Birds, Bees, Flowers, Wildlife, and Mules

We saw this doe walk out of the woods and pretty soon two fawns came racing from the tall grasses. I don't often get to see a doe nursing her fawn, let alone nursing twins.

Fighting Tiny Titans

not a fantastic shot but you can see the hummers chest thumping each other in a dispute over the Bee Balm and the other flowers in our east garden.
 

It's July. It is hot, humid, muggy, and there is a smokey haze. The yard was still too wet from our rain the night before of 1 inch. So I took a chair out next to the garden used my long lens to observe the goings on in my garden.

A Fritillary Butterfly and a Bumble Bee were both enjoying my Blazing Stars.

A Silver Spotted Skipper [?] seemed to be fascinated with my Forget me nots.

The bees were crazy busy. Even extremely tiny ones. 

I caught sight of some house finches enjoying the feeder also.

I can enjoy photographing the flowers and all of the activity and still be near enough to the house to check on my 'patient'. 

Morning light on a pumpkin flower with a busy Bee Butt full of pollen.

I have several pumpkin plants that did free seeding in the mules lot. I'll have to fence them off later if I want pumpkins for this fall. I also have 3 or 4 plants growing in my flower beds. Why not? Less yard I have to mow!

The sun flowers are beginning to get ready to show off their blossoms and with that, the bees will pollinate and the Goldfinches will get busy at eating the seeds. I let them have plenty before I take and save the seeds for next year's planting.

I'm looking forward to having the mule gals' pasture brush hogged. Hopefully it will help keep down the noxious weeds and the burdock. If I can get a regular schedule for next year I will be a happy person and so will my gals.

Sundance looks over Siera's back.

Sunshine enjoys a weedy pasture, she can swipe irritating flies off her body.

They may look like the same red mules, but they aren't. They are half sisters with the same mom, different donkey dads. Sunshine is 28 and Sundance is 16. I can easily tell them apart by their body shape and their tails which are different shades.

I finally did get out into the woods on Sunday morning. I found some very interesting mushrooms.

More...later!

Gardens, flowers, birds

 I'm really enjoying my flower gardens around the house. Yes, all the way around the house. Each little garden has flowers that will flower at different times all summer which provides me with joy and colorful subjects to admire.

My short sunflowers are getting ready to show off their blossoms. The blue cosmos have overtaken the zinnias but the zinnias will preserver and have their time to show off also.

In front of the house we have our Oriole feeder and it is getting quite busy with both Orioles and their fledglings and other birds. I think these are house finches and it seems the sparrows have found a taste for oranges also.

The hummers and more interested in the Borage, Forget me Nots, Bee Balm, and Hosta flowers. Each day I gather a few flowers to bring inside.

I guess having to stick around the house all of the time has made my gardens cleaner and prettier. At least I think so!

The birds continue to entertain us at the feeders. Here is a 12 second video of birds at the Oriole feeder. Note that sparrows, Grosbeaks, and Orioles use it. Not shown is the hoards of house finches [?] that are swarming the feeder at different times also.

The Orioles are bringing their fledglings to the feeder too and feeding them. I haven't caught that in a photo yet, but I'll try.

I did do a still life...with dried mushrooms I found in the yard and garden Phlox petals.

This is for Miss Merry:  [It started raining this morning! Again!]

Wednesday was fishing day and adventure day. We both got worn out but had a great time...I might even write about that adventure later....

Now to enjoy the rainfall because that means I can take a nap and not worry about mowing the yard that is too soggy.