Cloudy Skies

Puffy white clouds rise up into the mid-afternoon sky and over the top of my fence. I can just see the tops of them and they keep billowing upwards, providing much-needed shade and give me something interesting to look at besides stark gray-blue sky.

I like a cloudy day. The sky is constantly changing and the birds seem to know that rain is on its way...

New Feeder Update

Thanks to the new bird feeder, we've taken in an entire flock of goldfinches! There are at least 30 of them and they swoop in every day and drain as much seed as they can.

Before, when we only had the smaller gazebo feeder, we had a few finches here and there.

But now that we've hung out the big daddy feeder, I think we've created a monster. (A very good, fascinating and entertaining monster!)

There are so many birds that it looks like the ground is moving!

In conclusion, the new feeder is a complete success. Too bad I don't have room for another one...

Sweet Dreams

As I watch the hummingbirds make their last mad-dash to the feeders before sundown, I can't help but wonder, where do they sleep? We don't have many trees in my neighborhood. Do they share the same one, all elbowing each other for space?

I know they go into a hibernation-like state called Torpor, but it's still difficult to imagine something so active during the day catching shuteye at night.

Wherever they sleep, I hope they have sweet, nectar-filled dreams where the feeders are always full and the flowers are always blooming.

The New Hotspot

We bought a new bird feeder yesterday. It was the biggest one on the shelf and I thought to myself, "Wow, the birds will love that." It holds up to 17 pounds of seed and I can't wait to see how long it will stay full. (Hopefully a while!)

Bird feeders are somewhat of a catch 22. The longer they stay full the better, so you don't have to fill them up so often. But on the other hand, when they empty quickly it means you've had that many more birds eating from them.

The birds couldn't even wait for us to hang it up!!!

So, now that the new feeder is in its new home in the backyard, it didn't take long for every bird in the neighborhood to flock to it. The seed is already flying and the goldfinches are chasing off the house finches--never seen that before!

We'll see just how fast they can drain all those sunflower seeds...

Bath Time

I just love the sound of a mourning dove. I've mentioned them in my books before (a dove played a pivotal role in Wild Ice) and there's just something so hauntingly beautiful about their call.

I have a pair of doves who hang around in my yard every day and I could watch them for hours. This one posed for me quite majestically and I'm happy to add his photo to my scrapbook.

And when bath time rolls around, I'm there to snap some photos and watch the water fly...

Antique Bird Finds

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post over on my author blog about my antiquing finds. Because they are all bird-related treasures, I thought I'd share what I found in a little more detail here on Wings and Daydreams.

First off, is the wall canvas I found. I instantly fell in love with the cute little bird and his nest.

The best part of this piece is how the gold leaves "glow" when you look at it from a certain angle. It is truly a 3D piece of art!

Upon closer inspection, there is some sort of cursive letter written behind the bird. I can only make out a few words of it here and there and the mystery of it only adds to the appeal of the piece.

My favorite, most useful piece, is the shabby chic ottoman I found for my office. It is perfect for use as a chair or a table, but my cat has claimed it as her own and doesn't like to share!

Here is an up-close look at the pretty bird fabric on the padded seat...

 ...and the distressed legs...

Lastly, here is the bird journal I found. It was only five dollars (*gasp!*) and will be handy for jotting down my birding discoveries.

I look forward to filling its pages with my fascination of all things with wings. And maybe a few daydreams, too.

Goldie

I just snapped a quick pic of this beauty. She was with a group of house finches. Before I could zoom in the camera, she was gone. A female goldfinch? Something else? Whatever he/she was, it was quick! It was either grab for the camera or the binoculars and I chose the camera. Glad I did!

*Update*

10 minutes later...

She came back!

And brought a friend!

And even showed off for the camera!

Now that I've had a chance to look through my field guide, I've discovered this sunshiny bird is really a male goldfinch with winter plumage! Who knew they changed colors in winter? I certainly didn't.

This just goes to show you how amazing the bird world is. Every day I'm finding new surprises in my backyard and learning something new!