Last Day of the Month - Last Start of the Month

Sub Rosa Designs offered a wonderful bee motif chart and as freebie.

I've decided to kit it up as my last start for June.

In the birding world there are still lots of newly hatched birds.

I have four active Violet-green Swallow houses.

That makes for eight parent birds working from dawn to dusk snagging insects to feed their young.

Once in a while an adult bird will rest briefly before taking flight again.

On the California Quail front we had our first sighting of babies on June 20th.

Each year we put up this sign at the bottom of our driveway to remind guests and deliverymen to drive with caution.

The baby quail are no bigger than marshmallows when they hatch and are difficult to see on our gravel driveway. 

We have at least two families.

One set of parents is looking over 5 chicks... 

...the other set has something like 11-15.

The parents stick close to the protection of the berm...

Aren't they adorable?

Bees and Birds

Design - "A Little Bee" (kit)

Designer - Lizzie Kate

Fabric - 32 count linen

Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 22 June 2017

Completed - 25 June 2017

Lots of interesting motifs in this little stitch.  It was fun to work on.

What's up at the feeders you ask?

The Red-breasted Nuthatch continues to drop by.

As he mostly hangs upside down, I cannot help but be amused watching him.

See?

Here's a challenge for newbie birders.

Who is this newly fledged bird?

It's a young Song Sparrow, and no it doesn't look much like an adult bird.

Here's an adult Song Sparrow.

The males have started singing again.

Even a rather dull Mourning Dove is interesting upon close inspection.

Most of my Starlings have fledged and moved on and are no longer mobbing by suet and peanut feeders.  Yay!

A Warbler of some sort came by briefly, just long enough to tantalize me!  

June's Final Walk

How did the month of June fly by so quickly?

It seems like just yesterday that the Ocean Spray was forming its cascading blooms.

Now the shrubs are frothing with white.

They will be the stars of the dappled shade for a couple of more weeks.

Here's a wild pea of some sort.

The wild roses continue to bloom.

Pink, pinker, pinkest!

The blackberry vines are in full bloom.

The Ox-eyed Daisies 'own' the meadows.

I have the smallest patch of Oregon Sunshine.

The Elderberry is blooming too.  I've never seen the bright red ripe berries as the Grosbeaks eat them all while they are still green.

Speaking of green berries - Poison Oak! Stay clear!

A Towhee is singing away as we walk by...

Vine Maple provides a pop of bright green and red.

Oaks in the sunshine!  So many birds feed off the insects that are associated with our native oaks. 

We have two native honeysuckles. One is orange and the other, this one, is a pale pinky / purple.

That's it for June - onwards to July. 

Eggs, a Chick, and Birds

The egg and chick in the header refers to my stitching progress on this Easter stitch.  I brought it back out and am working on it again, hoping to finish it up in a week or so.

The birds are some of my 'regulars' this past week.  Let's take alook.

A female Lesser Goldfinch.

An American Goldfinch couple.

Male Hairy Woodpecker and American Goldfinches.

I love it when I have an assortment of birds at the feeders.

Male Purple Finch and female Evening Grosbeak.

Most birds cannot swallow water...

...without tipping back their heads.

Pigeons and Jays can, but literally everyone else avian can't. 

Male Evening Grosbeak. I may not have cardinals, but I do have this bright yellow bird. 

Male Black-headed Grosbeak. They are still singing away looking for mates and establishing territory.

Cedar Waxwing.

A group of three late in the evening.

Close-up

Two birds in better light.

They have such frowny faces!

I cannot watch a Black-capped Chickadee without feeling my spirits lifted.

Their calls and chatter and bright faces and 'busyness' are charming.

I think they've nested and are now active at the feeders once again.

"Chicka-dee-dee-dee!"