Thursday, April 7, 2016

April Wildlife 2016

Spring is in the air, and with it comes new creatures to the garden.  Here are a few of my favorites in the garden this month:

Wrens

A couple months ago, mommy and daddy wren built a beautiful home together in the protected environment of my courtyard and inside the comfort and protection of a decorative lantern.


A couple of weeks later, I heard the chirps of a few little baby wrens.  A couple of weeks after that, I found the little family and fledglings hopping around the courtyard, working on getting their wings.


Come on out, little guy.  I won't hurt you.


There you are!  Nice hair-do, by the way.


 Mom (or Dad?) wasn't too sure about me.  Both parents were keeping a close eye on their little ones as they explored the garden.


After I was sure the mommy and daddy wren had completely abandoned the nest after a few days, I went to investigate.


Wow - that is quite the nest!  I can only imagine the hundreds of trips back and forth that it took to create this comfy little home.  I just read that the male house wren builds SEVERAL nests, and the female picks which one she likes the best.  I guess he outdid himself on this one!


 Unfortunately, it looks like two little ones didn't make it.  I guess that is why they generally lay 6-7 eggs in a brood.  Circle of life, I s'pose.


Hummingbirds

The Hummingbirds returned this year on March 15.  That's about three weeks earlier than last year (April 4).  Maybe their earlier arrival was due to the mild Texas winter, or maybe they just remembered where they found the delicious nectar last year!


I mainly have black-chinned hummingbirds.  As you can tell with this guy's yellowed beak, the pollen is heavy right now.  Thankfully, pollen doesn't bother me, so I'm able to be outside in the garden and enjoy these little pollinators.


Coming in hot!  I love the iridescent purple on the male's chins!


So far, I've noticed about four hummingbirds; about three males and one female.  I rarely have more than one hummer at the feeder at a time because they are extremely territorial and always chase each other away.


I can always hear hummingbirds before I see them.  They really do make a humming sound with their wings.  They also have a distinguishable chirping sound.  When we leave our patio door open on cooler spring evenings, I always know when the hummers are at the feeder, even when I'm inside, with their commotion of chirping and humming.


They are such magnificent little creatures!  One of my favorite animals in garden, certainly.


I have to give photo credit to the hubby - he is always able to get better shots of these fast little guys.  Thanks hun!


Lizards

The green anoles are common to see out in the garden.  I usually spy them sunbathing every time I walk around the garden.  They have really been enjoying basking on the artichokes lately.  I think they don't mind the fact that it is pretty much an open buffet of various bugs and beetles.


I also spy the Texas Spiny Lizard from time to time.  Here, I captured the rare occurrence of getting both the anole and the spiny lizard in the same frame.


That's all for this month's wildlife.  Thanks to Tina over at My Gardener Says for hosting this enjoyable meme.


8 comments:

  1. So glad you joined in this month! I love your little wren story. Carolina wrens are just about the cutest birds--how lucky you are that they built their nest nearby so you could witness their family goings-on. And a big high-five to The Hub for his great hummingbird photos--they're just gorgeous! The two with the flash of purple--stunning! I saw a Black-chinned the other day, though not in my own garden. Anoles are always fun and I miss them in the winter--I'm glad they're back in both of our gardens. Thanks for joining in--it was a real treat!

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  2. Kudos to the photographer...and to you, for this entertaining post. I love the velvety green of the Anole.

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  3. Oh Rebecca hummers....can't wait to see them come back in about a month...and what a delightful spot for a wren's nest....I miss it when they don't nest like last year....fledglings are so cute!

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  4. What a lovely post Rebecca, your Wrens have similar markings to our Nuthatches, our own Wrens are smaller than yours and their nest is apparently small too. To have them nest so close where you can watch the fledgelings is so fortunate, really lovely photos. And fantastic captures of the Hummingbirds and the iridescent chins,its looks like a fluorescent light under neath, I wonder what thats about?

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  5. What a marvel your OH is with the camera. Such beautiful pictures of the hummers. I have a lone wren that visits my garden - what a treat to have them call your place home. Great post Rebecca.

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  6. What a wonderful series of photos - kudos to all for such great captures!

    We had wrens build a nest above a sliding door out to a back deck and carefully used a different exit point until it was clear the female had selected (wisely) a different nesting site for the season. They are such delightful visitors and fun to watch as they make their daily hunting rounds. Great post!

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  7. Love the Hummingbirds! Nothing prettier than nature in action, and the purple on the chin is amazing. Great pictures!

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  8. How lovely that you captured to wrens and their little family. I love watching the birds. Your hummingbird pics are great, too.

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