Yard, Gardens, Birds and Critters

Birds and the Bees and Me By Mary J Williams (c) What do I love Looking outside Watching the birds Eat food I provide So many birds What do I see There is the Tufted Titmouse And the Black-capped Chickadee The Cardinal flew in To take a drink Many do the same Bluebirds too, I think Yes, there he is The Bluebird just flew in Not for the food, but water Busy they have been It’s nesting time now No insecticides for me The birds need the protein From the bugs you see The Robin digs down Eating caterpillars or slugs Please don’t kill them Don’t kill the bugs If you spray your flowers What will the bees do Visit the flowers for pollen And die because of the brew We have to protect As much as we can The birds eat lots of bugs Insecticides I ban Robin and Cardinal Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Bathing Bluebird waiting his turn for food The Bee

  Spring in Missouri By Mary J Williams © The other day When I was out I saw many birds Flying about First, I saw A Red-winged Blackbird flying I saw a Robin on the ground A Killdeer out there crying Then I saw the Grackles With their tale held high Vying for a female Come on don’t be shy It’s springtime in Missouri Some have daffodils in bloom I don’t have them yet Soon their yellow will break the gloom I have had the crocus And my mini daffodils I saw tulips coming up Which gave me a thrill Up on the front porch A pair of Carolina Wrens Went and grabbed my camera But couldn’t find them in the lens When I step out upon my deck I listen to all the birds I hear the Bluebirds and Starlings Cardinals and more singing their words I wish I could understand What they are saying I guess I’d have to be a bird But a human I am staying I love Spring I love the flowers and the birds It’s just so hard to explain There just aren’t enough words! Grackles Carolina Wren Northern Cardinal...

It’s Really Over This Time! By Mary J Williams © That’s it, I’m done! Waking up to this Is no fun! Empty flower box On the deck floor Pieces of something Broken and more Looked around What did I see? Broken solar light They have also broken me Not putting out more seed Except what I brought in the house I can’t take any more Now, you can think me a louse Have gone through Six jars of jelly Not the orioles Sparrows think it’s their deli I have the occasional Cardinal A couple of Blue Jays too But mostly Grackles and Starlings The Sparrows, way over a few! I can’t have the flowers That I’ve had for years The new generation of birds Are the greediest, I fear Used to not having To look for anything Having it laid out So, they just waited like kings Well, now they have to work for the seed I have bugs, insects, beetles and more They can take pride in the yard Maybe, again, I will adore That goes for the squirrels And those raccoons too Go somewhere else Or you could end up as stew! Grackles...

My hubby came in and told me it was snowing like crazy! Really?  I just had let the dogs out and dried them off from the rain.  I looked out my window and saw some snow.  I got up from my computer, did a few things, went and looked out my kitchen window and, indeed, it was snowing pretty heavy at that time.  I went back by my computer and grabbed my camera. This was the first snow for me, since the beginning of the year.   First birds I noticed were the sparrows. I looked out and saw Cardinals in the flowering crab. They were farther then I wanted for a decent picture, so I stepped out on the deck and very carefully walked across the deck that already had some ice on it.  I checked and saw a Cardinal eating the little crab apples.  I know the Robin eats these too. I have a couple of marvelous pictures of them.  I snapped a picture and then realized there was a female just below the male. Another picture taken. Then another male. I finally cam...