A Snowbird in Paradise

I think almost all of the containers are planted, now. At last count there were 24.

1. a half-whisky tub of a cherry tomato and 8 herbs
2, 3, 4. three railing planters of bright red geraniums, chartreuse sweet potato vine, and white licorice vine
5. a huge coffee cup planter of begonias...deep red
6, 7, 8. three tiers of geraniums, trailing vines, several varieties of nemesia
9, 10. two tiers of sage in the center pot and 2 different kinds of thyme in the lower planter
11. a huge pot by the doorwall of spikes, and left over filler plants and trailers
12. a long planter of purple bean plants (from my Indiana fellow gardener) hoping to climb my trellis
13, 14. two pots of caladiums from Florida IF the squirrel didn't ruin them
15. a terra cotta pot in a wrought iron holder of nemesia, petunia, licorice, and two geraniums left from last year. If they don't make it the rest will fill in.
16. a little wood slat wheelbarrow of coleus, geranium, trailing plants and a petunia
17. a twig garden cart planted with a little of everything
18. a large round green bowl with a little of everything sitting on an old chair in the corner of the garden
19. a watering can rescued from the trash planted with a tall pink Nemesia and frosty Euphorbia
20. a red basket fo coleus, licorice, nemesia, creeping jenny, spikes
21. a decorative pot (from FranRV) still to fill
22. another terra cotta pot to fill
23, 24. two small "strawberry pots" yet to fill. Now that I know from TV the best way to plant those I am anxious to try.





Bought from the nursery:
3 Black Heart ipomoea batatas (sweet potato vine)
3 Tri-Color ipomoea batatas
6 Margarita ipomoea batatas
White Licorice hellichrysum petiolare
Raspberry sunsatia
Magella Purple perilla nemesia
Flying Colors Coral diaseia (twinspur)
Goldilocks lysimachia nummularia (creeping jenny)
Diamond Frost euphorbia
Silver Dust dusty miller
mixed double Madness petunia
blue lobelia
Solstice Chocolate Regal pelargonium
Compact Pink Innocence nemesia fruticand (twinspur)
ALSO:
pre-planted containers of herbs, perennials, and vegetables which I took apart and replanted.

But, DARN! They look GOOD!

There is a single long island parallel to our 5 little one s, here at the North end of Lake Erie. That long island is a lovely community having its "special weekend" now. At one time, the South tip of the island held a thriving Naval Air Base. Now it is a municipal airport. Private airplanes, small cargo operations, and other endeavors utilize what is left of the old buildings. So, on this special weekend there is a lot of activity in the sky opposite my particular island. There is the morning Fly-by of the Air Force Jets. With the Red Bull Air Races up-river, the Fly-By is doing double duty. At noon a formation of World War II fighter planes flew the length of the river and turned right above us. I was too late for a picture then, but the camera is ready NOW. Who knows what else is going to come into view.


Later in the summer there is another happening at the airport...a "fly-in" of historic war planes known as "The Confederate Air Force". That weekend I need a sound recorder more than a camera. Having spent those WWII days at my grandmother's house within sight of the airbase, I heard fighters and cargo planes on an hourly basis. To hear those sounds again takes me right back to those days...happy for me, but difficult as war years always are. I try to explain things to my way-younger brother and my dear 50s Man, who is just enough younger than I am not to remember the War Years. There is no way to transfer the nostalgia from my memory to theirs.

It finally happened BOTH woodpeckers on the feeder at the same time.

Can you see her? That is a female Mallard swimming in my FOUNTAIN! Now, mind you, she has been swimming in the water standing in my pool cover, about 30' x 15'. Not to mention that she has all of Lake Erie less than a block away.

Once last year I saw a male Baltimore Oriole in my birdbath. I could hear their call once in a while so I knew they were around.

"Oranges!" it said on Wild Birds Unlimited. "They cannot resist oranges." I was determined to get them coming to the yard regularly so I got two oranges from my neighbor and hung two halves in the suet feeder. Another I hung further out in the yard just on a whimsical little dish on a chain. I didn't know what to do with the last half so I just put it on my deck railing about 5 feet away from the doorwall.

You can guess where I first saw the male...that's right...at the "extra" orange half. He was too fast for the camera but now I know they are around.

Today I snapped these photos. I suspect the first is the female and the second is a juvenile fledgling. The male is just SOOO bright I can't mistake him.

Coming home to Michigan late in April usually means an overgrown garden but, honestly, this year wasn't so bad. The problem has been the rain. I am not about to go out and garden in the rain.

This is the first year to have my lovely back deck/porch since it wasn't completed until last fall. How handy that is! I have a few adjustments for my son to make when he comes by, but it is quite a delight.

The birds practically sit on my lap. They come right on the deck while I am sitting there. Even while my granddaughters are there, if they are quiet. I was amazed that they sit on the birdfeeders while I am on the porch, but coming right on the porch was a complete surprised.

The first thing I cleaned up for summer was the pond and fountain.

This year there will be as many containers of annuals in the garden as I can manage. This twig-cart was a rescue from my daughter's lake house. With the addition of a cocoa mat from ACO and good potting soil it went from plastic and silk artificial plants to real.

The planter will get a liberal dose of Miracle Gro spray every couple of weeks, but there is enough in the potting soil for the next couple of weeks. The cart is much darker in the rain and I like that look, too. I am going to take photos of the planters throughout the summer as the contents grow.

Every year I mourn leaving the larger-than-life Florida animals and flowers. Then, once I am back North, there are always wonderful surprises.

One of my daughters left a ceramic bird seed dish and seed when she visited my house while I was gone. It isn't high-tech, but looked cute on the railing of my back porch/deck. The birds took right to the new feeder in spite of its close proximity to the house and my doorwall. First the common sparrows and doves then the following photo!


Last year my brother and sister-in-law gave me a finch feeder and thistle seed like they use. I finally got a pair of yellow finches along with some purple or red house finches and some sparrows who really TRIED to reach the seed by hanging upside down. They are nowhere near the acrobats that the Goldfinches are.

This year there have been more Goldfinches! I am delighted.



The birds aren't the only early spring visitors.


Of course, I have been scrapbooking the photos!

A door to the screen room was left ajar all afternoon. I discovered this large, gorgeous butterfly trying to get out and I just HAD to take a picture before rescuing it. I had a little Dollar Store butterfly net my granddaughter used to try and catch little lizards. I plopped it over the butterfly and lightly held the wings through the netting. A moment later it was freely flying away to other places.


Here is a more personal item than I usually include. On April 4, our next door neighbor was found unconscious inside her home. On the 12th she passed away. She was an avid gardener and watched the wildlife with me. She introduced me to feeding the big birds in 2002. She was the sweetest woman and will be so missed. I cannot imagine not having her there next winter.

Earlier this winter, as we drove along one of our main routes I was looking alongside the highway into the deep canal at one side. All of the canals, says the sign, feed right into the Indian River. There are fish, and lots of wildlife along with more trash than I would like to see, and, on occasion, an alligator or two.

We had seen a log coming out of the water filled with sunning turtles. However, when I tried to take a photo, the turtles jumped into the water before I could snap. I have been looking ever since for another opportunity to take that picture. Today, there they were...different log, but better. This time I stayed INSIDE the car and well back. We inched forward but they slid back into the water with alarm. Skittish things!

At least I got this photo.

This is too good not to share.

Last evening we gathered down at the edge of the lake to celebrate 2 neighborhood birthdays with a little wine and friendship. We all see different things on the huge communications tower looming over the lake and we often compare "Owl Notes".

There was activity in the nest and around. We saw 4...yes FOUR owls. All seemed to be flying and it got a little confusing but there is the one huge female, slightly smaller male, and two fledglings.

Suddenly we saw one large bird sail over the lake and land on the boat davits 2 doors down. I figured it was the Anhinga that sits there almost every night...but one good look at the head and we could see it was one of the adult owls..the largest one.

I ran (rather, hobbled as fast as I could) for my camera. As I headed back out, the neighbors, still by the lake, were pointing and shouting. The owl had just skimmed a few feet over my head, so silently that I didn't detect it at all. I did find it at the top of the utility pole near the front yard.

The little Mockingbird that had been attacking it by the lake was back driving the owl further down the block until I couldn't see it any more. One of the neighbors thinks there is a mockingbird nest in his bushes.

I tried to get a picture of the huge bird on the top of the pole, but I would have needed more time to steady the camera and adjust the settings. Just not enough time. The flash didn't fire so the aperture stayed open for too long...I couldn't hold the camera that steady. Oh, to have had my tripod attached. I tried to get another photo steadying my camera on the bottlebrush tree, but it was too late.

Back down at the lake we watched the owls fly into the lower part of the tower and fly upward in steps. They must not be high flyers. Other neighbors had watched them do this after sunset, before. It seems to be their pattern for getting to the high nest. The Osprey who built the nest last year could soar right to the nest, but apparently not the owls.

I wish I had photos to share. Here is a digital scrapbook page I made a while ago using elements from Kathryn Balint (www.kbandfriends.com)

The close-up photo is of a Great Horned Owl on display at the Pelican Island Festival a few weekends ago.