Birdfeeding: Friends of a Feather Flock Together

Today is partly cloudy and mild.

I haven't fed the birds yet.  I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, two mourning doves, and a blackbird.

I took some pictures in the house yard and south lot. 

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I fed the birds.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

The 'Pink Berkeley' has a green tomato, second to fruit after the two 'Chocolate Sprinkles' plants.

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I watered the patio plants.

I started trimming weeds around the forest garden.

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and other plants around the house yard.

I watered the septic garden.

I've seen a fox squirrel.

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I watered seedlings in the savanna.

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I planted 3 white peach seeds in pots.

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I trimmed more weeds around the forest garden.

Pie cherries and mulberries have pink fruit.  Astilbe and snowball bush have buds.

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I trimmed more weeds around the forest garden.

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I trimmed more weeds around the forest garden.

EDIT 6/1/25 -- I trimmed more weeds around the forest garden.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

 

Today is mostly sunny and mild with a nice breeze.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 5/30/25 -- I trimmed grass along the west edge of the new picnic table.

EDIT 5/30/25 -- I started trimming weeds around the purple-and-white garden.

EDIT 5/30/25 -- I trimmed brush along the north side of the path to the ritual meadow.  That filled two trolleys.

EDIT 5/30/25 -- I trimmed more brush along the north side of the path to the ritual meadow.  That filled two trolleys.

EDIT 5/30/25 -- I finished trimming brush along the north side of the path to the ritual meadow.

EDIT 5/30/25 -- I trimmed weeds around the birdgift apple tree.

I've seen a catbird, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel.

EDIT 5/30/25 -- I pulled weeds around the maple tree and the purple-and-white garden.

EDIT 5/30/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.






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Today is mostly sunny and mild.

We walked around the south lot, then my partner Doug mowed that. 

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I fed the birds.  I've seen several sparrows and house finches, a male cardinal, and a young fox squirrel.  Robins are foraging the newly cut grass.  We found a toad in the south lot, and I moved him to the shadier garden under the maple tree.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I sowed partial shade wildflower seed mix in a pot on the old picnic table.  I sowed cypress vine seeds in the septic garden and around the support wire of the telephone pole.

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I watered the septic garden, patio plants, and a few other things.

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden, hollies, and Colorado blue spruce.

My partner Doug plans to mow the savanna next.

I've seen two catbirds, a grackle, and a female cardinal.

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I started trimming around things in the house yard.

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I finished the first bit of trimming around things in the house yard.

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I started trimming in front of the log garden in the house yard.

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I finished trimming in front of the log garden in the house yard.

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I trimmed brush along the path from the driveway to the savanna.

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 5/26/25 -- I trimmed brush along the east side of the house.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Today is partly cloudy and pleasantly cool. :D

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

I set out the flats of pots and watered them. It's down to 2 partial flats now.

EDIT 5/24/25 -- I finished pulling the tall grass out of the septic garden. I cut down the tree seedlings.

I've seen a catbird and a fox squirrel.

EDIT 5/24/25 -- We walked the prairie garden to point out where to remow paths. My partner Doug is out mowing that and the ritual meadow.

EDIT 5/24/25 -- I weeded the first section of netting in the prairie garden down to the ground, so that one is ready to roll up and add fresh dirt.

EDIT 5/24/25 -- I weeded the wedge between sections of netting in the prairie garden down to the ground

EDIT 5/24/25 -- We walked around to look at the mowed areas.

I have a bee tree again! :D 3q3q3q!!! I am so excited. While walking through the savanna, I heard the lawnmower sound, so I checked the most recent bee tree and the girls were back to-ing and fro-ing overhead. *GLEE*

I trimmed around a hydrangea at the east edge of the house yard, in case more mowing becomes feasible.

EDIT 5/24/25 -- I weeded the second section of netting in the prairie garden down to the ground. So the interior weeding is done. \o/

EDIT 5/24/25 -- I sowed sunflower 'Hopi Landrace', Pinetree Sunflower Mix, Persian Carpet Zinnia Mixture, zinnia 'Big Flower Mix', four o'clock 'Marbles Mix', celosia 'Wooster Cockscomb', balsam, and ageratum 'Red Bouquet' in the first section of the septic garden.  Hopi Landrace, Big Flower Mix, Marbles Mix, and Wooster Cockscomb packets are all empty now.

EDIT 5/24/25 -- I sowed centaurea 'Tall Mix', evening scented stock, and nasturtium 'Alaska Mix' in the first section of the septic garden.  That's the end of the Alaska Mix.

I peeled off the net, spread fresh soil, and tacked down the net in the second section of the septic garden.

My partner Doug is currently outside mowing the house yard.

EDIT 5/24/25 -- I sowed balsam and 'Bouquet' dill in the second section of the septic garden. 

I watered the newly planted things.

I did a bit of work around the patio.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Today is cloudy and mild.

I fed the birds.  I've seen several sparrows and house finches, a catbird, and a phoebe. 

I put out water for the birds.

I set out the flats of pots and watered them.

EDIT 5/21/25 -- I did a bit more work outside.

I've seen a female cardinal.

EDIT 5/21/25 -- I potted up 2 pink-flowered 'Toscana' strawberries, each in its own pot.  I filled another pot with a purple-and-white striped 'Wave' petunia, a 'Dusty Miller' artemesia, and 2 white sweet alyssums.  I put these on the tall metal planter and tied them in place.

EDIT 5/21/25 -- We moved 2 bags of composted manure to the old picnic table.

I've seen a young fox squirrel.

EDIT 5/21/25 -- I potted up the last of the Shithouse Marigolds and Charleston Food Forest marigolds, each in its own pot.  These are the last of the ones I grew from seed.  All winter-sown pots sprouted at least one marigold, and many sprouted several.  That makes this a good approach to repeat.

EDIT 5/21/25 -- I sowed a pot with passionflower seeds.  No idea if they'll actually fruit here, but it's a host plant for multiple butterfly species who only need the leaves.  I've never tried to grow these before, and bought them on a whim when I saw the seed packet in a store, knowing that they are a valuable host plant.

I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 5/21/25 -- I sowed two pots with nasturtiums. 

EDIT 5/21/25 -- I took pictures of the pots where I sowed seeds earlier.  Of the 10 pots of Little Bluestem that I sowed on 2/24/25, five of them sprouted healthy little clumps of grass.  I planted these five in one of the strips of the prairie garden.  While 50% is not a great success rate, it is a useful rate particularly with native plants that are expensive to buy in pots.

EDIT 5/21/25 -- I did a bit more work outside.

I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches along with several mourning doves.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Today is sunny and mild.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a catbird, a starling, and a young fox squirrel.  I heard a blue jay screaming but didn't see it.

I put out water for the birds.

I put out the flats of pots and watered them.

EDIT 5/19/25 -- We went shopping.  I have 2 new water pans for the giant pots, 4 new large-ish pots, and 2 bags of composed manure.  I still need to get more of the Evergreen potting soil, though.

EDIT 5/19/25 -- I took a few pictures of flowers.

I've seen two young fox squirrels chasing each other.

EDIT 5/19/25 -- I trimmed grass where I will put one of the giant pots.

EDIT 5/19/25 -- I filled the giant pot with half composted manure and half potting soil, then planted a pot of 2 zucchini plants.

EDIT 5/19/25 -- I trimmed grass where I will put the second giant pot.

EDIT 5/19/25 -- I filled the giant pot with half composted manure and half potting soil, then planted a pot of 2 straightneck yellow squash plants.

EDIT 5/19/25 -- I watered the giant pots and the picnic table garden.

EDIT 5/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 5/19/25 -- I sowed Shithouse Marigold seeds in the new giant pots and several others that didn't already have marigolds.

I watered the marigold seeds and some other plants.

I saw the first bat of the season!  :D

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

 

I put out water for the birds.

I put out the flats of pots.

EDIT 5/16/25 -- We went to the Strawberry Festival.  On the way home, we stopped at Backyard Garden greenhouse and I picked up a flat of plants.

EDIT 5/16/25 -- I watered the flats of pots. 

EDIT 5/16/25 -- I was going to plant some African marigolds, but the wind started howling and I could see rain in the distance, so I brought everything back indoors.  Eh, at least the downdrafts made everything cooler.

I found a squirrel tail and a few tufts of fur, so I expect that the careless young fox squirrel became somebody's lunch.

EDIT 5/16/25 -- And now it's raining. \o/

EDIT 5/16/25 -- It rained off and on, then stopped.

I did a bit of work around the patio. 

I collected some microfauna and installed them in the cookie jar terrarium.

I planted 12 assorted yellow and orange African marigolds around the telephone pole garden.  Some of the seeds there are sprouting too.  :D

I've seen a male cardinal and a young fox squirrel.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Today is sunny and mild.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few sparrows and house finches, along with several blackbirds out foraging in the recently mowed grass.

I put out water for the birds.

I set out the flats of pots and watered them.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- Today's main yardening project is the goddess garden.  I have started trimming around the edge and digging grass from the inside, but it is slow going.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- I did more work on the goddess garden.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- The greenhouse has arrived!  :D  It is in two big heavy boxes.  The delivery guys were kind enough to put them in the garden shed  for us!  Quality blue-collar workers still exist, they're just rare as hen's teeth nowadays.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- I did more work on the goddess garden.  I'm about halfway around the outside edge.

I've seen several mourning doves, several catbirds, a brown thrasher, and a robin.  Yes, the catbirds really meow, and you can hear it on that page.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- I did more work on the goddess garden.  I'm about 3/4 around the outside edge.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- I did more work on the goddess garden.  I finished trimming and cleaning around the outside edge.  Next I need to do the inside of the garden.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- I did more work on the goddess garden.  I pretty much got the inside cleaned up.  Next will be reinstalling the goddess statue.

I've seen a young fox squirrel in the forest garden, smaller than usual, with a less bushy tail, and not very confident aloft yet.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- I planted 4 pink peppermint and 4 peach moss roses around the goddess statue.  I'll need to do the outer ring later.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- I planted 12 assorted color moss roses around the outer ring, just inside the bricks.  And that project is done! \o/

I saw a skunk digging in the south lot.  This one has a lot of white on its head, a white stripe down the left side, but mostly black down the right side.  So I think it's different from the others I'v seen.

EDIT 5/9/25 -- I planted the last 4 moss roses in a pot by the old picnic table.

I watered the goddess garden and pansy pots.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.  *goflopnow*

Today is cloudy, mild, and wet.  it's been raining lightly all day.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few house finches and sparrows.  Clearly larger birds have been about, though, because the corncob has large empty patches.

EDIT 5/4/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

Many birds are now mobbing the feeders.  I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, at least three blue jays, two mourning doves, a brown thrasher, a red-headed woodpecker, and a fox squirrel.  :D

The rain seems to be tapering off but everything is still soaked.

EDIT 5/4/25 -- I planted 4 assorted perennial pinks and 2 purple and white mixed sweet alyssum in a purple pot on the patio.  I planted 2 pink and 2 white impatiens in the log garden.

EDIT 5/4/25 -- I planted a purple-and-white speckled petunia, a lavender veined petunia, a white callibrachoa, and a 'Dusty Miller' artemesia in the big blue pot on the old picnic table.

EDIT 5/4/25 -- I planted a purple-and-yellow striped petunia, a pink-and-yellow lantana, a pink-and-yellow striped superbells, and 2 purple-and-yellow snapdragons in a pot that will fit into an empty chair frame.

I've seen a pair of cardinals and two brown thrashers.

Today is mostly sunny and warm with a light breeze, a beautiful spring day.  :D

I fed the birds.  I've seen several sparrows and house finches, two brown-headed cowbirds, a mourning dove, and two fox squirrels.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 4/22/25 -- We went out shopping.  I picked out roughly 5 flats of plants at DeBuhr's.  We found a garden hose, nozzle, and reel plus a gas can at Home Depot.  Also at Home Depot I spotted a modular garage storage system that looks very promising.  It has mounting rails for shelves and a wide variety of hooks.  That ought to combine well with a pegboard.

EDIT 4/22/25 -- I planted a 'Sugar Snack' cherry tomato and a 'Yellow Pear' tomato in the large pots by the septic garden, each with 4 marigolds around it.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.








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