Camellias Still Blooming
Posted: April 10, 2019 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Backyard Critters, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, My Kitchen Window, Professor Sargent Camellia, Red Velvet Camellia, Southern Gardening, subtropical climate, Subtropical Gardening, White by the Gate Camellia, Year-round gardening 12 Comments
My camellias have been having an outstanding year. They have been blooming since the end of January. I am so thrilled, I just had to take more pictures of them. The Red Velvet has more flowers than ever. I think it helped that deer didn’t eat the shrub this year.
White by the Gate has had very little discoloration from fungus despite the rains this year.
I do not know what is different this year, but the Camellias have given me months of pleasure. Professor Sargent has a few more buds to open.
Green for St. Pat’s Day
Posted: March 16, 2019 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: anole lizard, Backyard Critters, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, nature photography, Southern Gardening 14 Comments
I was checking out all the new growth on my fern and spotted a Green Anole Lizard hanging out on a frond. Can you find it?
Stuck in the Garage
Posted: March 5, 2019 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Backyard Critters, Cedar Waxwings, nature photography 13 Comments
During the Cedar Waxwing feeding frenzy from the previous post, one of the birds took a detour into the open garage and became stuck. It is perched on top of the light.
I am very strict with my family and don’t allow them to leave the doors open, but today it was me doing gardening chores and being too lazy to walk around to the small door.
Waxwings, like most birds, only think about flying up to escape. After chasing this bird around for awhile, I had to come up with another plan. I cut a branch of holly berries and situated it near the open door and left for a while. (I did saturate this photo to show the berries.) Later when I came back, I saw my plan worked and the Waxwing was free.
The next day I went out to run errands and was puzzled for a moment as to why there were red bird droppings on my windshield. Of course, it was from the Cedar Waxwing that was stuck in the garage the day before.
Cedar Waxwings Feeding Frenzy
Posted: March 3, 2019 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: American Robin, Backyard Critters, Cedar Waxwings, Gulf Coast gardening, nature photography, subtropical climate, Yaupon Holly 17 Comments
We recently spent an afternoon watching Cedar Waxwings descend upon a holly bush loaded with red berries.
The Cedar Waxwings are beautiful birds with their black masks and pale yellow belly. This photo caught the red tips on this one’s wing. The birds have a bright yellow tip on their tails.
There were probably more than 50 individuals in this flock. They arrived in waves, occasionally taking breaks. The Waxwings had already stripped a nearby holly. Earlier in the winter they ate all the berries from the native Yaupon Holly trees in the yard.
They were so eager to feed that they flew closely over our heads and under the front porch. A few hit the windows, but survived.
Across the street a large flock of American Robins had been gathering and one finally came over to check out the action.
Toads Hunkered Down
Posted: February 3, 2019 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Backyard Critters, nature photography, Southern Gardening, toads, Year-round gardening 15 Comments
While moving a pile of bricks, I came across six toads that were hunkered down for the cold days. The toads were tucked between the bricks and each had a mate by their side.
They were sleepy and slow moving. I carefully relocated the toads to a safe spot and put a broken clay pot over them.
I camouflaged the pot with bark and leaves to keep the toads safe for the time being. It will be interesting to see if they will stay in their new digs.
Sugar Bees
Posted: January 28, 2019 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Backyard Critters, bees, nature photography, Southern Gardening 15 Comments
The sugar feeder has become really popular. Now bees have taken over.
I’m not sure where the bees came from, as it took months before they discovered the feeder.
The competition is high and the birds only have access to their sugar treat on cold and rainy days.
Birds and Sugar
Posted: January 21, 2019 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Backyard Critters, birds, Chickadee, Gulf Coast birds, My Kitchen Window, nature photography, Orange-crowned Warbler, Southern Gardening 23 Comments
My Sugar Bird is back. This little bird is crazy for sugar and I do believe it is the same bird that has visited in previous years.
As it turns out, I identify this bird differently every year. This year I’m going to say it is an Orange-crowned Warbler. I can look at those bird pictures all day and not quite tell what this cutie is.
I was really surprised to see that a Chickadee had been observing Sugar Bird and decided to see what was so delicious.
When Chickadees feed, they go to the feeder and take a seed to a tree to eat. They are very quick.
I have the sugar feeder set up outside my kitchen window, so I can be entertained while I eat. I also took all the photos from my table, through the window that is about five feet away.
It took me weeks to get a shot of the fast moving Chickadee and I was thrilled when I got these four during one visit…and in focus.
