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'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.

 

5 Years Ago

Juveniles Are Confusing

 

Design - "Bee Mine"

Chart - "The Bee Book"

Designer - Stitches From the Heartland

Fabric - 32 count natural linen

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 12 June 2014

Completed - 14 June 2014 

IDing newly fledged birds can be difficult.

Sometimes they look quite different from the mature adult form,

and if they are not with their parents...it can be tough.

Do you recognize this bird?

Though it looks very different from these mature adults - all the birds featured in this post are Dark-eyed Juncos. 

June's Blog Header

  

Garden Grumbles and Cross Stitch Fumbles June 2026 Blog Header

For the last several years I've been stitching bees and bee skeps in the month of June.  

Here are the details by vertical rows. If the chart has more than one design I've listed both the chart name and design name.

Row #1: The Prairie Schooler, "Letters Part One" - "Busy Bees and Bee Hive"; The Prairie Schooler, "Bee on Black" (freebie); The Primitive Hare, "Litha - Summer Solstice"; Stitches from the Hearthland, "The Bee Book" - "Bee Mine".

Row #2: Crown and Thistle, "Spring and Summer"; Brown House Studios, "Seasonal Standups" - "Spring".

Row #3: Sisters and Best Friends, "Bumble Bee"; Homespun Elegance, "Happy Summer".

Row #4: The Prairie Schooler, "Garden Beasties" - "Bee Skep"; Homespun Elegance, "Adornments for Christmas and All Year" - "Bee Skep"; Lizzie Kate, "June Stamp". 

Rows #5 & #6: Birds of a Feather, "Busy as a Bee"; Homespun Elegance, "Meowy Tyme" - "May Day".

Love Me Some Acorns

Design - "Gingham Hearts"

Designer - Twisted Threads

Fabric - 28 count cream and tan Riviera linen

Fibers- WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 6 February 2013

Completed -11 February 2013

I found it fun and challenging to stitch on gingham fabric. 

Without further ado, a bunch of photos of Acorn Woodpeckers.

 

A female

A male

A male and female

Two males

It's great fun to watch these guys.

Fledglings

Design - "Sweet Violets"

Designer - Cedar Hill

Fabric - 28 count R & R Irish Cream linen

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 20 April 2008

Completed - 31 May 2008 

A blue, blue sky.

A lovely song.

A wonderfully bright bird.

Such a joy to have Black-headed Grosbeaks in the spring / summer.

And oh, look!  The raucous, demanding baby Starlings have fledged!