We've seen more signs of spring during the last two weeks. One welcome even is that one pair of toads successfully mated, and the eggs are slowly developing--slowly because of the return of cold weather after some unseasonably warm days. The tadpoles should be wiggling soon and escaping from their gelatinous string of eggs they're in now. (I don't know the proper term for this...) We'll welcome as many toads as possible in our yard so they can assist us with reducing the slug population.
Robins are also frequent visitors to our yard. One reason is that, of all the birds that visit, they seem to most love taking baths in the stream. Another reason, though, is that our yard has what they need right now: mud, bits of grass etc., and moss. They don't seem to be actually nesting in our yard, but more than one pair is using our "construction materials" for their nests. It's not hard to see why--most suburban areas are asphalt and turf grass!
The chickadees seem to have settled on the driveway nestbox. I hope the wrens don't take it over again this year by filling it with sticks. That has happened fairly frequently in the past.
I'm happy to see that our mayapples seem to be spreading a little, and that some of our bluebells that we started from seed a year ago last fall has managed to survive. It looks like some creature may eat their fleshy roots. Everything else seems to be growing well, too--a yearly miracle!
We've seen more signs of spring during the last two weeks. One welcome even is that one pair of toads successfully mated, and the eggs are slowly developing--slowly because of the return of cold weather after some unseasonably warm days. The tadpoles should be wiggling soon and escaping from their gelatinous string of eggs they're in now. (I don't know the proper term for this...) We'll welcome as many toads as possible in our yard so they can assist us with reducing the slug population.
Robins are also frequent visitors to our yard. One reason is that, of all the birds that visit, they seem to most love taking baths in the stream. Another reason, though, is that our yard has what they need right now: mud, bits of grass etc., and moss. They don't seem to be actually nesting in our yard, but more than one pair is using our "construction materials" for their nests. It's not hard to see why--most suburban areas are asphalt and turf grass!
The chickadees seem to have settled on the driveway nestbox. I hope the wrens don't take it over again this year by filling it with sticks. That has happened fairly frequently in the past.
I'm happy to see that our mayapples seem to be spreading a little, and that some of our bluebells that we started from seed a year ago last fall has managed to survive. It looks like some creature may eat their fleshy roots. Everything else seems to be growing well, too--a yearly miracle!
1 comment:
What a great pond and such a good picture of the toad eggs. Would love to see their development. Robins are a favorite of mine and although I have several nesting shelves (supposedly what Robins prefer), they seem to try to nest on the covered front porch and last year on the eaves of my shed. Not sure where they will nest this year! I do always see them in my bird baths. I would love to have nesting chickadees but we have many house sparrows here in my village. I would rather have the house wren nest over the house sparrows! I planted a may apple root stock but fear it didn't make it. Would love to see pictures of yours.
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