Back At It

Offering no excuses, just a long winter with lots of activities and less bird activity. 

Beautiful weather today, and time on the porch and down by the creek to wait for the birds to show up. Enjoy my offerings of this post.

 Some years back planted a couple of leather-leaf (grape) holly plants, and they have survived and even done well. In the early spring they produce this tiny yellow-green flower, and in late summer they produce a seed bunch that looks like grapes. The bees were really enjoying the blooms this morning off the porch.

 There's a bee hive somewhere around here!

 When the movement of large wings caught the corner of my eye up the creek, I had to investigate. Didn't get close, just close enough for this shot of the Red-shouldered Hawk that resides in our neighborhood. He didn't stay long, and I stalked him the rest of the day, but couldn't get close.

 Enjoying having some American Goldfinches in the yard, vying at the seed feeder with the Sparrows, and with each other!

 Incoming!

Someone is peeking around the feeder.

 Wish the American Goldfinches would stay for the summer, when they put on their 'glory' coat, all brilliant yellow except for a black cap and the wing bars you see here.

 Caught the White-crowned Sparrow in the lantana. Starting to see lots of buds around the yard, so the branches won't be bare much longer.

 The Scrub Jays have hung around the office all winter. This fellow was hopping around on one leg, though at times he would put down the other. Glad to offer him some peanuts.

Carolina Wrens love the suet cake, but seem to be happy to hop on the deck and go for just about any small treat.

And we finish with the diminutive Ruby-crowned Kinglet, who is daily coming to the suet cake right outside my office window. I will keep working diligently to provide you with a view of his crimson crown in its full glory.

Summer Close-out, Vol. II

Too many pics to go through, so let's just keep goin'!

 Gulf Fritillary butterfly on a matching zinnia.

 Cracked glass gives the hummer a pink glow.

So excited that the coral vine took off and started blooming for us. And when the hummers found it, that was a real bonus!

 A little symmetry at the office deck feeder.

This sunny day the hummers were showing their shimmering green.

Immature male Ruby-throated hummer.

Bring on the sun!

 Don't know his genus, just a green lizard enjoying the offerings of the morning glory vine before it was removed from the porch rail.

 Blue Gray Gnat Catcher in the Lady Banks rose.

 And in the coral vine.

 Plumbago blue.

 Tiger swallowtail always at the zinnias.

 A rare treat, two-fer at the feeder.

 Got the orange glow goin'.

 And the pink glow.

 Mexican sage bush is popular as they prepare to head south.

 Just a little ruby there on his throat.

Rare to get the tiger swallowtail on the sage.

 At the office deck feeder, showin' all his ruby throat.

And we close out our summer offering with some of our year-round regulars, the Carolina Chickadee. We have been so blessed this summer season with the birds and the blooms. But Autumn offers its own delights. Stay tuned!

Summer Close-out

Once again overwhelmed with the bird activity as the season closed. And now with the quiet season, I have plenty of time to post, and no new pictures. So we'll take care of our abundance of end of summer pics in the garden, yard, and office deck. Enjoy our end-of-season close out.

 The pipevine swallowtail is one of our regular butterflies. The peach colored zinnia complements his colors well.

The tiger swallowtail got a hold of a neon zinnia!

 A sunny Saturday afternoon at the end of my porch afforded me this series of shots of the hummingbird checking out the zinnias, and no one to run her off!

 A rare time with two of the tiger swallowtails visiting the zinnias at the same time.

 Pretty sure this young male Ruby-throated is posing.

 At the office deck feeder, the young male Ruby-throated shows off a little bling.

 Some days I can get a good shot of our wide variety of daily visitors. Like the Black-crested Titmouse, Texas race.

 And the House Finch, and young male Cardinal.

 And the Carolina Chickadee, along with the Lesser Goldfinch.

 Those Scrub Jays are still pecking at the window at the office conference room.

 It's rare to catch a shot of the Chickadee and see those little beady black eyes, they usually get lost in the black feathers of his head.

 This well-lit view allows us to get the shimmer of his green feathers, and detail that is hard to catch when in full flight.

We'll close with this regal pose of the young (immature) male Ruby-throated hummingbird. If you look closely, you'll see somebody hangin' out on the bottom, waiting his turn to get something sweet.