April 23, 2010 - 1
Even with the sunny days of the past week, the chill in the air was enough to keep the frogs hidden recently. Nary a frog has been seen since our last foray into seventy degree territory. That's OK though as spring is still progressing nicely, most of the trees have leaves now and more of the backyard flowers have bloomed. By early this week, the lilac bushes were finally showing their flowers and sharing their exquisite fragrance for us to enjoy. ___ Meanwhile, sunrise occurred in the backyard this morning at 6:09. Sunset will arrive at 7:48 this evening. Adding 18 minutes this week, we're up to 13 hours, 39 minutes of bright and beautiful sunlight today. And the cardinals are at the feeders until eight o'clock these days.Backyard Tip of the week: Try to get out this spring to see a sunrise or sunset. Taking my own advice yesterday, I headed out to the backyard last night and headed straight for the apple tree that affords a good view of the sunset. The sky was ablaze with gold and white streaks shining across the horizon and through a few dark clouds. The sky overhead was a crystal shade of blue, adding to nature's daily collage of colors. The apple tree blossoms, still on the tree, added a lovely touch to the evening scene. The already fallen flower petals littered the ground around the tree with beauty and felt soft under my feet as I walked. I also noticed the many rings of holes on the apple tree, left by the yellow-bellied sapsucker and his feeding routine. Yes, try to catch a sunrise or sunset someday soon during this special time of year. You might notice nature's many creatures as they wake or prepare for their evening slumber. See what cool natural offerings your yard has to provide as you enjoy your zen-filled learning experience. Ah, an escape from the normal routine of work and rest. You're sure to love it!
Backyard sightings for last week: Including northern cardinals, dark-eyed juncos, chipping sparrows, blue-jays, brown creepers, song sparrows, tree sparrows, white-throated sparrows. American robins, Carolina wrens and Carolina chickadees, catbirds, mockingbirds, house finches and goldfinches. Red-bellied and downy woodpeckers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, northern flickers, white-breasted nuthatches, tufted titmice, mourning doves. Red-winged blackbirds, crows, common grackles and starlings. Chipmunks, skunks, bunnies, grey squirrels, red squirrels, ground hogs, and a couple of different hawks.
Continued on next page...
April 23, 2010 - Part 2 - Cool Sightings
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