Birdfeeding

[ysabetwordsmith]

Today is partly sunny, mild, and damp.  It rained thoroughly last night.

I fed the birds.  I haven't seen much activity today though.

I put out water for the birds.

On the old picnic table, a cucumber is blooming.

EDIT 6/9/23 -- I did the indoor setup for the two jugs I'll be using to make comfrey liquid fertilizer, and took pictures.

EDIT 6/9/23 -- I tore up a handful of comfrey leaves for the first jug, put them in it, and filled the rest of the way with water.  If it works, this will produce a dilute solution of liquid fertilizer.

EDIT 6/9/23 -- I started filling the second jug.  This one needs to be entirely full of comfrey leaves.  I only got about halfway before I ran out of energy.  I'll have to work on it more later.

I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus two mourning doves.

EDIT 6/9/23 -- We went out to Fox Ridge and Lake Charleston.  So many things are blooming!  :D

EDIT 6/9/23 -- I added more comfrey leaves to the second jug.  It's mostly full now, but not tightly packed, so it still needs more leaves stuffed in.

EDIT 6/9/23 -- I added more comfrey leaves to the second jug.  While it's possible to push down the mass, it springs back immediately, making it hard to keep additional material inside.  I'll call it done for now.  If the stuff wilts down by tomorrow, I may add more then.

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

"Birdsong of Shaker Way" by Ann-Margaret Lim

[ysabetwordsmith]

"Birdsong of Shaker Way"
by Ann-Margaret Lim


Every day is perfect, if
when you wake, you hear birds
in the garden, in the yard. Birds

up and down, ushering in one more day
in all the houses on Shaker Way. Birds
on telephone lines, light posts. Birds

twit, twittering on trees
hailing fellow birds
with a nod of  beak—gray kingbird;

top-hatted, streamertail
tuxedoed, doctor bird—
busy-bodied hummingbird

tucking in, out, of pink, red ixoras
punch-drunk in love. Birds
preening for, chatting up other birds—

the oriole, the grass quit, in mid-song
on the lawn, in a dance of  birds
an all-day-long conference of bird;

red-headed woodpecker
—drummer boy, or girl bird
in this daily symphony of  birds

—an orchestra on Shaker Way
in serenade of each perfect day with birds—
from the very first mockingbird

heralding, in solo warble
one more day, filled with birds—
brightened, lightened, trilled by birds:

precious, diamond-throated
sweet song, miracle-toting birds
the-gift-of-day-is-here birds.

Bird, bird, bird. Hello bird.
You lift me up bird.
You sing the day beautiful, bird.

Birds

[ribirdnerd]

Quite a few birds over the weekend.

The favorite was a Cardinal family, with the young cardinal following the parents around a begging for seed.

I also saw a Hummingbird.   I assume a Ruby throated, it was hard to tell in the low late afternoon light