Christmas in April

Tweet

Pin It

Yesterday, and again today, migrating birds decorated the yard as though for Christmas. The weather could not have been worse for people or birds (hot, dry, windy), but trees were adorned with the most colorful of spring migrants:  orioles, buntings (like the bright male Painted Bunting above), grosbeaks, tanagers, warblers--we had multiple species of them all.

All day yesterday I walked the driveway snapping pictures and hid behind bushes to get closer to bird baths.  I took so many photos I  may never get them all posted.   (I think I took almost as many pictures of birds yesterday morning as I take of my grandchildren at Christmas.)

Most photos, of course, were taken at the watering places around the yard: at drippers, baths, saucers, and fountains. The most decorated trees were ones near the water where birds in the sunshine looked like sparkling ornaments adorning branches.

Hidden among bright berries of the ripening fiddlewood at left are a Scarlet Tanager and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  Just as I snapped the photo, a Baltimore Oriole moved out of view, dropping down to a feeder to take a bite of orange!     I wish I could have gotten the trio together, but the two who remained illustrate my comparison to a Christmas tree with bright ornaments.

Stay tuned:  over the next few days I'll be proving my claims with my photos--not always the best photographically speaking, but exciting for me as they recall how in awe I've been this April at the beauty of the visitors to the yard.