Yard Work and Planting!

Finally it is time to clean up the yard.  I didn't do anything to it last year as I was a bit under the weather all summer and couldn't.  What a jungle it had become!

This is how it looked in April when all the purple spring flowers were blooming.  I had to go in there and pull them all out!   Has taken about a week just to clear this area.  I put on an audio book, Stephen King's 11/22/63, a nice long book.  So out I went and battled the "jungle" that once was my garden.....

Today it looks like this....I still have to finish mulching and planting some pretty annuals...but I am on my way!

The only color seen right now is the lilies that were hidden....they survived!!!!

Here is a view of the small pond....it was almost out of sight......

Yes, that is the small pond and you can see the ugly black cover on the pool.  So depressing...

This is the small pond now!!!!

I couldn't finish the mulching because I took a day of rest today!!!!!
One more before and after for you to really see what a mess it was!!!!

This is a view from the porch and that is a bird bath by the fence.  When I got to it, I found it broken and of course, went SHOPPING  ...and got a new one......

Looks much better...Just need some flowers for color.  I do have some flowers blooming around the yard....

I have some flower pots done.....

 Some Petunias for the porch.. They smell so good. I love Sage..so got a bunch of different kinds and Rosemary in the middle...makes such a nice arrangement and smells good too.....

This is succulents that I purchased at the Amish nursery out past Londonderry, Oh.
Cecil and I got the cover off the pool and it looks so beautiful...

It was so clear when we took of the tarp, just a few crickets in it.  Just have to get out the pool chairs and umbrellas and of course I have to finish the rest of the yard....all that along the right side of the pool and in the back and to the left....so I guess I have half done....then I can relax!  LOL....
Our daughter, Jill and her family are coming for the holiday week end and the kids love the pool...so I have a few more days to relax and tomorrow a nice massage and my old back should be ready to go for the rest of the yard!
Have a safe and happy holiday!!!!!!

Going to Columbus

My sister and I were driving to Columbus today to do a little shopping and of course had to stop by Charlie's Pond since we drive right by it.....was pretty quite there but did see this Heron.

Then we spotted the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel....

Made it to Columbus, did a little shopping, had something to eat and drink and headed back home.

But of course since we were on 104....we had to stop at Canal Rd.  It was so busy!  A Kingfisher flew by us. A group of Mallards....

They hurried and hid in the weeds.  As we drove down the road we saw this other duck on this log.

It turned out to be a female Hooded Merganser....

Then on the ground we saw this blue.....

An Indigo Bunting!  The color was breathtaking!  They are back. We drove on down to the Park area and there were several on the ground there too.  We saw this little yellow bird but he wouldn't hold still long enough for us to ID him. But this one posed!

This pretty Grey Catbird.  He was singing a pretty song and hoping around the tree. The next bird was just a couple of trees over...Cedar Waxwing...

Then we heard the Baltimore Oriole.

He was really enjoying that tree....got a great tail shot too!!!!

You might say "he flashed us"   LOL

Then in the shelter we saw these Barn Swallows.......

She is sitting on her nest and he was watching us.

This couple was on the fence...

We drove back the way we came to make sure we hadn't missed anything and wanted to check out that duck....Well in the same place we discovered this one....

This female Wood Duck and she has her babies under her feathers....We thought she looked strange and after a few seconds she decided to take her babies and hide in the weeds behind her.  We don't know where the Hooded Merganser went but this must be a favorite spot.....

We saw a couple of Ring-necked Pheasants.  Our first sighting of them at Canal Rd....

The water in the Canal was so clear...this reflection was beautiful.  We had a great start and end of our shopping day in Columbus.  One never knows what one will find!  Always keep an eye open!!!!

The Biggest Week!!

Spent the week-end at "The Biggest Week" in American Birding at Magee's Marsh.
It was amazing. Saw about 20 different Warblers and lots of duck, Heron, Great Egrets. Here are a few of the good pictures I took. Sometimes the excitement of the sighting got the better of me and the pictures were a little blurry.....

This is the beginning of the boardwalk that takes you through the woods of beautiful birds!

Right now it is empty except for me and my sister.....But later there will be hundreds of people which makes it nice because they all help each other find the bird and identify it.  I never thought I would ever enjoy being a part of the crowd...

It is amazing seeing these little Warblers flying around and thinking about the distance they have flown and after this rest they will take off across Lake Erie and further north.
Here are a few of the ones that I was able to get pictures of.

Bay-breasted Warbler

Black and White

Blackburnian Warbler


That orange throat when the sun hit him was amazing!

Black-throated Blue

Black-throated Green

Nashville Warbler

Palm Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 Can you see this one in the tree?  It is the Yellow Warbler.  He is so beautiful.  One would think he easy to spot but it can be hard.













                                        Yellow Warbler

The Warblers are the big draw but there are many more birds......

Baltimore Oriole was everywhere.  I got to see the female for the first time. Of course she isn't as bright as the male.

The Barn Swallow. 

Tree Swallow

The White-crowned Sparrow.
Those white stripes really show up.
The little guy to the right here looks like he had an attitude!!!!














                                    
                            

White-throated Sparrow

Owls are hard to spot.  Someone found this Eastern Screech-Owl high up in this tree.  Do you see him?  It was cold that morning and he is puffed out but look right in the middle behind the leaves and there he is!!!!
There was a Great Horned Owl nest which was hard to see.

Here we are trying to get a view of the nest for the Owls.....

This is the nest.  It was way in the back and at first I saw nothing. Then I saw these little fuzzy heads looking out.

There were two babies and since I have been home, someone got wonderful pictures of them coming out of the nest.  They are so cute.


There were frogs and turtles to be seen.

 The American Woodcock is another bird that is very hard to see.  They are on the ground and blend into the surroundings that it is very hard to see.  This one was walking around.  He did this little back and to movement.  I understand it helps him locate his food and then he spears into the ground for it.  His mate was sitting on a nest but I never did get to find it.
There are other marshes along the Lake and we drove over to them.  The Ottawa has a drive through theirs and we saw ducks and over 100 Great Egrets along with Herons and other birds.

Mallards, Herons and Egrets.
We also liked to go to Metzger Marsh just down the road.

Dunlin were at Metzger Marsh and there must have been 100 of them gathered there one day.

 The Great Egrets were so beautiful.  Some were in full feathers and loved to watch them fly.

This is a Snow Egret.  The first time I have seen one.  They have a black bill.

Heron flying over. We also saw Eagles and Hawks flying too.

We spotted these two Eagles along the road.  They were breathtaking.  So close and just watching everything going on.

 Forster's Terns at the beach area at Maumee Bay State Park.

 Herring Gulls, they have pink legs.

Trumpeter Swans

And there is the beach to walk along and one never knows what one will see or find.  It was a wonderful week-end, our second time to go and we are planning on going next May.