Greetings and Happy Spring from the foothills of the Smokies!
This bluebird is taking a break from building a nest in a box that we put on this old tree along our pasture fence line. They're the first birds I've seen nesting so far this spring.
The female was busy gathering straw from another spot in the pasture.
As she gathered straw he kept watch for dangerous interlopers. O.o
Bluebirds are my all-time favorite bird. If you'd like them to frequent your yard all you have to supply is water (birdbath) and a nesting box placed 5-6 ft high on a post, tree or side of a building. You don't have to feed them as they'll catch bugs on their own.
Behind our garage we have an area where we let whatever grow that wills. It's not a large area, but it's natural habitat for the birds that prefer thick undergrowth ... ( The white barrels catch rain water that runs off the garage roof for watering my raised beds.)
Like this white-throated sparrow. It's easy to recognize this bird by the yellow spot in front of its eyebrow. (Click the picture to see it better.)
We have a row of evergreen trees that provide year-round cover and nesting spots for several species of birds in nesting season.
This dark-eyed junco searches the ground for seeds that the other birds drop from the feeder.
In the same area is this bamboo stand, not for the birds, but to use as stakes in the garden when the trunks get big enough to support plants.
Yesterday we made our annual trek to a family owned pharmacy in a nearby town for these little bottles of Rhus Tox. If you've never heard of it, it's a homeopathic inoculation for poison ivy, taken by mouth. It, actually, contains a bit of oil from the poison ivy plant. Goodman takes this each spring to prevent getting the dreaded rash from working near poison ivy. It works great!
What's for dinner ... fried swai, red beans, wilted lettuce and hush puppies. That. was. good. Have a great week, Y'all!
Shared at:
The Art of Home-Making Mondays,
Roses of Inspiration
