Beer's nesting catbird has a cousin over here. He's dancing around and singing like the glory of heaven and keeps a stern eye on me working out in the vegetable garden. Seems to be interested in a robing's nest that emptied out a couple of weeks ago when the red red robins went bob bob bobbing along.

Joining me in the garden were an Eastern Phoebe and a shy yet friendly Wood Pewee, each catching insects within an arm's reach. The other day Truelove watched a phoebe catch a moth quite near him, so he snatched up another moth and tossed it in the air. He was rewarded by the very close swoop and snap of the phoebe as it caught the second moth as well.

Yesterday evening we were gazing out the kitchen door, wondering who would be coming in for an evening meal. To our delight and surprise a female Baltimore Oriole appeared on the shepherd's crook feeder stand, then fluttered down to...not the hummingbird feeder, but the suet cage!

Shortly before that three male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks visited the sunflower feeder for quite a while. At least one was feeding his brown-striped fledgling. Hummers are active again, though still secretive, and the Downy and Hairy woodpeckers bring their young in for meals, as do the Purple Finches.

maeve