Songbirds truly do usher in spring! - Wildlife Gardeners

bigbike4 · 04-01-2009, 07:23 PM

I do not know about the rest of you, but part of the reason I get so down with winter is that most of the song birds depart here for places unknown to me. sure we have a few B. jays and Cardinals around and grackel, and titmice, and chicodees that stick it out and a few other smaller birds, but when the warmer temps start coming back so do the birds. Several weeks ago I could not help but notice all the commotion outside with birds skurrrying to build nests and feed and do all sorts of things. The songs they sing and the beauty of their voice, un matched by even the best human singers we have today. there is just shear joy to their songs!

Here in TN we do have a strange bird-it does have a voice. It can fly but prefers to run on the ground. It is about the size of a mockingbird, yet is not a mockingbird. It is light grey colored, and is out doing a lot of its dining and movements at night! or at least in the late evening hours. It is nothing to hear it making noise at 3 am. I had never seen a bird like this before. Since most are at roust in the wee morning hours. I will try and find a website that lists this bird.

I am enjoying watching the birds build nests and sing and do their "happy days" dance. Hope you all are too.

ecofarmer · 04-01-2009, 07:56 PM

On Blotanical, a brilliant collection of garden blogs, and an interesting, fun community, there is a tradition called "Wordless Wednesdays". It features lovely garden photos on each of the participating blogs. While I enjoy the beauty, I've not participated. My photos are not that good and I usually don't remember when I'm writing. So, in the spirit of Wordless Wednesdays, I am having a Pictureless Monday. There were some things today that I'd loved to have photographed. The camera somehow didn't make it out of the bag. So, I'll try to describe some of the bits, and you will have to use your imagination to fill in the details. I'm sure it will be lovely.

The birds were noticeable today. I think they really like all the ground we disturbed over the weekend. They didn't have much time at it yesterday because it rained most of the day, but today was beautiful. We had robins, red-winged black birds, grackles, starlings, sparrows, and pigeons all over the lawn. We also had a minor war going on at the blue bird house. A pair of sparrows were trying to take over the house. Mrs. Bluebird put up a valiant fight, and seems to have won for the time being. Mr. B didn't make much of an appearance. The soggy lower pasture was filled with black birds, kill-deer, and various small birds I couldn't identify from a distance. The sky was full of vultures, hawks, and crows. Everywhere I looked the birds were out and active. As I walked to the barn, I spied one bird that really brought a smile. The first of the barn swallows was perched on the wire as I walked by. We usually have around 20 pair nesting in the lower part of the barn. I love watching them swoop and dive for bugs.

Besides bird watching (which could have taken the whole day), we spent a lot of time prepping for the week. In the greenhouse it is planting time. Things were moved out of the propagator and soil was prepared for tomorrow. We will be filling it again. This time we will use mini blocks (about the size of a sugar cube). The propagation mat I have holds 5 flats. That is 250 plants. Using mini blocks I can fit 280 plants in a flat. That lets me put 1400 plants in the propagator at one time. Much better use of space. They germinate really fast because the little blocks stay the correct temp better than the big ones. Today we sifted the soil block mix so we had enough fine mix for the mini blocks. I'll have pictures of tomorrows activities.

Around the house we spent some time finishing some trim work, doing school, and ordering materials for the next stage of the potager construction.

It should be a fun, busy week.

Posted this here because I can"t post a link.

bigbike4 · 04-01-2009, 08:06 PM

Beautiful, lovely, well written.

TheLorax · 04-01-2009, 08:53 PM

You two both have such a nice way with words. I don't have much going on by me. I am very much looking forward to spring.

04-01-2009, 07:23 PM	#1
bigbike4 Grub Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Rogersville, TN USA	Songbirds truly do usher in spring! I do not know about the rest of you, but part of the reason I get so down with winter is that most of the song birds depart here for places unknown to me. sure we have a few B. jays and Cardinals around and grackel, and titmice, and chicodees that stick it out and a few other smaller birds, but when the warmer temps start coming back so do the birds. Several weeks ago I could not help but notice all the commotion outside with birds skurrrying to build nests and feed and do all sorts of things. The songs they sing and the beauty of their voice, un matched by even the best human singers we have today. there is just shear joy to their songs! Here in TN we do have a strange bird-it does have a voice. It can fly but prefers to run on the ground. It is about the size of a mockingbird, yet is not a mockingbird. It is light grey colored, and is out doing a lot of its dining and movements at night! or at least in the late evening hours. It is nothing to hear it making noise at 3 am. I had never seen a bird like this before. Since most are at roust in the wee morning hours. I will try and find a website that lists this bird. I am enjoying watching the birds build nests and sing and do their "happy days" dance. Hope you all are too. __________________ Gardening-the art of killing weeds and bugs to grow flowers and crops for animals and birds to eat

04-01-2009, 07:56 PM	#2
ecofarmer Unicellular Fungi Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: east-central Ohio, USA	On Blotanical, a brilliant collection of garden blogs, and an interesting, fun community, there is a tradition called "Wordless Wednesdays". It features lovely garden photos on each of the participating blogs. While I enjoy the beauty, I've not participated. My photos are not that good and I usually don't remember when I'm writing. So, in the spirit of Wordless Wednesdays, I am having a Pictureless Monday. There were some things today that I'd loved to have photographed. The camera somehow didn't make it out of the bag. So, I'll try to describe some of the bits, and you will have to use your imagination to fill in the details. I'm sure it will be lovely. The birds were noticeable today. I think they really like all the ground we disturbed over the weekend. They didn't have much time at it yesterday because it rained most of the day, but today was beautiful. We had robins, red-winged black birds, grackles, starlings, sparrows, and pigeons all over the lawn. We also had a minor war going on at the blue bird house. A pair of sparrows were trying to take over the house. Mrs. Bluebird put up a valiant fight, and seems to have won for the time being. Mr. B didn't make much of an appearance. The soggy lower pasture was filled with black birds, kill-deer, and various small birds I couldn't identify from a distance. The sky was full of vultures, hawks, and crows. Everywhere I looked the birds were out and active. As I walked to the barn, I spied one bird that really brought a smile. The first of the barn swallows was perched on the wire as I walked by. We usually have around 20 pair nesting in the lower part of the barn. I love watching them swoop and dive for bugs. Besides bird watching (which could have taken the whole day), we spent a lot of time prepping for the week. In the greenhouse it is planting time. Things were moved out of the propagator and soil was prepared for tomorrow. We will be filling it again. This time we will use mini blocks (about the size of a sugar cube). The propagation mat I have holds 5 flats. That is 250 plants. Using mini blocks I can fit 280 plants in a flat. That lets me put 1400 plants in the propagator at one time. Much better use of space. They germinate really fast because the little blocks stay the correct temp better than the big ones. Today we sifted the soil block mix so we had enough fine mix for the mini blocks. I'll have pictures of tomorrows activities. Around the house we spent some time finishing some trim work, doing school, and ordering materials for the next stage of the potager construction. It should be a fun, busy week. Posted this here because I can"t post a link. Last edited by Fearless Weeder; 04-01-2009 at 08:06 PM. Reason: self promotion is disallowed

04-01-2009, 08:06 PM	#3
bigbike4 Grub Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Rogersville, TN USA	Beautiful, lovely, well written. __________________ Gardening-the art of killing weeds and bugs to grow flowers and crops for animals and birds to eat

04-01-2009, 08:53 PM	#4
TheLorax Unicellular Fungi Join Date: Nov 2008	You two both have such a nice way with words. I don't have much going on by me. I am very much looking forward to spring. __________________ "In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we have been taught." -Baba Dioum, Senegalese ecologist

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