Babies everywhere!

 I’m having another rest day today. My hands need it. I am doing something I have wanted to do since Terry finished the patio—I am working outside. First I had to get my lounge chair out of storage in one of the greenhouses, where it has been since we moved here three years ago. It was, of course, covered in mouse droppings and empty acorn shells. I hosed it off and wiped it down with a disinfectant. Now I’m sitting in the shade of the house in the lovely breeze, typing away on my laptop. My only real problem is that I can see my reflection in the screen better than the document. But it’s a lovely day.

Last week has marked the fledging of orioles and robins, and probably many other birds. The baby ground squirrels have also made their debut. I kept my camera with telephoto lens handy for days trying to get these pictures of the oriole dad feeding a baby grape jelly. In this one, you can see (If you look carefully) a blob of jelly by the chick’s mouth.

Dad feeding grape jelly to a juvenile--look closely for the blob of jelly

And here’s the action photo, which Terry said should be on the cover of National Geographic. I am pretty proud of it.

Another view of male oriole feeding a fledgling

Hilda’s jelly feeder is a clear glass bowl. She saw a juvenile trying to get jelly from the bottom. Its parent joined it and taught it to approach from the top.

Here’s a juvenile robin (spotted) with a parent.  I had an opportunity for a better shot, but both the birds were alarmed by something and flew off. Instantly a tiny fawn tore through the yard, made a big loop, and took off down the trail to the creek. It did not stop to pose for a picture, more’s the pity.

Juvenile robin (left) and parent (right). Because of lingering down, juvenile birds often look larger than the adults.

There are at least six ground squirrels in the litter that has its den by the apple orchard. They move around a lot; it’s hard to count. For reasons that are mysterious to me, they like to climb on the deer fence. They will only be cute until they eat the peas.

There are 5 ground squirrels in this picture. I think.

We were going to leave the chicks in the garage for three weeks, which would have been Monday, July 6. Because we had tentative plans for a road trip that day, I suggested Tuesday. The next time I talked to Hilda, she thought Sunday would be better. “I can’t stand the smell every time I open the door.” It was  problem, certainly, because that door opens to her kitchen. Even with the door shut, there was kind of an odor.

Terry wanted to weed whack the area before we moved the chicks. I told him on Thursday that we would do it Sunday. Friday morning, Hilda was eager to move the chicks that very day.

“I thought you said Sunday,” Terry said.

“That was yesterday,” I replied, “now Hilda wants to do it today.”

And so he got busy with the weed whacker. I went out to the hay field to cut thistles. After lunch, Hilda and I got Coop 2 ready for occupants, spreading wood chips, filling the waterer and feeder. I got the kennel out of the chicken run (no one has been broody lately, but every time I put the cage away….), and Terry backed the Gator into the garage. We loaded up the chicks.

Hilda loading the first chick

I kept telling them to step to the rear of the cage, but they persisted in crowding near the door.

Step to the rear of the cage! Rear of the cage, please!

Terry drove the chicks to their new home, and we installed them.

Installing the chicks

They settled in right away.

Chicks in the coop with a window screen to contain them for a few days

We left them in the coop until today so they learned (we hope) where they are supposed to be at night. The next challenge will be getting them to walk down the ramp. Soon we have to take the food away at night. They will be powerfully motivated to go down the ramp for food in the morning after that.

Yesterday, it being the Fourth of July, I started the morning by baking the traditional cherry pie using a combination of Nanking cherries from this year and Montmorency cherries from two years ago, which I found when I cleaned the freezer.

Fourth of July cherry pie

Once the dew was off the grass, I went back to work on my star thistle eradication project. I got one pretty large patch cut before lunch. It was hot, sweaty work, but at least the mosquitoes weren’t out in the middle of the field. Unlike me, they have enough sense to hang out in the shade. After lunch, I went to what I thought was the last patch. When I did my survey a few days ago, I saw that there was a large patch of white flowers in bloom next to the purple star thistle flowers that were just beginning to bloom. I made an assumption that it was the same white flower that was blooming closer to the path, which I could see was daisy fleabane. This was a bad assumption. It was, in fact, a huge patch of white-flowered star thistle. Furthermore it was humming, alive with pollinators of all sorts—honey bees, solitary bees, beetles, native ladybugs, flies, and, most spectacularly, dozens of red admiral butterflies. I looked around me at the wind-pollinated grasses with their minute and nectar-free flowers. Other than the small patches of daisy fleabane, some white clover, and the elderberry bushes, these thistles were the only game in town and, I inferred, surprisingly nectar rich. I sighed and lost my enthusiasm for cutting them down. Even invasive plants can serve a function. If only the star thistle wasn’t so aggressive!

Red admiral

Red admiral drinking nectar (note proboscis in flower)

Two red admirals

Honey bee

Rather than attack the main infestation, I decided to eliminate the satellite colonies, which were numerous and widespread. I didn’t get nearly done with those before it was time for me to quit and get ready for our evening holiday celebration. I was worn out, overheated, and dehydrated by 2:30 in any case. Perhaps I’ll try to do something with this patch in the fall or early spring. I’ll have to find something that blooms in early July to plant there.