All Are Home

“Nature is not a place to visit, it is home.” ~Gary Snyder

Wherever I have roamed, I have been interested in the wildlife that lives there. Whether in a desert seeing a real roadrunner (so cute) or in the mountains gazing upon majestic elk and bear (never get too close). Or even an eagle watching the sunset across the street in the tall ash trees. Wherever I call home, I try to make it home for the critters….birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, amphibians….well you get the picture. Even here in our small modest garden, I have been able to welcome local wildlife and share our space.

Of course with some I have to come to an understanding. Like the rabbits. They usually prefer to eat the clover, but I do catch them nibbling on plants both in my modest garden and in the native plant section near the woods. I use a non-toxic, non-pepper spray that smells yucky and does the trick without harming the bunnies. It seems more bunnies are showing up from other areas. Word must be out that we have the good clover here.

Our rabbits are used to us to the point that even when we come outside, they either don’t move at all or only move slightly. But if they are up too close to the house or too interested in containers, we do shoo them. It is the same with the chipmunk. This year, the chipmunk has been foraging for seeds in the containers so I have to get crafty when planting flower seeds. Use of the rabbit spray works for the chippers too.

You might be able to notice that this chipmunk is a female. Her nipples are showing so she is ready to have a litter somewhere soon. Oh boy it should get pretty wild around here in a couple of months.

Of course we hear frogs but don’t see them. Tree frogs are singing now. And occasionally we will see garter snakes as it warms. We do welcome them. Toads are around and buried around the garden waking up to lay eggs in spring. But without a pond nearby so we can see the magnificent rope of eggs, we miss all that.

Birds, well there are all kinds that show themselves, and especially now with all the song bird visitors who are making nests. Even some who view the feeders as their own private feeding ground, not for suet but the birds themselves. Like this Barred owl that visited this past winter about 10 feet from the suet feeder.

The suet feeder has been humming since last fall, through winter, and now into spring as song birds came back to nest. The only birds not successful getting to the suet are the short-beaked varieties like Cardinals and Grosbeaks. All others have been tenacious enough to find a way.

Even the male Baltimore Oriole was chowing down when he arrived before we had his feeder up. He was a couple of weeks early.

But once the feeder went up, more males, females (above) and others came by to fuel up. Even the Catbirds love the grape jelly in that feeder.

We had to buy a new hummingbird feeder. Our 10-year old feeder was too broken and cruddy to keep. Isn’t the new one cute, and improved to prevent ants, bees and other insects from getting into the feeder.

The hummers returned like clockwork on the 10th and found the feeder easily even though we put it in a new spot.

Birds and chipmunks find the birdbath to their liking. I have to put up the smaller birdbaths lower to the ground for insects and those critters who can’t climb up to the main bath.

Lots of bees and other insects are happily flitting and crawling along, getting to work as we continue to warm, and cool this month. Before we know it, we will all be baking in the summer heat. So I’ll be grateful for now for those cooler days and nights continuing this week.

A wonderful dear neighbor gave me the gift of these sunflowers. Don’t they look fabulous with the orange tulips from last week. They were quite the pick-me-up I needed.

And then by themselves once the tulips faded. I haven’t planted sunflower seeds yet, but I need to get to it soon. Maybe while the chipmunk is busy.

With this week’s lovely vase, I am linking in to the wonderful meme, In A Vase On Monday, at Rambling in the Garden.

All the pictures shared in this post were taken with my Nikon Coolpix or iPhone camera, and manipulated on my iPhone using the apps, Pixlr and Prisma. You can follow my progress with #the100dayproject in my Instagram and Facebook feed.

All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2023.  Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.