Tragedy in the Bird's Nest

When I checked the bird's nest this afternoon, all I found was one dead chick; the other two were gone completely. I suspect a raccoon.  Sad, sad, sad.

Birdies

Two days old

There are three babies in the nest.  The first two were stirring around in the nest when I checked on Sunday afternoon; the third one hatched sometime before I checked on Monday mid-morning.

A few minutes ago, I managed to catch two of them awake and yawning for food before Daddy Cardinal shooed me away.

There's no noise coming from those gaping mouths. I think baby birds don't "cheep" for a few days.

Mama Cardinal is hardly ever on the nest during the day; too busy hunting food for the babies, I guess.

Bye the bye, the pot that contains the nest is only 6" across.

Tomorrow is also a day. 

Yay!

Two of the eggs have hatched, and Mama Cardinal is busy bringing them whatever it is that new baby birds eat!

Will keep you posted.

Tomorrow is also a day.

Bits and Pieces

This fuzzy photo is the best I could get in the circumstances under which I was working.  A young female Cardinal (if you look closely you can see her head/beak on the right and tail on the left) has taken up housekeeping in a small hanging basket left out in the freezing cold over the winter. In the carefully constructed nest just below the top of the container are three small eggs, the first cardinal eggs I have ever seen.

The circumstances I mentioned above are (1) that the basket is hanging within four feet of my back door, and (2) opening the door widely spooks her off the nest.  I just opened the door a crack, stuck out my cell phone/camera and snapped without really looking or trying to focus.

It makes my heart glad to see her there, and my heart needed a gladdening.  I discovered her nest this past Saturday morning, when my grandson and I went to the back yard to dig a grave for my sweet Missy cat, who went to play with her baby Sweetie Pie last Friday afternoon.

I now have four cats buried in my back yard: Bubble (the sweetest kitty I have ever had) died in July 2000; her brother Squeak died in May, 2012;  Sweetie Pie went to be with the kitty angels just over a year ago, and now, Sweetie Pie's mama, Missy.  They are all buried in their favorite sunning places.

I think that's the end of my having cats; it's just too hard to let them go, even when it's inevitable.

Tomorrow is also a day.

Lady Banks Rose

Lady Banks Rose

Family: Rosaceae

Genus: Rosa

Cultivar: R. Banksiae

A pretty little thing, isn't it? This relatively new addition to my back garden was a gift of Gardening Daughter. It's been in the ground next to a side fence for a couple of years, but bore only one small cluster of blooms last year. It's not completely covered with blooms, as I hope it will be when mature (see Internet photo below -- Glorious! -- I should live so long!) However, I didn't have to search among the leaves for color this year. It's a right cheerful sight.

Photo from Internet

R. banksiae has likely been grown in the gardens of China for hundreds of years. The species was introduced to Europe by William Kerr, who had been sent on a plant-hunting expedition by Sir Joseph Banks. He bought the first Lady Banks' Rose, subsequently named the white Lady Banks (R. banksiae var. banksiae) from the famous Fa Tee nursery in 1807. A number of other forms were subsequently discovered growing in China, including R. banksiae var. normalis, and R. banksiae 'Lutea', the yellow Lady Banks' rose (brought to Europe in 1824 by J. D. Park). This cultivar has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit^[4] - 

Wikipedia article

Tomorrow is also a day.

Dainty Bess Comes Through, Again.

Family:Rosaceae(ro-ZAY-see-ee)

Genus:Rosa(RO-zuh)

Cultivar: Dainty Bess

Hybridized by Archer; Year of Registration or Introduction: 1925

I took the above photo yesterday afternoon with my cell phone camera. Not too bad, considering.  This rose, Dainty Bess, has been a faithful bloomer in my yard for 24 years.  Its leaves look a bit worse for wear and black spot; I haven't given it the attention it deserves. 

Dainty Bess is always the first of my few roses to bloom, and it will soldier on through the heat of the summer, putting out a bloom or two from time to time until hard frost. 

I do have a new yellow rose, courtesy of Gardening Daughter, about which (the rose) I shall post later.  

Tomorrow is also a day.

Easter

Image: Internet

It's not about the bunny.

Wishing you a Blessed Resurrection Sunday and Eastertide.