Every springtime Judy’s gorgeous clematis visits! I’ll snip off a couple of slips to grow against the back fence. My valerian plant is just about to flower. Hummers really like them. Dingo discovered my asparagus plants! She loves it so much, she ate every single […]
Well … we just couldn’t help ourselves and adopted a new puppy. There were nine – yes – nine! It was tempting to bring home two but sanity prevailed and we picked our favorite of the bunch. Meet Mocha! Chasing a ball! Attacking ice cubes! […]
Last week I spotted a rare visitor to my garden! Golden-crowned sparrows spend winters along the Pacific coast. By mid-May they migrate to Western Canada and Alaska where they nest. They feed on seeds and insects below feeders and in underbrush. Moments later a second […]
Right side up … … upside down … … one greedy gull going to town. Early February we had a delightful break with the rain. It gave us a chance to visit the beach for a couple of days and recharge our batteries. It was […]
These tiny flying helicopters are so much fun to watch! And photograph! Especially when they sit still for a moment or two. 😉
Here’s a moment of Hummingbird Magic! Ever since putting out the flying saucer style feeders I’ve gotten more visitors. Our local bird store recommends mixing the nectar 1 part sugar and 3 parts water. This makes it more concentrated and nourishing during really cold weather. […]
The chestnut-backed chickadee is the type of chickadee we usually get in our area. They always visit in small flocks and are quite “chatty” and animated. Last September I noticed a different looking bird in the garden. This mostly white bird behaved like a […]
Black Magic Penstemon are hummingbird magnets! This rufous hummingbird is feasting … flitting from blossom to blossom … back and forth … up and down … and around and around … until it’s time to move on! 🙂
Last summer we had a large number of woodpecker parents bringing their fledglings to our suet feeders. This year not so much! I suspect that it has probably been too hot for the birds too around here. It certainly has been way too hot for […]
A minus tide last month had us back at the Oregon Coast. The weather again was just about perfect and the low water levels left much of the usually submerged rocks and sand accessible. We left Portland by 8 a.m. to arrive in Cannon Beach […]
I’ll always remember the first time I spotted one of these birds! It was on a very cold winter morning in our garden in Portland, Oregon. I had to get the bird field guide out since I’d never seen this bird before and learned they […]
It’s getting hot here in the Pacific Northwest! Much of the western United States is dealing with excessive heat right now. Yesterday, it was 125° Fahrenheit in Palm Springs!! While most people wilt under these brutal conditions, butterflies and hardy wildflowers come alive! Long ago […]
The year after planting this plum tree we got a bumper crop of fruit! But ever since, when the tree awakens in the spring there are lots of blossoms, but no fruit. Nontheless, I love this tree! It provides nectar for hummers and mason bees […]
A little cleaning, a little preening, there really are moments when these very active birds sit still. 🙂
… raindrops … … gently falling … … tiny surface waves … … forming … … expanding … … gliding … …each identical … yet different … … intermingled … … separate … … tranquil … … never-ending … … ripples … … drip […]
This Western Swallowtail has taken a liking to my Korean lilac bush. It visits every day and always heads straight for these fragrant blossoms. Just take a look at the proboscis covered in pollen! I watched until it disappeared into the woods along with the […]
A couple of days ago, as I was walking past a stand of trees at the park, I heard a rather loud and insistent hammering sound. “Woodpecker!” I told myself and slowed down as I quietly followed the sound. I peeked through some branches and […]
in cahoots with muddy boots 