Update!!!!

After I had posted my May Day Blog...later that day, I went out on the porch and there was this bird in the Dogwood Tree.  He was just sitting there and after the shock, I recovered. I ran in and grabbed my camera, shaking now, and got these few pictures of the beautiful Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

He was so striking.  I couldn't believe I was so close to him.  Was very exciting...then he started moving around the tree and I am shaking and trying to capture as many pictures as I can!!!!!

I think he was going to come down to the feeders.....

But a Starling flew in and he flew away and didn't return.  But he had been there and that was enough for me...
      So..last night another really bad storm and this morning I ran out to see if anything different had arrived and this cute Chipping Sparrow was at the feeder just stuffing himself with the seeds.

He is so cute!!!!!

The Titmouse was looking at him...like Who is the new Guy????  You can see how tiny he is compared to the Titmouse.  This is the first time I have had a Chipping Sparrow in my yard.

Sitting checking out the area before he heads to his destination.
So there has been some unexpected excitement at the bird feeders.
Also saw my first Hummingbird of the year yesterday also....

May Day!!!

Happy May Day! The rain ended last night and beautiful morning today.  I went out on my porch to see who was visiting the bird feeders.  Didn't have to wait for long. The friendly White-breasted Nuthatch arrived.

He isn't a bit afraid of me and loves the nuts. I enjoy the way he clings to the tree and hops over to the feeder.  I could hear the Titmouse.  But didn't know if they would arrive or not.  They are quick and usually I can't get a very good picture. Today they must have wanted those nuts really bad.

He had his eye on me.  But he really wanted some nuts.






He got his nuts, but he didn't take his eye off me...

I was thrilled with the pictures I got and waited quietly for the next bird.  Well in flew the Downy Woodpecker.

He loves the suet in this feeder.  He doesn't have to fight off the Starlings and Grackles from this feeder. So he takes his time.

Then the cute Chickadee arrives...chirping and hopping around, grabbing a nut and banging it on a tree branch.  They are such fun to watch.

Seems like the nuts are the favorite this morning.

I have this Robin that has been in the yard for a while now.  I have seen him on the bird feeder getting seeds.  I told my husband, he must be a vegetarian Robin....LOL... well this morning guess who visited the nut feed!?

I was shocked to see him land on the feeder and get some nuts.  I thought they only ate bird seed only when there weren't any worms or bugs around.  This was a first for me. He even chased away the Starlings when they flew in.
The House Finch didn't like me sitting on the porch.  They flew in chattering and few away.  I was able to get a quick picture of him on the wire.

They are so pretty.  I also had a couple of Song Sparrows too.  But they were too quick to leave when they saw me.











I hadn't had any Goldfinch and my sister has them flying around everywhere.  So I decided to move their feeder further away from the rest of the feeders....It worked!!!!!  I had a couple visit the feed today and was so thrilled to see the beautiful yellow!!!

The male is in full color.










I love how they are both holding on to the same post in this picture.

The female Cardinal was in the yard.  Cardinals rather visit the feeder after everyone is gone.

The Blue Jay loves the peanuts I put out for him. He will swoop in and grab one and swoop out!!!!

Sorry I didn't get a better picture.  Hop I will before the nuts run out!












While I was taking the pictures of the visitor, I had company on the porch with me.......

Miss Kitty, my mother's cat that we adopted.  She was enjoying watching the coming and going.  I then decided to walk around the yard and see what was blooming....

I have this giant Hollyhock growing...looks like it is going to be blooming soon.  The leaves are huge.
I have never had one this big before and she came up on her own.

My white Iris is blooming and here are some of the other things that are blooming now.

Yellow pond Iris......

Columbine of several different varieties are blooming.


The purple Money plant is still blooming but starting the seed pods.










My Bleeding Heart is still in bloom, too.

So I worked my way back to the front of the yard to take a look at the small pond...

I heard this barking noise and looked around and saw Miss Kitty....

And when I looked up into the tree...there was the Squirrel very upset...because he had come over to rob the bird feeders and Miss Kitty was standing guard.

When I got back on the porch...these carpenter bees were busy working away and I got Cecil who went and filled up their holes and made them very unhappy!!!!!

I just hope they don't start a new hole.





I hope everyone has a great May Day and my next blog (I hope) will be filled with pictures of warblers!!! Planning on going to do some birding at the Biggest Week at Magee's Marsh...
Till next time! Happy May Day!!!! ;)

Butterflies at Franklin Park Conservatory

After the very warm March, April has been cool and rainy.  So a friend and I decided to visit the Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Garden in Columbus, Oh.  The butterfly exhibit is going on and I really wanted to try out my new camera....

 This is very interesting to see how they come into this world and then walk into the area where they will spend their life.

When you first enter the room there is the Koi fish pond.  These were the fattest fish I have ever seen!

They are well feed for sure!

Then you see the Sunset Tower by Dale Chilhuly in the middle of the room...

As we started hunting for butterflies these beautiful blue Common Morpho were flying everywhere. But when they land they close their wings....they are large, 4"-5".  Very hard to get a picture of one with wings open. (and I didn't)

I discovered that they loved the glass sculpture and were sitting everywhere on it.

Yellow seemed to be the favorite color for them to land on....

I am going to just post the pictures for you to enjoy...

 I had a couple land on me for a brief moment.  I guess I wasn't sweet enough!!!  LOL

This one was flat on a palm tree, almost missed him.  I think he is the Cracker.

This on looks like he is trying to escape to the great outdoors...

This beauty is Scarlet Swallowtail.

 We were lucky as there weren't very many people there when we were and we had lots of fun hunting and taking pictures and just watching them.