Camera is at the ready.
The birds have me on a schedule now. At 8am I put the meal worms out. How the Blue Bird will know this I am not sure. The bird man, who sold me the meal worms, said to set a time every day I put the worms out into the feeder. Meal worms for the birds; a muffin for me. Breakfast with the birds. At 2pm I check all the spots I have filled with water. The birds like fresh water so I refresh as needed. On Wednesdays and Saturdays I refresh the nector feeders. I use filtered water. I am sure they like it better than the regular tap water.
The Carolina Wrens have found the meal worms and are ever so delighted. The Chick-a-dees also have found them. I only put ten or so out at a time. The Chick-a-dee has figured out a way of getting three in the beak and fly off. I think they may be feeding babies. The Wrens take one, fly up to the deck and have a nice breakfast. Then they sing! We call the Wrens, "Tea-kettle". It comes from the Peterson Field Guide of Eastern Birds. The voice is described as "a clear 3-syllabled chant. Variable; tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea." I do like the idea of a Wren chanting.
Since the meal worms are gone within ten minutes I decided to put the large seed feeder up for the summer. Since I did not want the mess of shells I bought out of the shell nuts. The birds seem to enjoy this treat. Easy for them and me.
Having the pair of wrens out of the garage, together at the feeder, was a relief. I have a basket of nesting material for them so they can make a new nest easily.
Every month we celebrate different birds. As you can tell, in May, we learn about the Wrens and the Orioles and the Blue Bird.
We also celebrate different bugs. I like some bugs. In May, I look for the ants. I need ants to help open the peonies. They are amazing insects.
It is hard to see the ant at work here in this photo, just a tiny spot of black on the petal. Another ant is on the leaf heading towards the bud.
As the ants go in and around the petals, the flower opens.
It is a wonderful way plant and insect work together.
We have four different types of peonies. These are in the front yard, a shadier spot than the others that are in back yard. I hope these are in bloom for Memorial Day when we take flowers to decorate family graves.
4 comments:
Oh, Sprite! Fireflies!!!
I have not seen them yet this year. I shall wait for them at dusk. How delightful.
On my list of, "please to have" this year is a photograph of a firefly with it's light on!
Oh,oh,oh! Frame-ables!
I will let you know when Blue Bird comes again. The Mocking Birds found the meal worms this morning. Will have to go back and buy more worms.
I too remeber chasing the fireflies as a wee one. For a few years my neighborhood was without fences. We would run and fall down in the grasses and laugh and have so much fun. We played jacks on my parent's front porch because it was smooth concret. After supper, and like you, until the street lights came on, we played a neighborhood game called, "capture the flag". I was the youngest for many years and the smallest. I was always picked first, when the teams were chosen, because I could hide so well in the bushes. I would almost always be able to get the other team's flag. Such delightful memories you envoked. Thank you.
I also have humming birds at the feeders. Seems as if every time I see them I am outside without the camera!
We have a pair right now that visit. They are joyfilled. Thank you for telling me these meanings. I know things intutively. You have studied!?
If you get a Humming bird feeder you will have hummers before long. I change the nector on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It is easy to do and you can hang your feeder in a tree.
They will come! The are quick. Zip-zap-zip! Snap-snap-snap. Joy-joy-joy!
Symbolism is so very interesting. The references are so cultural. I too enjoy learning about the old meanings. I like knowing why we do the things we do today. What is the significance?
Thank you for sharing the book Animal Speak. I wrote it down and will get it.
While I was in college I did a research paper on the meaning of fairy tales. So interesting.
Often to convey information ideas had to be coded. I also took a class on Classical Mythology. Many of our western ways come from the Greeks and the Romans.
The symbols of the gods and goddesses from those traditions are fun to find in the modern world. As I expand my studies of cultures I learn a bit more about their sybolism.
The intergration of different cultures and time periods is very interesting to me. The way the meanings change too.
Following the meaning of flowers is one way to see how over the centuries the meanings have changed. Also the meaning of gem stones has changed. Sometimes I think it is market driven!
We could make up our own meaning of's!
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