Flying Squirrels

The weather has finally warmed-up but today the wind gusts are so strong that we keep watching the tall trees expecting them to fall over any second. Our neighbors are trading trash and I'm sure I see squirrels flying past the windows. The dust is always a problem when we have so much wind - which is my excuse for blogging instead of cleaning! (Why do it twice?)

This is an American Goldfinch - the first we've seen this year. We've also had several of the Lesser Goldfinches at the thistle feeder. We haven't seen the Bullock's Orioles for a couple of days and think they have moved on - after we bought them a new feeder and kept putting out orange slices (they ignored both - preferring the peanut butter smear).

The White-capped Sparrow has also disappeared along with the Yellow-rumped Warbler. We still have our regulars - woodpeckers, hummingbirds, jays, finches, robins, doves, sparrows and chickadees along with Grackles, Starlings and an occasional Magpie. We think the Mountain Chickadee babies have hatched in the birdhouse as both the male and female are making trip after trip to get food and bring it back to the house.

Yard work continues as we see what flowers and bushes are coming back - and those that didn't make it. Bill enjoys working in the gardens as do I. I'm still taking life a little easier after my hospital stay - but am getting stronger every day.

The ponds are looking pretty good. We think the motion detector lights that Bill installed are keeping the raccoons away - except we seem to have two fish missing. Bill has decided not to put any more pond plants in as that is what the raccoons make such a mess of - and he's decided they are not worth the headaches. He does have 2 pond lilies and we put in some duck weed.

This female Black-headed Grosbeak came to check out the accommodations the other night while we were visiting with good friends Nancy and Joe. We've been watching for the male grosbeak but so far he has not made an appearance.

Yesterday, we went down to Midway to have dinner with daughters, Laura and Terri and their families. The terrain is quite different even thought we are only 30 minutes south of the Springs - and so are their birds. This, of course, is a House Finch - but he has much more red then the ones we see in our yard.

This bird had us scratching our heads - we had no idea what it was. After looking at the pictures, we've decided it is a Green-tailed Towhee and a new life bird!