I think I'll invite the birds for dinner again

I think it’s time to scrub the bird feeders and reopen the restaurant. It’s been over two weeks since I hung the “closed” sign.

It's quiet. Peaceful. The horrible, screaming mobs left abruptly when the food supply disappeared.

They’re lovely but I’m missing the variety. I left a small niger seed feeder for the Goldfinches. The birds who stop by regularly are Cardinals, Mockingbirds, House Finches, and Mourning Doves. Starlings and Grackles fly by but don’t stop anymore and the pigeons and Cowbirds have relocated, too. The House Sparrows will return, I’ll bet! With their little brats, too!

I must mention the little Brown-headed Nuthatches that inspect every empty feeder, every evening. They aren’t too disappointed, but I am. I apologize, "Sorry, honey."

We have an abundance of Robins this year. I’ve admired these birds since I was a child.

I’m so impressed with the strength of her nesting cup where I felt three eggs. When the babies fledge, I hope my dogs are inside sleeping on the sofa.

I long to see Chipping and Song Sparrows, Brown Thrashers, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Chickadees, Woodpeckers, and Tufted Titmice return. I’ll try again. A trial. It's an exciting time of year to watch little clumsy fledglings find their way to the buffet.

Hummingbirds are getting busy, at last. I’m never ready to photograph them. Instead, I smile when they hover near my face and get spooked so easily. My last hummingbird summer was wonderful. I’ve recently heard chittering and saw a few confrontations at the feeders, so I’m hoping for another good year but I feel this summer will be different.

A little bird time at work helps…

Our new wildlife habitat solar bath. I would have opted for a real spa but getting electric to it would take mounds of paperwork and a few years. Electricity isn't in the budget anyway. The Federal grant? A joke.

Bluebird babies on May 27. I don’t think I’ll open the box again! Oh, maybe one more time, very carefully.

This nesting box worries me. It's a bad photo, I know. During my checks this week, I have found this bird in the same position. No movement, but I’m almost certain it’s alive.

Visits to the special Black Willow at the grocery store pond are always uplifting,

even when the Belted Kingfisher sees me from a quarter of a mile away and darts in another direction, EVERY TIME.

Oh, I'm so tired and bored with this post. I can't even think of a decent title for it. I need to put my head down for a while. Sigh...

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By the way, it's awful to have your three-day vacation snatched away from you on the eve of its start. Last night I received the news that Michael’s weekend business golf outing in South Carolina was cancelled. It was heartbreaking for me to watch him unpack…because…my vacation is a bust! I had planned it perfectly for doing “Mary” things…popcorn and yogurt for dinner, shopping whenever I please, listening to my music loudly - all day if I want to - and cleaning bathrooms at 10pm on a whim. Does anyone understand this? I’m really not a selfish person…but let’s say, “I like my space” a few times a year. Oh well, I’ll look forward to his next fun golf outing and he will, too :o)