Sunday, April 29, 2007

"Jee Jee Jee Jee"



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Anyone who knows me understands my longing to get close to a Carolina Chickadee. This has been going on for months. Oh, I’ve gotten a few shots of Chickadees before, but I want one crisp and clear without using a zoom. I want one to sit on my hand. Hey, is that asking too much???

These white flowers burst open over the weekend. They’re located a few feet away from the feeders and I leaned on the fence to see them. Native weeds, I’m sure.

My camera was on the kitchen counter. There were no birds at the feeders. I heard “jee jee jee jee”.



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This is where she landed. No zoom necessary. I am saying it’s a she because it looked like a mother needing a “Calgon take me away” moment. She poked the suet in the ceramic dish, preened for a bit, and then grabbed a seed from the hopper.

Have you ever been so totally frustrated that it was funny? I stifled a belly laugh for several minutes. Utter disbelief consumed me.


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She left the hopper, flew past my face and landed here. No zoom in this photo. A perfect shot would have been had in the setting evening sun and I stood there, motionless, feeling like a sore loser but still stifling a hearty laugh at the irony of it all.


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Probably one of my worst Chickadee photos, but I'll keep trying! This shot was taken in the morning hours on the same day. Doesn’t she look tired?

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The morning sun on the pond was lovely this weekend. My fear of damaging freezes is gone so we headed out to find something eye pleasing to conceal the pump and filter assembly.


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This basket of annuals enticed me! I love verbena. See the Koi in the background?


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I like it. I don’t know what it is but it’s part of the basket.

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This was a scene that brought back memories of my own childhood on the first day in late spring that I was allowed to wear a swimsuit and the boys could wear their swimming trunks to play with the garden hose or run through a sprinkler. There were four boys in grades 1-3 in charge of washing Mom’s car. See their progress? There is a sponge in the air resembling a peanut in the shell. Click to enlarge and you'll see the soap flying. I laughed out loud.

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Camped out on the patio while waiting for hummingbirds to arrive, I looked to my right and enjoyed the beauty and sound of water. It was so soothing…until…

The LICKER SISTERS arrived.

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Bostons have a passion for kissing and licking. What is the attraction to the arm of an outdoor chair, B-b-bella?


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Chloe attached herself to my lily white knee.

You gotta love these dogs.

22 comments:

dmmgmfm said...

You never fail to make me laugh, Mary. You can take utter disappointment and make it funny. Thank you so much for being you.

KGMom said...

Mary--the chickadee is teasing you!
The pond looks lovely. And I agree verbena are neat annual flowers.
Love those girls of yours--I am still tempted to scoot down the road a bit and get a Boston puppy. Don't know what my 1/2 border collie would do, though.

Ruth said...

How frustrating it is to try an capture "flitters" with a camera. That shutter delay is all they need to get away. Love the car wash!
Ruth

sonia a. mascaro said...

Tne pond is beautiful, Mary. And I can see that you live in a wonderful place, in a beautiful neighborhood! The lovely sisters looks adorable, too!

entoto said...

WOW! Mary! I love. love your pond. The purple of the verbena plays nicely with the orange of the koi.

I would just enjoy your moment with the Carolina Chickadee. I find I need to put the camera down sometimes to appreciate what I have.

Thanks for putting that all out there. Oh, and your knee is so pink! Cutie!

Gotta Garden said...

What a delightful read! You want it too bad, lol, the Chickadee picture!! Your pictures are so great...laughed with you at the car washing...you caught just the moment!

Look at your pond! Lovely! I think maybe those flowers are fanflower (Scaevola aemula, whatever!)...very fun!

Your pups are so sweet! My doggies are lying here beside me sleeping, one snoring...I wouldn't have it any other way!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on getting closer and keep on working with those chickadees! Over time they will start trusting you and allow you to feed them in your hand! I can't wait for that day to happen! Nuthatches will do it also! You should have someone make you a wooden hand (about a real hand size) and put seed in it! Then replace your hand for the feeder!

Annie in Austin said...

GottaGarden named the flower, so I'll concentrate on the girls... my sisters always end up with dogs that are lickers, too - no one wearing sandals is safe, because they like toes the best.

At least my flowers don't fly away when they see the camera - you chose a harder subject, Mary!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Dorothy said...

Hi Mary, I just got into our place and hooked up my laptop so I could check out your blog! What a nice view of your pond! Sorry you missed the bird, but it will be back when you have your camera in hand.
Your yard is lovely...what a pretty neighborhood! Glad you got some pretty flowers to put over the skimmer..verbenas are one of my favorites. xoxo..Dorothy

Susan Gets Native said...

Caption for last photo:
"Yum, Mom. You taste like chicken."

Unknown said...

Your Chickadee is suffering the same way my Chickadee suffers here.

Your pond is lovely.

The Licker Sisters. Too funny.

Jayne said...

Wow, your pond is so very beautiful Mary! I am uber jealous! That chickadee will come to you one day, just you wait and see... :c)

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Chloe looks absolutely blissful!!
Your pond is so pretty, I wish I was sitting, watching and listeneing with you!! Maybe if we sit still long enough- those chickadees will alight and visit too!!

Cuppa said...

That chickadee looks a bit like I feel these days. A bit rumpled and ruffled. You will get her on a "good hair" day and she will pose pretty for you I am sure. One can always hope anyway.

I have missed lots of your blogs since our new grand baby arrived, but I have some free time this morning and my eyes are actually open so I am enjoying a visit with you. What a treat your pictures always are. Thanks!

Thanks also for all your visits to my blog to share the joy of my new grand baby with me. Warms my heart it does.

dguzman said...

Mary--you know I feel your pain! I had the same thing happen with a bluebird yesterday!

Your unidentified flower is a scaveola, or fan-flower. One of my favorites! Very heat-tolerant. (My former life as a managing editor/gardening editor at a publishing company is showing.)

Chrissie said...

As always you made me smile :-) You always make everything so much fun. Good on you!

Cathy said...

OK. If you can get Mr. Peanut in flight you're sure to eventually get that Chickadee.

Your pond is so pretty - does it make nice water music?

As for dog licks - it brings back memories. I can feel those little rough tongues and the goosebumps and it makes me a little sad and then I smile thinking about 'your' goosebumps :0)

Susie said...

Hi Mary,
Loved seeing your pond, all the birds as well as the beautiful flowers.
Your garden is a delight!!
:)

Larry said...

Love that pond!-I'd love to have one of those.-Nice photo collage story/adventure.-lotta fun.

LostRoses said...

That's a great pond, Mary! I'd never want to leave the back yard. And what fun washing the car. Boys have their own way of doing things, don't they?

Loved your chickadee escapades!

Julie Zickefoose said...

Oh honey,

those have to be the cutest BT photos ever published.Thank you for such sweet and meaty posts. But girl, it's OK to take a break... don't wear yourself out.
Kildeer was trying to get you away from its (ground) nest with that distraction display--the sulphur-orange rump comes in real handy! Rest assured that if you followed the bird you were moving directly away from the babies. They'd have hatched by now, I think.

Melsie14 said...

I just love reading your blog!! I really hope you do catch those chickadee's on camera! My favorite part was the little surprise at the end! Your dogs are precious! That has to be one of my favorite pictures of all time!