Birds, Living in Place

Goings-on in the Backyard in April

67 Comments

So far, April has been very kind to Mainers. The weather has been warm—at times downright hot—and the bugs have been few. The mud is pretty much gone. Accordingly, we have been diligently working on spring chores.

For our wood stove, we get blocks of wood delivered on pallets.  Over the past two years, we have acquired quite a collection of them. Time for Handyman Clif to break out his hammer and saw and take them apart. Some of the wood will be used for projects, and some of it will be used in our fire pit when the kids come for a visit this summer.

As for me…my job is to rake the yard and clear the gardens.

Before, in the backyard.

And after.

However hard we work, we are never too busy to take a break on the patio and watch the fluttering beauties that come and go.

Somehow, I never get tired of taking pictures of cardinals. Part of me can’t believe that we actually have them in our backyard. Cardinals are relative newcomers to Maine, and Clif’s mother and my mother died before ever having a chance to view one of these lovelies. How I wish they had lived long enough to see them.

Here is the flashy male,

and his less flashy but still attractive mate.

We do have other birds visit us, including chipper little chickadees, our state bird.

And robins, which we actually don’t see that often. I think they like open areas better.

We have other birds visit us, too, and I will be ready with the camera to take picture of them.

Now, onward to the front yard!

 

67 thoughts on “Goings-on in the Backyard in April”

  5. We have many cardinals here. I love that if you see the male, you can assume the female will be close by, or vice versa. And after the babies come along you can here them “chip-chip-chip” when they’re learning to fly. They are truly wonderful birds. (I did not know that they arrived in Maine only recently; oh, the surprises of climate change!)

  9. I was really surprised to see the female cardinal. To think all the ones I’ve seen have been the males. We don’t have them over here. Well done on the organising to both of you.

  11. I can feel my West Virginia To-Do list growing longer every day I spend visiting family in sunny California. Pallets are definitely for stacking stuff on. Meanwhile, as I have the luxury of putting my feet up for a nap, I shall indulge with another elf podcast… and maybe some camomile tea when I wake up. – Oscar

      3. What a good feeling it is to create order in our lives! You and Clif are such a great industrious team. Love the birds and I understand about cardinals. I have only seen them at my sister in law’s home outside Washington DC and they are so showy and elegant. How wonderful to have them show up in your yard!💗

      4. A-w-w-w, thanks! Because of the tiny budget we live on, we have to do most things ourselves. We just chip away at things. And actually, I like doing yard work. Not a hardship at all.

  13. Your chickadee is sitting in the same kind of tree I saw a chickadee at the wildlife refuge. I don’t know what kind of tree that is. Do you?

  14. It’s nice to clean the garden slate in readiness for the garden season. Isn’t it exciting to have all the warm days ahead of us? I love this time of gentle optimism. 🙂

  16. I think the cardinals are lovely…. so striking! Whatever has sent them to your part of the world is a bonus for you! Your garden is looking very neat, it is satisfying looking at an orderly garden at the beginning of spring.

  17. I’ll bet you both slept well that night.
    We’ve been watching the birds flying back and forth with vegetation as they build their nests. Some wood pigeons are building theirs in a pyrocantha bush at the top of the bank and I hope the thorns will be enough to keep the cats out. I’ve decided that, by the end of this month, we’ll stop putting food out for the birds in the hope that they will keep high up in the trees and deep in the hedges instead of coming to the feeding station. My poor cats need to go out a little more than they do at the moment instead of just being let out for an hour or two, wearing a bell, at night. It was easier in the early dark of the winter but now it doesn’t go dark until 8.30 and it will be getting later and later. 😿

  20. Cardinals are one of my favorites. They were as common in my home state of Iowa as they are here in Texas. In fact, our high school sports teams were the Cardinals, and our school colors were red and black. I have a nesting pair somewhere around here. Both the male and female are coming for seed.

    Somehow, outdoor work always seems more appealing to me than indoor, and the fine results of your work in the yard and garden are showing. I suspect with your shorter growing season, the urge to ‘get with it’ can be strong.

  21. I’m glad you and Clif are taking the time to enjoy your fluttering beauties in between the spring clean-up, Laurie. April is a busy month for yard work in Colorado as well. One added benefit of working outdoors is that I hear many more birds than from my desk, even with my window open.
    You are lucky to have cardinals visit your home, I would be thrilled to see one here. 😊🐦
    Happy April,
    Tanja

  22. Your cleaning job looks nice. I love birds and sure enjoyed your photos. I have lots of cardinals at my feeders, they are such beautiful birds.

  23. I love this time of year when the birds start building nests. I didn’t know that about robins. One year a flock arrived in our garden and stayed for close to a week. They left in small groups, and then one day they were all gone. It was remarkable, having never experienced that before. Your cardinals are stunning. I’m sorry your parents didn’t live to see one. xo

  27. I never tire of seeing photos of cardinals, either! I do miss them!

    Those are nice pallets. Sometimes people make compost bins out of them.

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