Casa Tipton-Kelly Garden Tour August 2014

By popular demand, here is the complete video tour of the floral extravaganza that is Casa Tipton-Kelly.  Actually, one blogger suggested that I post such a video but you know me, I jump on any opportunity to show off our wonderful home here on the coastal plain of southern Delaware.

We live on a lot that is just under an acre.  We are surrounded on both sides by wonderful neighbors and across the street by another wonderful neighbor.  He live in a development called Covington Chase, a grouping of thirty-seven houses with 3/4 acre lots.  We purchased one of the bigger lots that is bordered by a farm field in the back and our aforementioned fantastic neighbors on either side.  I purposely was looking for a lot that did not border houses in the back.  Bill and I need that privacy in back of our house.  

Casa Tipton-Kelly August 2014

We moved here in November of 2006.  We had the house built from scratch.  We are the only ones who have lived in this house.  We also built out house in Pennsylvania from scratch, on a 6.875 lot.  We couldn't quite afford a "lot" that big here in Washington D.C.'s summertime capital, AKA "Gayberry" because of the large lesbian and gay man couple population.  Lots of us Old Gays down here folks.  

So enjoy the tour while I go and take a shower.  It's hot and humid this morning, a typical August day here on the Delmarva peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Chesapeake bay on the left.  We may be uncomfortable sometimes in these temperatures folks but the vegetation and flowers love it!  We do too.  Bill often sits on the back deck and just soaks in the colors and sounds of our wonderful, living back yard.  

Enjoy!

Snowbirds

Snowbird out in the cold (looking out our living room window)

This afternoon I happened to look out the side window in our living room and I saw about a half a dozen snowbirds picking seeds from our crepe myrtle tree.  

Poor little thing is cold and hungry

Today was another cold and windy day with more snow.  Not a whole lot of snow but enough to coat the landscape in a blanket of white.

My tracks out to the bird baths in our backyard yesterday

Earlier Bill and I went to Milton. I needed to get more bananas and some Neosporin for my wounds caused yesterday by my dermatologist taking biopsies.  Bill also need some medicine, Old Man Stuff.  We didn't tarry too long out in the cold and wind.

I'm so glad I didn't have a chance to cut back this crepe myrtle

Yesterday I saw our resident catbird land on our snow covered back deck, looking a bit bedraggled.  Poor thing, it was probably looking for some water and food.  I don't have a heated birdbath but I ordered one from Amazon.com after seeing the sorry state of my avian friend yesterday.

All puffed up to keep warm - that's the blinds at the top of this photo - he was too cold to care that I took his picture

I love our backyard.  My ongoing project is to make it a bird sanctuary/retreat by planting bushes and trees that provide shelter and food for the birds.  It wasn't my intention to have an animal retreat but I also have resident rabbits.  Bill said he saw one yesterday.  I don't know what the poor thing could find for food, the snow is frozen over everything edible.  

The rabbit lives under yonder shed

This is the first year that I've seen snowbirds.  I was very happy to see them feeding off of the seeds of our crepe myrtle tree.  I'm glad I didn't cut that tree back yet like I did the others we have. Next year I won't cut any of them back until the threat of snow and cold is past.  Now I know why the garden center advised me to cut them back in late February.  

Survival

While others do the Polar Dip and 5k runs for various causes, this is my Causes. Providing a backyard habitat for those creatures that were here long before us and will be here long after us.  That makes me feel good.

Cold in Delaware

Meandering Musings on a Fall Saturday

WRONG Post Office

Nothing exciting to report today folks.  Just a quiet Saturday.  Oh I did run into a bit of a kerfuffle trying to send a few documents to my friend Pat in Canada.  God, one would think I was a terrorist trying to send liquid nitrogen to Canada.  The guy at the post office said I needed to fill out a Customs Declaration form and the cost of mailing would be $45.75.  Obviously he didn't know what he was talking about.  I exited the post office and went to another Post Office and mailed my package of copied documents for $2.45, sans filling out a Customs Declaration form.  Yes folks, the terrorists have won.

RIGHT Post Office

That done I went to the local Food Lion and got even more frustrated trying to buy some frozen fruit (a woman with a  overflowing grocery cart was blocking my way to the frozen food doors - I think she was stunned - she didn't move for a full ten minutes) to the woman ahead of me in the checkout line who paid for her purchase with actual dollar bills and coins which she had to fish out of her purse, walled and special coin pocket (Oh God, where do these people come from?)

Holly berry tree trimming time

Once home I had a relaxing lunch of Panera loaded potato soup (loaded with artery clogging calories but what the hey?) and a hummus wrap sprinkled with feta cheese. I tried the "extra spicy" hummus this time.  I like spicy but this was too spicy.  Talk about a party in your mouth.  I felt like my mouth was in Tijuana after a Saturday night blitz. 

I AM tall enough to reach the top.

Nap time after lunch as is my usual habit.  I am a creature of habit if nothing else.  

Bill goes for the angle shot

Then, rested and unwound from the frustrations of earlier today I was energized enough to tackle trimming my holly trees in my backyard.  There is a catbird out there that's been scolding me all week because I haven't trimmed those holly trees prior to the cold coming on.  I told Bill to take some photos of me trimming the errant holly trees just to prove to everyone I do more than complain, eat lunch and nap.  I actually do something constructive.  

God!  I look more like my father every day.  He used to let his mouth hang open like this too.

Oh, I almost forgot.  I make DVD copies of the Bloggerpalooza movie and sent them out to the desired recipients (you know who you are) today.  Look for that happy DVD in the mail next week.  

"Isn't this the tree that had the wasps in it?"

Yes indeed, a very productive day in spite of a hurdle here and there.  

Now I think I'll make myself a smoothie and take in one of my Netflix DVD movies.  "Madmen", Season Six.

Spidey Gets a Big One

You think you have problems?  How would you like to be in the position of this June bug who obviously took the wrong turn somewhere and ended up getting wrapped up for Spidey's future lunch?

I went back about an hour later and the "package" was gone.  I suspect one of my Purple Martins or starlings made off with the June Bug wrap.

All this life and death drama going on right in my own backyard.  Sort of puts things in perspective doesn't it?

I just got off the phone with my dental insurer.  After going through the Menu Hell I finally got a real person.  When I explained to "Jerry" that they sent my dental reimbursement cleaning check for $166 to the dentist when it clearly says on my form "Send check to insured", he said he would have to "investigate."  Another delay.  I told him that ever since I changed my dental plan, not once...NOT ONCE has my claim process gone smoothly.  I asked him "Why is that?  Is that part of your procedure?"  Again, he didn't have an answer bur assured me he would "call be back."

One of my pet peeves is lousy customer service.  Incompetent customer service.  Also insurance companies.  They don't make it easy to get a claim fulfilled.  That's not an accident.  That is their policy.  But after seeing June bug ending up in a wrap for Spidey's lunch, I guess I have to take things in context.

The Birds of My Backyard

Mama swallow guarding her young yesterday, in my backyard

After breakfast this morning I joined Bill on the back deck to enjoy the early morning breeze and watch the backyard bird activity.  This year we didn't have a problem with the sparrows invading the bluebird house like we did last year.  The bluebirds have already raised one batch of baby bluebirds and are working on the second batch now.  The swallows just hatched their batch (see the above picture "Mom" warning me away from her nestlings).

In previous years I've also had a problem with the sparrows invading the Purple Martin house.  I was very pleased to see that I didn't have that problem this year.  I lost count of the amount of sparrow's nest that I tore out of the Purple Martin house and the number of brown speckled sparrow eggs I tossed into threw into the adjoining cornfield.  I hated to do that but I had no choice.  I draw the line at destroying baby sparrows though.  Once they're hatched, they're free.  I leave them alone.

So I thought I was getting off free this year without the invasion of non-native species of birds.  Ha!  Bill hands me his binoculars and says "Take a look", pointing to the Purple Martin house.  And what did I see? A mama starling feeding her young!  I couldn't believe it.  Starlings are too big to get into the Purple Martin house slots.  This one got in.  Incredible.  Well, there's nothing I can do about it now.  They look like they're about to come out.  I'll check the apartment after they leave.  I wouldn't be surprised if there are dead Purple Martin babies in there.  That's what starlings do you know, they kill the other birds then lay their eggs on top of them.  Same with the sparrows.  I've seen it first hand.

Starlings and sparrows are non-native species of birds that will be discouraged from nesting in my backyard.  It's a constant challenge.  I thought I got away free this year, apparently not.  Well, at least the bluebirds were able to lay two batches of eggs this year, unlike last year when the battle with the sparrows prevented that from happening.

I look at the life in my backyard as a microism of life in general.  Things appear to be going smooth until someone else comes in and takes over, destroying all in its path.  There won't be anymore starlings in that Purple Martin house, I'll see to that.

What It's All About

Swallow eggs in the bluebird house this morning -swallows always put feathers in their nest to "soften the blow"

This is what summer is all about for me.  This is a picture of four swallow eggs that the beautiful, iridescent swallow birds laid in the bluebird box in my backyard.  Normally the bluebirds raise two batches of young bluebirds in this box, but after the first batch left, the swallows quickly took over the box.  I let them.  Last year we had all kinds of trouble with aggressive sparrows which resulted in one swallow being killed and the next being abandoned.  Thankfully, this year the sparrows haven't tried to take over my backyard (including the Purple Martin House) like they did last year.

I'm very happy with my backyard this year.  I just finished filling a couple of vacant spots with some giant Asiatic lilies.  I think I'm set this year.  Now to set back and enjoy the summer.

This is what it is all about folks.  I worked hard a long time to arrive at this point in my life that I can do these little things to help nature.  This gives me a great deal of satisfaction to do my part.

I'm off to Washington D.C. tomorrow.  Hopefully it won't be too hot and humid.  I'm looking forward to taking a lot of pictures.  Sunday I hit the boardwalk in Rehoboth.  Monday my longtime friend Larry and his wife Lois are coming down and we're getting our picture taken at Olde Time Photo.  We're trying to talk her into posing as a dance hall queen.  My friend Lar and I will be the Old Grizzled Cowpokes.  We're never too old for that kind of fun.  I'm loving this retirement!

Have a great weekend.

Last of the Purple Martins

Purple Martin sentries this evening

The Purple Martins are raising their last batch of young and will leave their birdhouse in my backyard in a few weeks.  It always seems like they leave to early but I guess this is necessary for their long trek to their winter home.

I was successful in keeping the sparrows out of my backyard habitat this year.  None raised their young in my backyard.  However, quite a few were raised in my neighbor's backyard.  He doesn't discourage them like I do.

This was the first year in two years that I didn't have any bluebirds raise their young in my backyard.  There was one sparrow who was particularly aggressive.  He killed two swallows who attempted to build nest.  This was the same sparrow who probably discouraged the bluebirds from building their nest in the same bluebird house that they used for the past two years.

A few weeks ago a bluebird pair laid three eggs (they usually lay four eggs) but then they abandoned their nest.  Bill and I think the resident backyard catbird did the discouraging this time.  Lots of turf battles this summer in our little backyard habitat.

Summers wouldn't be complete without all the activity around the Purple Martin house and this summer was no exception.  The Purple Martins are always squawking, getting things sorted out.  Whenever I walked out to the back shed some of them with dive bomb me just as a warning to stay away from their house and young nestlings.  I think they know I won't  bother them but they give me the warning anyway.

Many nights during the evening in summer, before the sun goes down, Bill and I sit out on the back decks and watch the young Purple Martins practice flying.  I can't think of much that is more pleasing than to see these young Purple Martins doing their aerial acrobats and then landing back on the birdhouse where they were born.  They know instinctively that they have to learn to fly for the long flight that they will soon have to make before winter sets in here on the Delmarva peninsula.

View from the bonus room towards the back yard 

Then there comes the day that they are gone.  They all go in the same day.  No lingering.  The silence is so sad.  The only thing Bill and I will hear is the wind and the traffic on Route 1.  Sometimes the catbird hangs around but usually all is quiet in our little backyard habitat once August arrives.

I hear the thunder outside now and I write this.  Now I hear the rain pelting the side of the house.

It's late.  Time prepare myself for bed and put another day to rest as the gentle thunderstorm rolls in.

End of the day July 19 2010 where I live on the Delmarva peninsula

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

Bluebird eggs at risk yesterday with the arrival of the Demon Kid

Remember a few weeks ago that I posted that someone had torn out the swallow bird nest (with live baby swallows in it) when Bill and I were on vacation down South?  I did a little sleuthing and came to the conclusion that it was the eight year old Hispanic boy who was with the lawn maintenance guy that my neighbor Tom had doing his lawn.

My neighbor Tom's Hispanic lawn maintenance crew yesterday arrives

Bill had pointed out to me before "how cute" the kid was with his hyperactive antics whenever he accompanied his dad (?) to his lawn maintenance job.  Thus, it didn't take too much to figure out who opened the bluebird box that contained the live baby swallows.  It had to take someone about three feet tall to reach up and put his greasy little finger in the open and pull the wooden door down because the latch was still in place.  At first I couldn't figure out how the door got open with the latch still in place.  I thought maybe a cat or another animal got into the bird box.  But to have the strength to pull the latch?  No, couldn't be.

After running different scenarios through my mind, this hyper active kid popped to the front.  Yes, this would be something that a curious, hyperactive, unsupervised, eight year old brat would do.  I went back out to the bird box to look for evidence.  Almost immediately I saw a small indentation in the thyme that I have planted at the base of the bird box.  In fact, right at the very base is a wild rose bush.  The indentation was to the left.  Viola!  That's why he put his finger up to hook it into the hole that is the opening to the bird box.  Once he opened the bird box he was too short to see into the nest so he obviously put his stinking, dirty, greasy little paw up to the nest and pulled it out.  He was probably very pleased to find four naked, three day old baby swallows in the nest.  His short attention span was satiated if only for a moment.

When Bill and I discovered the bird box door was open the next morning after we returned from our trip, I immediately went out to see what happened.  I saw the empty nest on the ground.  No baby swallows.  No adult swallows.  Gone.

Not knowing what else to to, I put the neatly built nest (which was cushioned by many down feathers from unknown birds) back in the bird box, hoping the adult swallows return and lay more eggs.  The determined sparrows do it so why not the swallows?  Well, it was not to be.

The bird box remained empty for two week until a week ago when the blue birds returned. Hallelujah!  This was great news!  The blue birds had returned.  For the past two years the blue birds have raised two batches of baby bluebirds in that box.  This year, right on cue in early April the blue birds returned only to be met by a very determined sparrow.  The determined sparrow had already killed a swallow in that bird box plus in another bird box.  I guess the blue birds assumed it was too dangerous to build a nest in that bird box this year.  They left and the swallows took over.  Oh, Bill took care of the determined sparrow.  He trapped it and "disposed" of it.  One less sparrow in the world, hooray!

We figured if we couldn't have the bluebirds raising their young in that bird box this year, at least the swallows would have a chance.  That is until the ADHD monster arrived on the scene.

I told Bill "He'll be back."  Bill said, "No, I think that was a one time job Tom (our neighbor) had done."  I disagreed.  I said to Bill, "Oh no, that little destructive monster will be back."  And sure enough, yesterday the little hyperactive brat was back.  However, this time he was staying in the truck.

A ha!  Either his dad knew what he did or this ADHD kid caused trouble at some of his other job locations.  I wanted to go out immediately and have words with Miguel (or whatever his name is.)  Manual, Poncho, Pedro....whatever.  Probably Jesus pronounced "Hey Zeus!"

Bill said don't do anything unless he gets out of the truck.  I agreed with Bill.  I went to our second floor and kept an eagle eye on that truck.  Occasionally I would see The Brat popping out of the driver's window.  One time he was almost all the way out.  This kid has so much energy, he could hardly contained himself.  I figured now was the time to go out and have a discussion with his dad Jorge (pronounced Whore Hey!) or whatever his name is (Juan, Carolos, Fernando or Pablo - take your pick.)

As I was walking towards dad Jose (pronounced Hose Hey!) on his tractor, he stopped immediately and looked at me with dread.  He knew this was trouble.  The kid pokes his stupid little head out the driver's side of dad's truck, a HUGE smile on his face.  This kid is ready to do Major Destruction.  I say "Ola", which I think is a standard form of Hispanic greeting.  But then my Spanish fails me.  I know a few words like "Amigo", and "Gracias" but none of those words will apply to this situation.  I figure the best thing to do is speak very slowly in English (or as they say "Inglis") and do a lot of motioning with my hands.

The Little Terror has the driver's side door open, ready to pop out and cause mayhem

I got his attention.  Pointing to his brat in the truck I say "Someone opened that bird box (I point to the bird box) and took out the nest."  Pointing to his monster, I say "I have reason to believe that it was him!"  I continue (motioning my arms wildly hoping this would make him understand I am really pissed), "No! No! No!"  And pointing to destructive little monster that he has in the truck, I say "An this isn't funny!" (like he understood me.  Made me feel good to say it.)

I motioned again to the bird box and say as loud as I can "NO!"  I think I got through.  In fact, the look on Hector's face (or whatever his name is), led me to believe that he thought I was going to deport him.  I am certain he is an illegal.  He just had that look of utter terror when I approached him.

Once back in our house I continued to monitor the situation.  The Devil's Spawn kept popping in and out of the driver's side window.  Then about a half an hour later went to the door and said something to the kid and opened the door.  Damien sprung out and ran to the side of the house.  Obviously a bathroom call.  After pissing on the side of my neighbor Tom's house he ran right back to the truck and hopped into the cab just like his father Alejandro (pronounced "Alley Hand Dro") told him to do.

Note the Devil's Spawn running towards the tree to take a pee

After his dad finished the lawn mowing (along with another illegal who collected the grass and it in another truck), he opened the door of his truck to let his kid out.  Immediately ADHD kid was doing cartwheels on my neighbor's lawn.  Damn, this kid has about as much energy as that BP induced oil volcano in the Gulf of Mexico.  GET HIM OUT OF HERE!

They left around 5 o'clock.  I could finally take my afternoon nap, secure in the knowledge that a destructive, wild child wasn't going to destroy another bird nest.

The Illegals with their Monster Brat getting out of Dodge

This morning I went out to check the blue bird house and found that another egg has been added.  This make one more to go.  Bluebirds usually lay four eggs.  They take about a week to hatch and about four weeks for the bluebirds to grow into maturity.  During that time I am positive that Pedro, Diego or (oh no, this couldn't be his name "Angel" and Pancho will return.  When they do I will be ready for them.
I'm calling Immigration this time.

The bluebird nest today, a third egg.  Safe...for the time being.

Backyards

Me in my backyard this afternoon - peaceful bliss - 2010

Ask me what my absolute favorite pastime is and I'll tell you it is working in my backyard.

Sometimes it seems as if I've been working my whole life to achieve the peace and tranquility of working in my own back yard.  I know to some this seems odd but I've always loved working in a yard.

Perhaps my overwhelming desire had to do with where I grew up.  I spent most of my school years living in a second floor apartment.  Our family's first apartment was on Washington Avenue in Downingtown, PA.  It was a cockroach infested apartment that rented for $22 a month (this was in the Fifties.)

2nd Floor Front - our apartment on Washington Ave., Downingtown, PA - 2001

Our family sitting on the steps at Washington Avenue -our "backyard" - 1953

When I was eleven years old our family moved to a second floor apartment located over a office at a trailer manufacturing plant where my father worked on Boot Road, on the outskirts of Downingtown, PA.  We paid no rent for that apartment.  In lieu of paying a watchman for the plant, our family was the "watchman."

Our apartment on Boot Road, Downingtown - that's Mom on the "porch" -1956

When I was a senior in high school my parents brought three acres of land four miles outside of Downingtown and built a small ranch house.  Our family of five with four males over 6'4" tall moved into that tiny ranch house.  I remember well bumping and scraping my elbows on the stucco hallway walls walking to my first ever bedroom that was mine alone.  I had been pestering my Mother for my own bedroom as long as I could remember. Since I was the oldest I felt that it was my due plus I didn't like sharing a bed with my two brothers.  I wanted my own bed.  To this day I sleep alone.  That is the way I prefer it.

My parents home on Hopewell Road, Downingtown, PA - 2001

All during my growing up years I always envied my friends and schoolmates who had their own backyards.  None of my friends realized what a treasure they had in having their very own back yards.  I don't know of a one who liked to work in their back yard.  Something really seemed wrong with this picture because I was the one who wanted my own piece of land.  Now that our family finally had some land, I still wasn't satisfied.  The land was my father's.  He was a gardner and he called the shots.  He only believed in planting vegetables.  Whenever I suggested planting flowers or other plantings his usual response was "You can't eat that!"

I only lived on that parcel of land for a few months.  After graduating from high school, and with a six month detour for a hernia operation and the subsequent staph infection that I got form the hospital, I joined the Army in January of 1963.  No more back yard for me for years.

After leaving the Army in January of 1963, I moved to Pittsburgh, PA in.....you guessed it....an apartment.  Actually, I moved into a room.  I didn't even have my own bathroom.  I had to share a bathroom with five other apartment/rooms in the old Victorian mansion that I lived in on Roup Street in Shadyside, Pittsburgh.  You couldn't beat the rent at $8.00 a week but the bathroom accommodations sucked.

After three months of living in Pittsburgh, I has homesick for eastern Pennsylvania and Downingtown.  I moved back to Downingtown and got an....you guessed it...apartment in Coatesville, PA.  Still no backyard.  I lived there for 2 1/2 years.  Then I met Bill, my Life Partner.  About six months after meeting Bill, I acceded to his wishes and moved in with him at his....you guess it....apartment in Pennsauken, New Jersey.  Still no backyard.

Bill and I lived at the Penn Manor Apartments for a few years then we moved to Philadelphia so I could be closer to my job at Girard Bank by City Hall in Philadelphia.  We moved to ........Cheswick Square apartments on Ridge Avenue in Roxborough, PA.  Still no backyard but I did have a pool now.  Progress.

Bill and I lived at Cheswick Square for a few years and moved when I decided that I wanted to partake of the night life in Philadelphia without the worry of driving plus I could walk to work.  We bought a townhouse on Naudain Street, on the very edge of center city, Philadelphia.  The row house was 16 feet wide and 50 feet long with a back yard!  Finally.  Actually, it wasn't much of a back yard.  More like a postage stamp back yard.  No grass.  The surface of the backyard was patio slate with some small raised beds for flowers.  But I finally had some space, limited as it was.  In fact it wasn't enough space so Bill punched a hole in the roof and we had a roof deck with container pots.  That worked somewhat but it still wasn't a back yard.

Our townhouse on Naudain Street in Philadelphia, PA - 1972

After eleven years I decided I had enough of the city life and we bought land near my parent's home in Downingtown.  Six point eight acres.  Now I had a yard.  Actually, I didn't have a yard as much as I had a opening in the woods.  But still, it was my (our) land.  For twenty five years I purchased plants and shrubs and competed with the deer to see which plants would survive.  The deer won.

Me and Bill's home on Crawford Road, Downingtown, PA - 2001

In 2006 I decided I had enough of our wooded paradise in Pennsylvania.  As beautiful as it was I couldn't see how I could survive long range paying the ever escalating school and personal property taxes of Pennsylvania.  I decided to realize my life long dream of living near the ocean, in a neighborhood, with a back yard.  And that my friends is where I am now.  It is wonderful.

Home - 2010

Purple Martin House Update

Almost all of my bird update blogs are about the bluebirds in my back yard. I also have a swallow nest and a Purple Martin House. The pictures on this blog were taken about a half an hour ago after I made a check of the Purple Martin house to make sure there were no dead baby birds. That happened one time last year. The only way I knew about it was that the adult Purple Martins were acting strangely by squawking and flying about in an alarming manner. I took down the house and found three dead baby Purple Martins, pecked to death in their heads probably by a house sparrow trying to take over their nest.

Thank goodness that wasn't the situation this time. Of the six compartments, four were occupied by baby Purple Martins in various stages of development. Those are the pictures I have placed on this blog. I've lost track of the number of baby Purple Martins born to this particular house but it was to be at least two dozen.

The Purple Martins arrived right on time May 1st of this year. I'm not sure when they depart. I think it is at the end of this month so these are probably the last batches. Then all will be quiet in my backyard again. I'll miss them and their soaring antics as the adults taught the young Purple Martins to fly. Soon they will be on their way to their winter destinations. I bet the mosquitoes in my back yard will be glad to see them go. Then it's just me and Bill against the mosquitoes.

Second Bluebird Batch

First thing I did when I got home from work at the hotel was to check my bluebird house to see if those eggs hatched. They did! This is the second batch this season. Last year the bluebirds used the same box to raise two batches of bluebirds. I'm very proud that I provided a safe nesting place for one pair of our native bluebirds. My father used to do this for years until he died in August of 2000. I have picked up where he left off. He would have liked that.

Backyard Update

Swallow peeking at me from her nest.















Swallow eggs in birdhouse.








Here is the latest on my backyard bird sanctuary (except for the house sparrows.) The bluebirds have built another nest in the same bluebird house. The first crop of baby bluebirds are now on their own, now it’s time for the second batch of new bluebirds. Last year the bluebirds also raised two batches in this same bluebird box. I'm happy to say it looks like a repeat performance this year.

This year for the first time, swallows have taken up in one of the other bluebird houses. Their pictures are featured on this blog. There is also a swallow nest in one of the two gourds hanging from the Purple Martin house. Last year the only swallow nests were on my neighbor’s porch. They built a mud nest right over his front door. While it was cute and interesting to watch the baby swallows grow, the mess they made wasn’t too cute for my neighbor’s company. This year my neighbor took down the hook the swallows built their nest and moved it over to the side of his porch where the mess wasn’t so noticeable.

One house sparrow pair continues to build a nest in one of the Purple Martin apartments. I cleaned out that last nest about an hour ago and I don’t expect to see them back. I checked the five other apartments and they all have the white Purple Martin eggs in their modest nests. One of the apartments was formerly the house sparrow nest that I had taken out at least a half a dozen times before the Taliban Sparrows gave up. I don't like cleaning out their nest and I hope this is the last time I have to do it. My backyard bird habitat is for native bird species only.

This year we’re getting plenty of rain unlike the past two years in which we watched the farmers’ fields of corn burn up from lack of rain. With all the rain we also have plenty of mosquitoes. I’m food for the mosquitoes but the mosquitoes are food for the birds in my backyard. My backyard is ecology 101 at work. As I type this I hear thunder rumbling in the distant sky now. More rain, just what we need.

My goal when I moved to our new home in Delaware was to create a backyard habitat as a sanctuary for the local natives species birds. Yesterday Bill and I finished putting in the two remaining raised flower beds that border the edge of our acre of backyard. Anchoring each flower bed is a bird bath. The bird baths are probably the main attraction for the birds in our backyard. Now that I have two new raised flower beds, I’ll have to get two more bird baths. That brings the count of bird baths in our backyard to eight. One can never have enough bird baths in their back yard. Believe me, they’re all used. On especially hot days I have to change the water several times. No complaints from this quarter though, it is a labor of love. But there are a lot of dirty birds out there.

Beautiful Delaware

Oh how I love living in southern Delaware! Today is a gorgeous clear day in Sussex County. Bill and I returned a short time ago from The Home Depot. We purchased more lumber to build two more raised flower beds that I will put on the back border of our property. Last year we built six of them and they are performing fabulously this year. Since there were two more openings, we decided to fill them.

Yesterday I made another visit to Peppers, a local garden nursery. I am doing my best to stimulate the economy here in the Milton/Lewes area by making thoughtful purchases at the local nurseries and home improvement centers. I know, I know; it's hard work but someone has to do it. I am more than willing to step up to the plate and do my bit. I will spend whatever it takes (as long as my money lasts) until I get this economy back on its feet.

Our backyard is thriving. Yesterday I cleaned out the last of the house sparrow nests from the Purple Martin house. There were two eggs in the sparrow nest. I took the nesting material and eggs and placed them at the end of the road with the overgrown shrubbery from a lot of a former house that borders our property. There is almost enough house sparrow nesting back there to make a bale of hay. My Taliban house sparrows are a determined bunch but they didn't succeed in raising any of their young on my property this year.

After this post I'm going to take a little walk on this absolutely beautiful day then come back and have some lunch, take a nap and go to work at the hotel. Yes, today is a work day. I work every Monday 3 to 11 PM. On beautiful days like today I really don't want to go to work but it does pay for the visits to Home Depot and Peppers. It's all a trade off albeit a worthwhile one.

Then There Were None Left

The bluebird box is now empty. It only took one more day until the lone remaining baby bluebird took the plunge and left the bluebird box. Bill said he thinks he saw it on the neighbor's screen in porch roof, along with its brothers and sisters.

I cleaned out the nesting in the box and washed it down with hot water to kill the mites. I left the door open several hours for it to dry out. Now the box is ready for the next batch. Bill says he has already seen one of the adult bluebirds chase away other birds from the box. By this time next week I predict the bluebirds will have a new nest built in the box in preparation for the next batch of baby bluebirds.

I have three bluebird boxes in my back yard but this is the only bluebird box that is used by the bluebirds. The two other bluebird boxes are empty. I'm looking forward to the day when all three bluebird boxes are producing baby bluebirds. There is nothing like the feeling of seeing bluebirds in your back yard, flying around with sun shining off of their iridescent blue feathered wings. I'll take that experience any day over fighting the traffic on Route 1 to get to Rehoboth Beach to feed a parking meter and then lay on the beach and bake in the sun.

Baby Robin

Just got in from transplanting a couple of rose bushes and geraniums. Bill was taking video up near the border. He called to me to come quickly and see a baby robin in one of the white pine trees that border our property. I went, I saw and I took this picture.

This is Memorial Day weekend. Rt. 1 is already clogged with bicycle ladened SUV's headed to Rehoboth Beach and points south. Colorful beach towels, coconut smelling sun tan oils, red and white Coleman coolers headed for the hot sand of the beach. That's not the life for me. This is my life, creating a backyard sanctuary for my fine feathered friends. I even have sparrows in my backyard. This gives me so much more pleasure than fighting traffic on a four lane highway seeking the nearest parking meter. I'm loving my retirement in southern Delaware.

Visit By The Monarchs

The last few days I have noticed that my butterfly bushes have been visited by two monarch butterflies. My butterfly bushes must be on the flyway for these beautiful creatures of nature. they certainly are welcome visitors to my garden since my birds have long gone to their winter home. The weather this fall so far has been exceptionally beautiful. Earlier today I was outside, trimming the grass around the plantings that line my back yard. My home in Pennsylvania I had twenty five years to build a backyard wildlife habitat for my friends in nature. With my new home here in Delaware I literally started with a blank slate. Almost one acre of open horse pasture. This is my second year at my retirement home in Delaware. Only two years into building my new backyard habitat and already I have a wide variety of visitors from my friends in nature. Some of these visitors are the same as I had in my Pennsylvania and some are different. Here in my Delaware backyard habitat I do not have nuthatches, cardinals, finches or wrens. However, I do have swallows and purple martins. Catbirds, robins, and house sparrows populate both locations. One beautiful creature of nature that I do not have down here in Delaware that I had an abundance of in Pennsylvania are deer. As beautiful as the deer are, they can stay in Pennsylvania. I couldn't have many plants because they invariably ate just about everything I grew. The deer were voracious. I not only built my backyard habitat for my friends in nature but also as a refuge from me. With all that goes on in the world today, I find the best antidote for me is my personal backyard oasis. During my six week stint of working full time at the Inn, my backyard was neglected. I've just about caught up on all my trimming and weeding. My gardens and grass are in fine order now. However, I must admit it was a bit lonely without visitors. That's why I was so glad to the two monarch butterflies that have been visiting my backyard the past week. I fear they won't be here too long though. I fully expect them to leave shortly for warmer environs south. I will miss them.

Feathers

The baby bluebirds are no longer naked. See for yourself, they have developed feathers with a blue hue. I check the bluebird box every morning and I am amazed at how fast they are growing. Still not a peep out of them. When I open the front door box, the see a pair of big dark eyes looking at me. In this picture the main baby bluebird quickly took a peek and saw me then went right back to sleep. I think he's getting used to me peeking in his box every morning. Not to worry though, those big eyes open when Mama Bluebird stops by with a tasty morsel. This little bluebird will probably have a long journey ahead of him once he fully develops his feathers and is on his own. I don't know the migration patterns of bluebirds. It seems to vary by food sources and what is genetically implanted in the bluebirds. This is the second year that bluebirds have raised their young in this particular bluebird box. I have two other bluebird boxes surrounding the perimeter of my back yard but they don't seem to prefer those boxes. Perhaps they're facing in the wrong direction. Except for the occasional sparrow, those boxes remained empty during the summer season. Next year I will place another bluebird box on that side of my backyard. Perhaps I can attract another pair of mating bluebirds to raise their young. I now have other visitors to my backyard, humming birds. I don't know where their nest is but there are a lot of them. The humming bird feeder is placed on the railing of my back deck. That feeder receives a constant stream of visitors and needs to be refilled every day and a half. The humming birds are getting so used to me and Bill, that they don't even hum away now when we're out on the deck.