Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Other Wildlife Feeders

[ysabetwordsmith]

Three Weeks for Dreamwidth runs April 25-May 15. This year, I'll be posting about birds in honor of birdfeeding. Today's topic is Other Wildlife Feeders.



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Birdfeeding

[ysabetwordsmith]

Today is cloudy. It rained some last night.

I haven't gone out to feed the birds yet, but I saw a pair of white-crowned sparrows at the hopper feeder. :D

EDIT 5/7/23 -- I've seen a flock of assorted sparrows, two mourning doves, and a male house finch. There may be more than two white-crowned sparrows; it's hard to tell unless I get a really good look.

EDIT 5/7/23 -- I went out for gardening. I saw a male cardinal and a lot of other birds drinking and bathing in the big puddles at the end of the driveway. The fields are not flooded, so the water table isn't full, but the soil is thoroughly wet on top. There are tiny wrens all over the place. I also saw a new bird, small and yellowish, with a bright yellow face and black frame, with white feathers on the tail. I believe this is a hooded warbler; the picture looks exactly what I saw, and they prefer a mix of clearings and forest with well-developed brushy understory, which is what I have. (Compare with other yellow birds.) I saw at least one, maybe two because I saw the same kind in a different place a few minutes later. Interestingly, they appear in Illinois for summer breeding but not east-central where I am. Possibly this one is just passing through, but it could be scouting for different territory, or it may have been blown off-course by yesterday's winds; and in any case, my yard is just the kind of habitat they like so it's a good stopover if nothing else. :D I suspect that the birds are out foraging today because the rain after a dry spring is bringing out insects.

I dug a trench in the prairie garden to offload a trough planted with yarrow and bergamot. Last summer that trough got powdery mildew, so I want to refill it with fresh potting soil. The plants are still alive, and I figure they might do better in the prairie garden which is much sunnier.

EDIT 5/7/23 -- After lunch we made an unplanned but very successful trip to buy plants.  \o/

Once we unloaded the plants and 4 bags of compost-and-manure, I transplanted the trough into the trench and put the empty trough back on the picnic table.  Then I raked a few patches of ground in the savanna and threw down some bee lawn seed.  We're supposed to get more rain tonight and tomorrow so I'm hopeful.

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