Friday, May 11, 2018

Color Is Returning To The Mountain Top

It's delightful to see the haze of green slowly climbing up the mountain from the base to the top. 

In the fall it's reversed, the foliage begins at the summit. But in the spring we watch it climb from Main Street all the way up, taking its sweet time. 

After all the white all winter long, followed by grey, grey, grey, and mud we welcome any bit of color that nature gives us!


The leaves are just starting to come out on the trees and shrubs, but nature has a way of bringing color to our world in other ways. 


We had a new bird on the feeders last evening, one I had never had in all the many years I've been feeding birds. It took me a while to figure out what he was, but finally determined he's an Indigo Bunting. 


He stuck around for a while, and it was lovely to watch him enjoying the seed at the feeders. 

(These photos are awful by the way, as they were taken through windows that still need their spring cleaning but I still wanted to share him with all you nature lovers out there.)

Isn't it exciting when a new bird visits our feeders?  Ok, well, it's exciting for me!  :)

Via
Here's a much better photo I found online. Click through the link under the photo if you want more info on the Indigo Bunting. 

He's not to be confused with the Blue Grosbeak (I had no idea they existed!) because of his smaller size, like a small sparrow. 


The Rose Breasted Grosbeaks are regular visitors to the flat feeder now and it's lovely to have them back in the mountains. 


This little red squirrel was not at all pleased that the Grosbeak was taking too long at the feeder! 


Off the deck, the Forsythia is in bloom, and the Lilacs surrounding it are leafing out and flower buds are forming like mad. 

The forsythia bloom wasn't the best this year, but I was still ever so glad to see it!


On the garden path the Hyacinth bloom is waning, but the Tulips are ready to take over. How lovely it is to see this row of spring flowers during my morning and afternoon walkabouts!


Meanwhile, there's another busy weekend coming up with so much house and yard work to be crammed into Saturday and early Sunday to be spent making Mother's Day brunch to bring down to Mom & Dad's house, where the family will gather. We'll all make something and just enjoy being together once more - it sure is hard to get the family all together when everyone has such busy lives, so we cherish those times we do manage it. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the lovely moms out there - I hope you have some color in your world this weekend!

28 comments:

  1. So pretty in your area! We are long past tulips and hyacinths but I never tire of seeing them. Great bird pictures too. ;)

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    1. The hyacinths are done, Stacey, but those tulips are lingering on, which is amazing!!!

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  2. You are where we were about a month ago here in NC. But I do remember living in western NY and the time that spring arrived! Don't you have bears that destroy your bird feeders? We can't put them out, because they become a bear all you can eat buffet!

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    1. I can't leave my feeders out at night, Penny - I have to bring them into the garage and store them in metal bins. In the winter it's fine when they are hibernating but now that they are back it's a different story!

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  3. Happy happy Mothers day my mountain friend and I am so glad to see signs of spring for you finally! I know you are glad to see flowers again! Oh my goodness that blue bunting is so gorgeous, I would love to see one of those! We have painted buntings here, I've been told they are in the marshes and I keep looking, but yet to see one. They are a riot of rainbow color, so pretty!

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    1. I had to look those painted buntings up, wow they are incredibly gorgeous!!! Unfortunately I shall never see one of those on my mountain top!

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  4. Everything has finally exploded into bloom here in IL, too! It's glorious. After our long winters, this greenery is magical every year, isn't it? I've only seen Indigo Buntings twice here in the 28 years I've lived here. And I don't believe we have those red-breasted grosbeaks. Have never seen one. I wish I could be outside doing yard work today, but it's only 44 degrees and raining. It feels more like March! :-(

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    1. We still have some cold nights ahead of us, Melanie, but hopefully we won't get a frost as I've been breaking the rules and PLANTING!!!! :)

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  5. It is so nice to see color and life coming back. Love the scenery you have to look at from your home. Isn't it nice to hear the birds singing again. Yeah for Spring. Happy Mother's Day.
    xoox
    Kris

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    1. Yay for spring is right, my friend!! It took its sweet time coming, but now that it's here I'm so excited!! The only problem is it's hard to get any housework done when the days are so lovely!

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  6. What a wonderful array of birds, and great colors from them and other bit and pieces that are non-flowering. As time moves along, you'll see more glorious flowers in bloom.

    Have a wonderful Mother's Day and a great day today as well.

    FlowerLady

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    1. It has been wonderful watching all the birds migrate back up north, Lorraine, and I adore seeing the hummingbirds by the kitchen window every day!

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  7. So lovely catching up with you on your weekend activity, Debbie. I haven't seen Indigo bunting at my house,but I follow a FB page of locals who have. We share many of the same species visitors. Enjoy your Mother's Day amid all the chores!

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    1. The Indigo Bunting must not be that common of a bird, as many folks have never seen them, Rita!

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  8. After a long winter I think we all appreciate color more than ever! I am trying to entice the birds to come to my little courtyard. Love seeing them. Nancy

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    1. Do you feed them, Nancy? Even if you don't you can put out a saucer of water for them and you may get some visitors!

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  9. We are just about a week ahead of you in bloom time. Happy Mother's Day!

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    1. So your trees must be all leafed out now, Karen Ann, and your lilacs just about ready to bloom?

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  10. I always try to appreciate the colors of the season, but have to admit that the first bright blooms of spring are a real treat. Great photos!

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    1. Isn't it funny, Leigh, as a gardener we are always looking for what's developing buds, what's coming next...sometimes we look right past what's blooming at that moment! I often have to stop myself and remember to focus on what's in bloom right now!

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  11. There's so much color in my neighborhood too now with all the flowering trees and shrubs! I'm so happy! Finally!

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    1. Yayyy, Ellen, isn't it just the best? I swear Spring just lifts my spirits in a way I'm not sure any other season does as much, although I do love them all in their own way!

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  12. Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day, Mountain Sister!! xoxo

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    1. Thank you, Mountain Sister!! :) It was a busy one, but still wonderful!

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  13. Only once did I ever see an indigo Bunting at the birdfeeder, and that was at my previous house that was really rather woodsy. It’s funny how birds tend to gather in some areas and not others. I had a friend who lived 8 miles from me whose feeder was loaded with them as well as grosbeaks. When I moved into my current house I found I saw very few Cardinals, whereas we had loads of them where we lived before, only 15 miles from here. I do enjoy watching the birds. I have had a baby eagle out on my deck, so that’s something. Hope you had a nice Mother’s Day.

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    1. Wow, Pattie, a baby eagle on your deck? That's amazing, for sure!! I find the same thing....my sweetie's house is only about 2 1/2 miles from mine but he has birds there that I never get at my feeders! The cardinals rarely visit me which is a shame, they are so lovely!

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  14. Love your colorful bird visitors and glad to see spring arriving there. You had a very long winter ! We are ahead of you by about two weeks here in PA / forsythia all done and lilacs blooming now

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    1. I'm looking forward to the lilac blooms, Deb! It's wonderful to bring them into the house to enjoy the scent up close....mmmmm I can almost smell them now!

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