The Birds of Linderhof

Linderhof's back garden is a bird sanctuary. We feed them, we nuture them, the Corgi, Oliver keeps cats at bay. And they reward us with their antics as they flit from feeder to feeder. I've not captured many photographs of our visitors but both Husband Jim and I enjoy their company.

We've been especially happy this summer to see the "teenagers" come to the feeders before they start their own life. What were wee birds with more mouth than anything are now timid visitors (under a parent's watchful eye) to the feeders.

We don't have a favorite bird but one that we do enjoy a lot are the cardinals. We sometimes "name" our birds and the cardnials are Jose or Claudia -- each and every male/female cardinal that comes to the feeder.

A May visitor for about two weeks were two pairs of Rose Breasted Grosbeaks. A wonderful sight and one that we thoroughly enjoyed. We hoped, perhaps, that they would summer in our garden. But they were on their way somewhere and stopped for a "vacation" on the prairie before they headed to their summer home.The finches come in winter not summer and they are a dullish grey. We don't get to see them in their bright summer coat (although daughter Sarah in Minnesota does -- they are summer feeders there while they winter on the prairie). We have named our finch -- Leonardo de Finche!
Each May during tulip tree blooming time, we have orioles visiting -- not only do they enjoy the nectar from the tulip tree but they enjoy nectar feeders as well.
They stay only until the blooms are gone and then they vanish. Where, I don't know. I am assuming perhaps somewhere close by that has more food for them but I'm not sure. We just enjoy their short time that they are in our garden.

The Brown Thrasher is a reclusive bird but not at Linderhof and each seems each year, they get tamer and tamer. Perhaps they are used to us and think of us as part of the garden. We enjoy their antics and we truly enjoyed seeing the first brood of 2009 as they came to our feeders and hopped around in the garden.
With a whoosh, the turtle doves arrive at the feeders. Big doves that live year round at Linderhof, I always think of the Twelve Days of Christmas and Two Turtle Doves whenever I see them. Not birds of peace, they are the first to chase other birds away from the feeder -- and they'll eat at the flat feeders as well as on the ground.
This little wren is one of our smallest birds. Not at the feeder but in the garden -- singing their heart away. The song of the wren is the best music in the garden.

Join Susan at Southern Daydreamer to see what else is going on outside this Wednesday.