Ah, Life!

[NorasMom]

This is why I spend so much time sitting on the back porch!

[CatsandCars]

Nice! 😊

[Xvettech]

awesome! And beautiful!

[MSFlea]

What a view!! Before we got into this heat wave, I was spending a lot of time out bird watching, so much fun!🙂

[NorasMom in reply to MSFlea]

Me, too! Now, I still don't know the difference between a wren and a sparrow, so I look for the bright things that can't be mistaken. lol. I've begun thinking that my yard is a way station for traveling animals. I've had a yellow cardinal, an American goshawk (which lives much farther north), river otters, a red fox with black feet and tail tip, scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings...They all stay for a day or two and then are never seen again.

[MSFlea]

This Spring was my first time seeing a yellow cardinal! We had no clue what it was doing here, other than just passing through. I have not identified most of the birds, just enjoying their sounds and beauty. I did recently start looking for apps that would help me identify them when I manage to get back out there. The yellow cardinal we identified only because we knew it was a cardinal, and lots of Google searches 😂I melt in this heat every time I go out!🫠

[Amore55 in reply to MSFlea]

A friend gave me a copy of the National Geographic bird identification book. It’s big and a bit bulky to carry with me on my hikes, but I have been able to identify so many different birds. I really enjoy it.

[falalalala]

Nice photo!

[Raingrrl]

I love to sit outside too. (When it’s not blazing hot, of course!) We have Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope and lots of birds that come by.

[NorasMom in reply to Raingrrl]

Oooooh! I wanna come to your house!

[AquaZumbaFan in reply to Raingrrl]

When we were visiting my sister-in-law in Colorado several years ago, it was my first time seeing mule deer.. they would literally come and lay by her basement windows. We were staying downstairs and I was amazed!

[Stomper22]

beautiful. And so close to you! Enjoy!

[AquaZumbaFan]

I love the wildlife too! We have three different birdfeeders set up outside on the porch, where I can see them from the window when it’s too hot to go outside. I get to have my hummingbirds from mid April usually through the end of September. We get lots and lots of golden finches and red finches, plenty of black capped chickadees. Many different kinds of woodpeckers that come to the suet… We get the occasional pileated woodpecker that makes plenty of racket nearby. Last year we had a nesting couple of hawks that we saw the whole process from their mating, making their nest in a tree that we could see from the porch… We watched them sit on the eggs and then later feed the babies. Lately the deer have been snacking on her beautiful curly kale in the garden luckily my hubby planted plenty..

[Misty2024]

I am now retired and eager to notice my surroundings as you have. I almost cried thinking how many years I paid no attention to the wildlife around me. There are 7peacocks that meander into my backyard and I now find myself talking to them!

[Amore55 in reply to Misty2024]

Do they talk back? 🤣🤣

[Greentime]

Beautiful scene from your porch! For the folks wanting to identify birds, I love the Merlin Bird ID app which I have on my phone. You record what you are hearing and the app identifies the birds. I have found out that there are many birds here that I didn't know about. Also, I have never heard of a yellow cardinal...we have red cardinals here. 😊

[bxrmom]

We get deer that visit as well but none will come in the yard if they see people. We have to admire from afar. Lately, this deer likes to lay under the shade by these plants covering one of our sheds.

deer

[stepsforNeeC in reply to bxrmom]

Beautiful Picture almost looks like something that should be in a museum!

[bxrmom in reply to stepsforNeeC]

Thank you. I took the picture with my phone. She was there for a couple of hours and then she left.

[mrsmike9]

That Merlin bird app sounds great! I'm going to try it! My table in my art room is right up to a picture window and I have my bird feeders outside. It's great to see the birds. Of course the squirrels come, and they are really funny to watch. Our neighborhood goes right up against a nature preserve and we see wild turkeys from there, too.

[GreatDanekids in reply to mrsmike9]

When my grandson was about nine he came to visit and we thought he’d be excited by how close the deer come. But his biggest thrill was seeing the turkeys, because anybody can see deer, but he didn’t know anyone that’s ever seen live turkeys! 🦃

[NorasMom in reply to GreatDanekids]

I miss seeing turkeys. We don't have a single one around here. At my old house, in the next county, we'd have entire flocks hanging out in the yard.

[GreatDanekids in reply to NorasMom]

They can be very entertaining. We had to down a large pine and it laid across the back of our property. The turkeys would line up to walk single file across it every evening for months.

Hopefully some of the turkeys will find their way to you. 🦃

[Tazmanian]

Congratulations

[stepsforNeeC]

Awnnn 😋

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador]

Awesome, NorasMom ! It’s breathtaking what we see when we stop to smell the roses! 🤗

[Irishgirl76]

Thanks. Words cannot express our inner struggles.Thats why we have this beautiful 🤩 pic.

[1yoyo]

Lucky you

My dream!!!