Nature

Grackle feeds its youngster

/ Roadtirementvintage / 22 Comments

The gray bird landed, and we did not recognize what kind of bird it was. Soon however two grackles showed up and it was obvious that they were here to feed their offspring.

We did not recognize this species

Ah, looks like a parent is here to feed the youngster

There is the second parent and the youngster demanding more to eat

This was an interesting and enjoyable event for us to observe. It was the first time we had seen an immature grackle. There is always something going on with the wildlife in our backyard! We enjoy sharing our photos with you.

 

Portrait of a mourning dove

/ Roadtirementvintage / 10 Comments

We see doves nearly every day in our yard

Here is another one of our welcomed friendly backyard visitors. The mourning dove is in the same taxonomic family as pigeons. It is one of the most common North American  birds. Doves have very sad and mournful calls, and have been compared to the cries of owls. Doves also make a very characteristic pulsing sound as they fly. Amongst agricultural societies this bird is known as “the rain crow” due to the legend that the calls of doves warn of the impending arrival of rain.

The rose got here

/ Roadtirementvintage / 22 Comments

Remember back on May 24th we posted this picture (on the left) of a rose bud and said the rose was “on the way”. Well, here we are 5 days later and we have been blessed with a beautiful blooming rose that did get here. It is remarkable how Nature brings about so many dynamic examples of growth and development. There is something just so mystical about roses…

Pileated woodpeckers in the neighborhood

/ Roadtirementvintage / 13 Comments

Looking out the front door I spotted a pair of Pileated woodpeckers on the side of a tree across the street. One of them, a male, flew right at me and landed in a big tree next door. The second stayed on the other side of the street flying from tree to tree.

Within a very short time the female across the street had flown tree to tree down the street and out of sight. These large birds create quite a commotion when they fly through the neighborhood!

Two years later

/ Roadtirementvintage / 8 Comments

Taken on June 20, 2020

Taken on June 25, 2021

Taken on May 26, 2022

This Black Cherry was one we got free from the Conservation Service and Indiana DNR. The first picture was taken on June 20, 2020 shortly after being planted. The sapling was then in a cage for protection, and the top visible rung on the cage is less than 2 feet high. The second picture was taken on June 25, 2021. Then the tree was a little over 6 feet tall. The tree has reached a little over 12 feet in height now. It’s amazing how quickly this Black Cherry has grown.