Eastern Bluebird Hatchlings

Baby bluebirds this week! Counted five in the nest.

Swamp Milkweed in Bloom

Swamp Milkweed, Early Meadowrue, and Spiderwort just popped this week. As plants of the Milkweed family are the host plants of the Monarch Butterfly, and we have loads of Swamp Milkweed and Butterflyweed in the garden, hopefully we can count on some orange-banded visitors soon. Cherries on choke cherry tree.

Have seen several birds we don't normally spot at the feeder, including the Northern Cardinal and the Red-winged Blackbird.

90's up until the past few days we've had storms and 70's.

Natives in Bloom:

• Early Meadowrue
• Harebell
• Prairie Smoke
• Spiderwort
• Swamp Milkweed

Wildlife Spotted:

• Baltimore Oriole
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Canadian Goose
• Chipmunk, Eastern
• Chorus Frog
• Cottontail Rabbit
• Eastern Bluebird
• Goldfinch
• Grackle
• Grey Squirrel
• Northern Cardinal
• Nuthatch
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Sandhill Crane
• Squirrel, Grey
• Turkey Vulture

Tree Frog (first frog to enter the new pond) heard calling in the pond last night. With any luck, mating season is on, and we might have young on the way.

5 Bluebird eggs in the house so far. Columbine have just gone to seed, while the Prairie Ninebark and False Indigo are starting to fade and the Swamp Milkweed are just about ready to pop. Hot and humid with temps in the 80's and 90's. Steady drizzle yesterday, but otherwise pretty dry.


Currently in Bloom:

• Canada Anemone
• False Indigo
• Harebell
• Prairie Ninebark
• Prairie Smoke
• Swamp Buttercup
• Wild Geranium
  

Wildlife Spotted:

• Baltimore Oriole
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Canadian Goose
• Chipmunk, Eastern
• Chorus Frog
• Cottontail Rabbit
• Eastern Bluebird
• Goldfinch
• Grey Squirrel
• Loon
• Mallard Duck
• Nuthatch
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Sandhill Crane
• Spring Peeper
• Squirrel, Grey
• Turkey Vulture

Some pictures from this past week:

Bluebird nest spotted in the house yesterday. Two tiny blue eggs so far.

Heavy rain over the weekend and early this morning. False Indigo's beginning to bloom, while Wild Geranium is starting to go to seed (have a massive patch of it this year). Almost done with the last stage of the pond; now have almost all of it the cement apron finished.

Swamp Buttercup in bloom

Swamp Buttercup just exploded last week. Wild Geranium coming up in huge clumps now, while the Canadian Anemone is just starting to burst. Stalks of Swamp Milkweed starting to crop up, as are Wild Bergamot, Harebell, and several varieties of Goldenrod. Columbine has started to go to seed.

Very dry lately, but cool; was a frost in fact just last week. Hummingbirds have been territoreal lately, attempting to chase humans away from their flowerbeds. Pond has been going well; have added a polyurethane sealant to the cement (have been assured by chemist friends that when cured this will not affect the fish or amphibians), and have begun to add dirt to the basins, allowing the frogs something to burrow in in the winter.

Natives in Bloom:

• Canada Anemone
• Columbine
• Rue Anemone
• Wild Geranium

Wildlife Spotted:

• Baltimore Oriole
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Canadian Goose
• Chipmunk, Eastern
• Chorus Frog
• Cottontail Rabbit
• Eastern Bluebird
• Goldfinch
• Grey Squirrel
• Loon
• Mallard Duck
• Nuthatch
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Sandhill Crane
• Spring Peeper
• Squirrel, Grey
• Turkey Vulture