Monday, June 8, 2026

10 Years Ago

Design - "Bee Skep"
Chart - "Adornments for Christmas and All Year"
Design - Homespun Elegance
Fabric - 30 count natural linen
Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads
Started - 5 June 2014
Completed - 5 June 2014

10 Years Ago

This is Bird Baby time of year.  

Last week I watched this rather resigned looking father House Finch and his two newly fledged offspring. 

The baby in the center was the showman...

...chattering...and fluffing her wings.

It paid off!

Papa got tired of all the begging and posturing and fed her.

Parents and kids!

I've had two birdhouses on the east side of the shop for a couple of years now, and have been frustrated that they've been unoccupied.
That changed this year as a family of Black-capped Chickadees took up residence. 

The babies have hatched and the parents are hard at work feeding their brood.
They fly in to a couple of young Douglas Fir trees which are a few feet from the birdhouse.  There they pause to catch their breath... 

...then make the short flight to the house. 

They often pause there as well before entering.
The birdhouse inhabitants are making quite a ruckus - I'm guessing there are babies.  

With the exception of American Goldfinches, literally all other baby birds are fed a diet of protein, usually in the form of insects.

So while I see the adults at my peanut and sunflower feeders grabbing a quick snack for themselves, they are feeding the babies juicy green insects and bugs of all sorts. 


 

Sunday, June 7, 2026

Sun

 

Saturday, June 6, 2026

Sat

 

Friday, June 5, 2026

5 Years Ago

5 Years Ago 

 

Design - "Bee Skep"
Chart - "Budding Littles"
Designer - Hollis Designs
Fabric - 32 count Sandstone linen
Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads
Started - 10 June 2012
Completed - 10 June 2012

A sweet little bee skep!


I happened upon a couple of Lesser Goldfinch fledglings.

Like most fledglings, they were fat and fluffy.

And while fully capable of feeding themselves, they preferred to beg from their father.

Kid on the left, Dad on the right.

Alright!  If you insist! 

Thursday, June 4, 2026

10 Years Ago

10 Years Ago - June 3rd 2016

It is June and I have two new bee skep charts!


In June many of my birds are in the process of nest building like this Violet-green Swallow.

I do not think that I've ever seen baby Juncos before, and in the past week, I have watched several families.

Babies

Parent

Here is a young female Hairy Woodpecker.
Here's her dad.

Here are the two of them together.

I still have a female Evening Grosbeak hanging around. I am hopeful that portends baby grosbeaks in the future.

This past weekend I saw two sets of Killdeer parents defending their nests from Memorial weekend cemetary activities.

Back to baby Juncos.

She's begging.

Too cute.

Other parents still have much work ahead of them.

 

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Wednesday's Walk


A very short walk today.

Douglas fir new growth

Hazel brush

The nuts have already formed

The squirrels and jays should be happy.