Birdfeeding: Friends of a Feather Flock Together

Today is cloudy, mild, still breezy, and damp. It stormed last night. Our hygrometer/thermometer blew down and is not currently working.

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

I put out water for the birds.

More flowers are blooming including several daffodils under the maple. In the goddess garden, the first of the orange crocuses are blooming and the winter aconites have come very late to the party -- they used to be first to bloom.

EDIT 3/15/25 -- I'm planting rocks today! :D The soil is soft from the rain, so I've been digging sockets for the new river cobbles around the purple-and-white garden.

I also emptied the potting soil from the trough pot that doesn't have drain holes and rarely grows much. I figure I can use it as a mini-water garden for the tree frogs who like to hang out amongst the pots on the old picnic table.

I've seen a pair of house finches at the hopper feeder and a male downy woodpecker at the fly-through feeder.

EDIT 3/15/25 -- I finished planting the new cobblestones. I also adjusted some of the other rocks nearby. There's still a lot left to do on the purple-and-white garden, but this is good progress.

Then I went looking for the stepping stone beside the barrel garden. It had crawled halfway under the concrete blocks that hold the barrel. WTF even, stepping stone? Maybe it's shy. Maybe it doesn't want to be a stepping stone. I dug it out for now. I may look for something else to put there, and move this one to the purple-and-white garden. Huh, and some people say rocks aren't alive. I have some very opinionated ones around here.

EDIT 3/15/25 -- I planted the fossil rock in the forest garden by burying the bottom portion so it stands up. It's about a quarter to a third sunk into the soil, which is usually enough. If it doesn't stay put, I can always dig it in deeper. If you want to make stone monuments, even small ones, I highly recommend the book Stone Circles by Rob Roy. It includes the history, theory, and practice of making things with big rocks, such as megalithic math and both ancient and modern methods of moving rocks. Mine was small enough to carry, but I did use the digging technique of making a straight wall and a slope so as to slide the rock in and tip it upright. \o/ While digging, I found a lot of worms and several large grubs. I left the worms alone but extracted the grubs and dropped them in the metal tray feeder in case somebird would like a snack.

My bluebells are sprouting in the forest garden. :D Lots of bulbs too, but that's the first of the wildflowers I've seen there.

The first couple of Shithouse Marigolds are sprouting under the plastic tub on the new picnic table! \o/ The proves the concept for both starting things in small pots outside and for using translucent plastic tubs as greenhouses. I'll have to watch for more tubs at thrift stores or yardsales. So I watered the pots under the tubs, since they missed the rain.

I also tinkered with the trough a bit. I found a sycamore branch to go from one end to the other, then anchored it with a couple of brick pieces and a lava pebble. The top brick already has a bit of moss on it, which is nice. :D This provides both starting decor and a way for wildlife to crawl out if anything falls in.

In the cistern garden, garlic chives have been up for a while. Now the chives and perennial leeks are also sprouting.

Egyptian walking onions are greening up in their pot. I don't think the potted perennial leeks survived though. I kinda had to throw things in the ground really fast at the end of the fall when I grabbed them from the Charleston Food Forest, so I wasn't sure what would survive where. I tried to spread them out in hopes that some would make it, and all of the root crops I took should reproduce easily.

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

EDIT 3/15/25 -- I took some pictures around the yard to show what I've done today and the new things sprouting.

My sacrificial offering of grubs was quickly gobbled up by the birds. :D

It's starting to spit rain so I don't know if I'll make it back outside.

EDIT 3/15/25 -- It has stopped spitting rain, so I was able to do a bit of work around the patio.

We also got the hygrometer/thermometer working again, and I hung that back up outside.

I've seen several blackbirds and a robin.

EDIT 3/15/25 -- I sowed Bee Lawn Mix on bare patches in the south lot.  There is still a lot of that to do.

Both rain gauges read about 3/4 inch from last night's rain, so the tilt on the septic garden gauge isn't making much of a difference.

EDIT 3/15/25 -- It started raining, so I am done for the night. 

I took some pictures around the yard today. Most of these are from the house yard and south lot. We also visited the Charleston Food Forest, which is starting to wake up, but since that wasn't a preplanned stop, I didn't have my camera with me.

See all of today's photography posts:
Photos: House Yard and South Lot
Photos: Savanna and Prairie Garden
Photos: Back Toward the House
Photos: Garden Shed

( Walk with me ... )

Today is sunny and mild. 

I fed the birds.  I put out a new suet cake.  I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a starling, and a tufted titmouse.   

I put out water for the birds.

More crocuses are blooming, which is good because I've seen multiple honeybees, some piling over each other to drain the flowers.

EDIT 3/9/25 -- I started spreading compost on the daffodil bed.

EDIT 3/9/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen several starlings, a mourning dove, a downy woodpecker, and a fox squirrel.

EDIT 3/9/25 -- I finished spreading the bag of compost on the daffodil bed.  It needs a lot more, though, and I'm out. I'll have to check if Rural King has theirs ready to sell yet.

I've seen several grackles and a red-winged blackbird.  :D

EDIT 3/9/25 -- I gathered long branches from the house yard and the ritual meadow to put around the bonfire.

EDIT 3/9/25 -- I gathered more branches for the firepit.

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

Today is mostly sunny and chilly.  It rained off and on yesterday but is drier today, and the howling wind has died down.  Last night it got up to 24 miles per hour.  It blew over the obelisk in the septic garden -- despite the bricks weighing down the bottom -- so I need to set that back up.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a large mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, several mourning doves, a starling, and a male cardinal.

I put out water for the birds.

The first yellow snow crocus is blooming in front of the log garden.

EDIT 3/6/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

Birds have been mobbing the feeders.  After yesterday's craptastic weather, I can't blame them.  

The sun is more-or-less behind the house now, casting a peaked shadow of the roof across part of the house yard.  I saw a squirrel shadow along the edge of the roof, and then the squirrel jumped into the forest garden!  :D  Much fun to watch.

EDIT 3/6/25 -- I walked around the yard a bit.  I saw a fox squirrel high up in a tree.  I heard a downy woodpecker drumming and managed to spot it.  :D

The snowdrops, which were absent just a few days ago, are now up a few inches and blooming all over the east end of the savanna.  :D  They are blooming in their proper place at the north end of the flowerbeds bordering the parking lot, but have also seeded into the lawn and parking lot on either side.  The ones in the white garden are blooming too.

I pulled the dead vines off the obelisk in the septic garden, then set it upright.

EDIT 3/6/25 -- I raked leaves from around the bases of two trees and hauled the leaves away to use as mulch in the savanna.

EDIT 3/6/25 -- I broke up sticks from the brushpile beside the driveway and hauled a wheelbarrow full to the firepit.

Also, I noticed that yesterday's tiny terrarium has condensation all over the sides, so I took the metal cap off to let it air out a bit.  As I was doing that, I noticed a thin meandering trail along the sides, barely a millimeter wide.  It likely belongs to a baby slug or snail, possibly a worm.  Even in just a few spoonfuls of soil, life finds a way.  :D

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

Grand Prairie Friends is our local nature organization, currently managing about 1200 acres of land around central Illinois. The biggest is the Warbler Ridge Conservation Area at 1059 acres. Some is actual prairie with native grasses and wildflowers. Some is a mix of upland forest and riverbottom; we have multiple riparian zone patches. If you're in the neighborhood, drop by for a hike, forest bathing, or some creative inspiration!

Here's an update on federal funding in the current situation -- it's okay for now, and backup plans are in place should it disappear. There are links where you can donate or otherwise support the cause if you are concerned about its economic safety and/or just want to support healthy habitat.

How are your local nature organizations doing now?

This video shows the birds that come to a wildlife pond, along with various other animals. 

Today is partly cloudy and cold. It got down to 8°F last night. It snowed a little, just a light dusting, but very sparkly. Much of that has already melted off today.

I fed the birds. I've seen a large mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a large flock of starlings, a large flock of mourning doves, a pair of cardinals, and a squirrel high in a tree.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 2/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I put out more seed for the birds.

I am done for the night.

Today is sunny and cold. It got down to 6°F last night.

I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows, a large flock of mourning doves, several starlings, a female cardinal, and a male downy woodpecker.

I put out water for the birds.

I spread icemelt over the patio where the snow has formed a sheet of ice.

EDIT 1/14/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I put out more water for the birds. I've seen a flock of starlings, a pair of cardinals plus an extra male in the distance, and a fox squirrel.

I am done for the night.

Today is sunny and cold.  It snowed considerably yesterday, and was very sparkly today.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a large flock of sparrows, a flock of mourning doves, a male cardinal, and a fox squirrel.