than the last.  The velvet red, and brilliant yellow, together with the purple iris' make my heart leap when I glance to that side of the yard.
If you are not a bird fan, or a chicken fan, I apologize for boring you.
XO  Kris

21 comments:

Gracie Saylor said...

Kris! Your post is not the least bit boring to me. Many of your interests are mine, too. Have you ever submitted any of your photos to the magazine, Birds and Blooms?
You have much to share that I am certain many others will enjoy, too! <3

Teresa Kasner said...

I'm with Gracie, I loved every bit of this post. I am also a bird and flower lover so this was right up my alley. Well, everything you post about is up my alley. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

pembrokeshire lass said...

Your blogs are so interesting...thanks. Love the photos too especially the iris. they are lovely! My daughter had hens so I know what you mean. they each have their own characters don't they? Despite all they did the fox picked them off one by one (even in the daytime with family home) She said she wouldn't have more because she didn't want to go through that again! Joan

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the post too. We also feed and watch 'our' birds and have feeders close to the deck. We just noticed the wrens are back and are awaiting hummers.
As I walked past our irises yesterday I saw they are soon going to bloom. I love them, ours are an orangy color, but when I was a girl my dad had purple irises everywhere. They are a gentle reminder of the past.

mynestofyarnandbuttons said...

Kris, I love your post and I love your flowers and chickens!!! They are so beautiful and such great photos you captured. The birds are great too. I love to get photos of them too, but it's a challenge for me and my zoom, hard to focus. You have so many wonderful and exciting things going on in your yard : )
Have a great day, xoRobin❤

Dawn said...

Beautiful photos, thanks for sharing. I sure enjoyed looking:)

corners of my life said...

I love "old-fashioned" flowers.

Debbie said...

Oh I thoroughly enjoyed this. I love love love to watch and listen to the birds. You have captured some great shots. How wonderful that you have some of the roses your dad planted. They are gorgeous! Yep, a beautiful time of year!

Petunia Pill said...

Is it terribly wrong that I am completely taken with the fluffy butt photo? I LOVE IT! I'm a bird nerd too. Funny, just yesterday morning, I saw my first goldfinch on the bird feeder. We lived here for a few years before I saw one of these gorgeously vibrant yellow babies! Last year, I saw a few in my yard - eating black oil sunflower seeds. I had a thistle feeder a few years back (to try to entice them into the yard) but it didn't draw them. Who knew the sunflower seeds would do the trick? When I saw yesterday's arrival, I insisted my daughter drop everything she was doing and come see too. As she ages (she's 23 now), she begins to see the beauty in such things. I commented to her that the colors of the birds here...the red of the cardinals...the woodpeckers with their black and white stripes and touches of vibrant red on the neck, and the bold blue of the bluejays...so many wonderful colors! Your irises are gorgeous! Quite a crop of them you have! Loved this post! Hugs, Annette

Kerri said...

Awesome bird pics Kris! It's neat to see how the birds are different in other areas. We have two beautiful cardinals that come every spring and seem to live in the bush in our side yard. They stay until early fall. Your roses are beautiful...love that they have special meaning to you. I would love a rose bush...would be great to be able to cut them and bring inside. The rose bush seems to attract the beetles around here...so I've never planted one.

Bethany said...

I LOVE the roses! I tried to plant them once, but we have very finicky soil. Not much wants to grow....even after we do all the things they say you're supposed to. I'll just admmire yours - no thorns that way!

Sunny Simple Life said...

So glad you saved the roses from your parent's yard. I do the same thing. Plants from my folks yard some from our older houses and yes chickens are beautiful. I will have to tell a story of how Dean feels about them. Too funny. Though I think he may be a little jealous of the attention they are getting :)

Pam said...

I love seeing all of the birds in your yard and your beautiful flowers. I have hummingbirds that I feed year round - they are so much fun to watch.

Nicky said...

What beautiful photographs, you are a talented photographer :)

Mereknits said...

You could never bore anyone!!!! I think you are surrounded by so much beauty, You are one lucky girl. And the chickens are part of that beauty. Hugs to you,
Meredith

Casey said...

I love this post! actually all your posts! I love seeing all the beautiful birds in your yard! Your pictures are just beautiful!!

Pammy Sue said...

Great bird and chicken pictures! I love to see all the birds in the spring time. I love that you had chickens and wish I could have some of my own. I'm sure I could if I really pushed it, but I will be happy with my dogs and keep the peace at my house. You learn to pick your fights, ya know? So I will just have chickens vicariously through you and your pictures and stories. Your irises are beautiful!

Holly said...

Everything just looks so lovely! We just bought a new birdbath and Brian built a feeder to go on the back wall. I'm a bird watcher too. Any day now we should have all the new baby quail in the yard. Looking forward to that.

Cheapchick said...

Great post and photos from a fellow bird nerd. Nothing makes me happier than taking pics of birds (or nature in general come to think of it)

NanaNor's said...

Hi Kris, I don't know how I missed this but everything looks so beautiful. I miss putting food out for the birds but the Grackles always kill the little birds and I hate a dozen or so dead birds laying on my lawn. I too love to watch them. You would love seeing all the wild chickens here walking along the road. Loved your Iris(my mom's favorite and they always remind me of her)and of course the roases-oh how pretty. Saw some sea cucumbers dried today that I have to take photos of-they geeked me out because they look like brains. Have a wonderful weekend.
Aloha, Noreen

annielizabeth said...

Lovely post. Kris! Love your birds and your yard, so pretty. Happy wknd to ya!