I was fortunate to have had some close encounters with hummingbirds this summer.  They are my favorite summer birds.  The bright red flowers of the scarlet runner beans and the calibrachoa were the favorite feeding spots in my yard.

The best surprise encounter came on my trip to the Saskatchewan River Crossing area.  I ventured out to a ridge to take in the view of a valley.  My bright pink shirt must have made me look like a flower because the moment that I stopped walking, a hummer came to within two feet of me and hovered until it realized that there was going to be no food involved.  

I did not pay much attention to the birds in the local ponds until a couple of years ago.  Since that time, I've kept a list of the birds observed each year and managed to add a new species each season.  This summer I added the Greater Yellowlegs to the list.  

I hiked by a small, out of the way pond at the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation Area and noticed a pair of them standing on a log.  They watched me as I slowly made my way to the water's edge.  What a treat to watch them in action; dipping their bills beneath the water for food.  

The usual feathered visitors have been in the yard; chickadees, nuthatches, gold finches, a variety of woodpeckers, robins and magpies.  I spotted a pair of little house wrens looking for a place to nest.  They worked very hard at trying to remove the paper from a wasp nest that blocked the opening of an old birdhouse.  It was very amusing to watch their antics.


My binoculars now take up space in my camera bag.  They have come in very handy on my outings and in the backyard.  I cannot ID new birds by their call and I have to pour through the pages of a bird book to try and identify them but they sure kept me entertained.

Planning the Planting

After seeing the flurry of bird activity in my backyard yesterday, I dug out the garden magazines once again.  Spring is around the corner and I need to make some decisions on what will be planted in my expanded back yard.

I have the winter birds taken care of but want to ensure that my summer feathered friends are taken care of as well.  The feeders are well stocked through the summer but I need to replace some of the 'leafy trees' that came down for my home construction.  Since then, many of the warm weather birds and all of the squirrels left the yard and I want to lure them back.

I planted a few shrubs in the fall.  I'm hoping that the dogwood and the ninebark will grow rapidly.  The squirrels used to love running along the branches of the old pines.  I've got some new mountain pines planted just for them.

I'm still looking for more bushes or trees with berries such as mountain ash, chokecherry or sea buckthorn.  My choices need to be rapid growers and 'non-fussy' as to where they are planted.  This will take a bit of research but I am hoping that it will be sorted out before spring thaw so I can get them into the ground as early as possible.

 

In addition to the trees and shrubs, I'll be making sure that the holly hocks are replanted and that the trellises for the scarlet runner beans are put back into place.  The hummingbirds will appreciate having the fresh blooms supplement their sugar water in the feeders.


 

A raised garden bed and a strawberry patch have to fit in as well.  So many ideas, so little space.  I'm getting excited just thinking about how much fun it is going to be to re-create my yard.  Bring on spring.