Sounds of Cicadas & Female Tree Swallow

Our sweet, little, female Tree Swallow peeking out of the

birdhouse at me. They are so friendly and approachable.

You can hear the sounds of the Cicadas in the background.

They've gotten really vocal now that the weather has

warmed up. Enjoy!

Chickadee Eggs

Nature can be fascinating, but cruel as well. I found this little
Chickadee egg cracked on the patio below the bird box where they
have been nesting. I also noticed some nesting material had been
pulled out of the bird box.


It looks like this egg has been pecked open. House Sparrows
and Wrens are notorious for attacking Chickadee nests and
attacking their young and eggs. It's sad, but I guess that's what
they mean by "survival of the fittest."

Nesting Time

I caught this little Black Capped Chickadee poking his head out
of our bird box Saturday morning. I wish I had had my long lens
on the camera when I took this shot!

Wren Nest

I cleaned out our little bird box the other day and this
is what I found inside. Two families of wrens were raised
in the box this year :) It's always fun to see what a nest
consisted of.

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and
the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk
or an evening saunter . . . to be thrilled by the stars at night;
to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these
are some of the rewards of the simple life.
~John Burroughs (1837 - 1921)

Balancing Act

This picture is so cute, I just had to post it. Enjoy!

Mr. and Mrs. Tree Swallow

We have a couple of Tree Swallows nesting in one of our bird
boxes. We hung this bird box in a Tulip Poplar tree in our back
yard. Tree Swallows are the coolest little birds! We enjoy watching
them glide around the yard. They are gorgeous birds and they eat
lots of mosquitos and bugs. They're also very tolerant of people.
This is the male Tree Swallow.


Gossamer wings.


I love how the tips of his wings are crossed :)


"Honey, I'm home!"


Mr. and Mrs. Tree Swallow. The female is on the right.
I've always wondered why the female birds are always
duller in color than the males? I guess only God knows
the answer to that question :)


Free as a bird! I wish I could fly like that!

New Digs

This little Black Capped Chickadee was checking out our
bird box recently. For the past two springs we've had
wrens nesting in this box.


Checking out the possible new digs.


Recently we've been seeing mama Chickadee and daddy
Chickadee taking sticks and building materials into the
box. Looks like they've moved in :)

Tree Swallow

I was out taking pictures around the house. I turned
toward our Tulip Poplar tree and caught this beautiful
little Tree Swallow checking out our birdhouse.


He tried to stick his head in to take a peek, but I guess
the opening was too small. We usually have Wrens that
nest in this particular box.


After several tries, he finally gave up. Talk about having
your camera with you at the right time :)