Sunday, May 24, 2009

Out of the Garden

I have been out of the garden so much this spring. I have a few photos I wanted to share with you. This first one is a Henslow's Sparrow. I know to most of you it will be just a LBJ (little brown job) but it is a sparrow that is very rare in our area. They have taken up residence in a newly formed Tern Bar Slough Wildlife Refuge near where we live. So we are excited about this development. Of course the ever present Dickcissle serenades us as we drive through this area.
This poor box turtle illustrates why we stay in our vehicle most of the time. UGH... I felt so sorry for it while the mosquitoes were trying to suck the poor critter dry. Obviously they don't mind if an animal is cold or warm blooded. The mosquitoes will take any blood.
On our way home today we were able to make a rescue. This poor Eastern Kingbird was obviously in distress. It was sitting gasping in the middle of a lane of traffic. We stopped and my Dearly Beloved picked it up and set it into a shrubby tree beside the road. We are hopeful that it wasn't critically injured and would recover after a few minutes of R&R.
Back in Vincennes this week I made a run to the Post Office. This was the first time I looked on the opposite side of the building where the TINY TREASURE of a garden is located. What a sight awaited me. This side of the house is as beautiful and small as the other side. Once again I saw no one tending this little treasure. I just wanted to share the rest of the garden with you.
I hope everyone is out having a great time this Memorial Holiday. If you want to see more details of any of these photos I beleive you should be able to click on them to enlarge. Cheers...

27 comments:

  1. Oh that poor bird. Makes me happy that you stopped to save it. And that turtle look so big. Seems the only time we seen any is in the middle of the road. And we live near the lake!

    I have yet to see a dicksycle (sp!)

    The mosquitos here are horrible also which is so unusual for us being in 'sand county'.

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  2. Coincidentally, my son and I found a baby bird in our front yard and was able to chase it into the bush to use as a hiding place!

    Love the baby turtle!

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  3. Oh, Lisa, I clicked on the turtle photo to enlarge it. What horror! That's the worst case of mosquito bites I've seen on man or dog--or turtle.

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  4. Thank-you, it's great to see birds I've never seen before, Lisa :-)

    But...woohaha... I got the shivers on enlarging the turtle photo too. I've never seen such a thing. Yes, I can see why you stayed in the car :-D

    Have a great week - in and aout the garden :-D

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  5. Hi Lisa,
    I always enjoy seeing the birds you find on your 'out of the garden' jaunts. I share your excitement at finding a new bird. No sparrow goes unnoticed and to have a new one take up residence is a thing to appreciate.

    Now that box turtle swarming with mosquitoes is an odd thing. I've never seen such a thing down here even and we have more than our share of the stinging critters. That poor turtle.

    Happy Memorial Day to you too.
    Meems @ Hoe and Shovel

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  6. Lisa, I wish I could identify all the different sparrows as you do; other than their size, they all look alike to me:) The "tiny treasure's" back garden is just as lovely as the front; I hope you get a chance to meet the gardener one of these days.

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  7. Oh, my... that poor turtle. Yes, I can see why you all stay in the car! Yikes! Hope the Kingbird was OK. Isn't it just amazing what someone can do with so little space to create some beauty in their lives?

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  8. Dear Lisa....I am not going to enlarge that turtle photo! No way, no how;-) But the bird shots...for sure! I love your field trips...please keep them coming. See you soon! gail

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  9. Oh my goodness - the turtle photo is amazing. Who would think that even reptiles are fair game for mosquitoes?

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  10. The LBJ is adorable and well worth a look! Good job on the avian rescue and love the other side of the building garden.

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  11. Lovely shots. I saw a box turtle today, too. Got him across the road before some speeding weekender could flatten him. The garden is lovely. So is that sparrow.

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  12. Lisa,I thought you and your DB might enjoy seeing the live footage of an eagles nest. It is quite fascinating to watch. I've been checking up on them as often as I can. Here is the web address:
    http://www.cbc.ca/bc/features/eaglecam/

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  13. I enjoyed seeing your birds and turtle. I had no idea mosquitoes bit reptiles. Eeek!
    Marnie

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  14. I never realized mosquitoes could torment a seemingly armored turtle.
    Donna

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  15. Thanks Lisa for this kind sharing.
    I really can connect with your sharing.
    I feel very down today and I cried...., so happy that your post have enlightened and healed me in a way!
    Thanks Lisa, friend forever:)

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  16. I sure hope that turtle didn't need a bit of human kindness too..perhaps he needed to be picked up and placed in the grasses too.
    It was nice of you to stop for the bird.

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  17. Glad you stopped for that little birdie. It probably flew away none the worse for wear after a proper R&R.

    Wow, you have turtles in the wild? Not here I'm afraid. But oh that poor thing, so brutally attacked by mosquitos.

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  18. I wish I could identify more LBBs...I can a few, and I keep trying to learn more of them. Good for you rescuing the kingbird!

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  19. Dear Lisa,
    Thank you for the Sparrow photograph. I look for different sparrows and warblers while I am traveling, there are so many that never come to my backyard.
    The little garden is so tidy. I need to go dead head!
    Have fun in Chicago!
    Sherry

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  20. Lisa, Thank you for featuring the wildlife! I've not ever seen your birds. Do you remember that Laura Ingalls Wilder mentioned the dicksissle in her book, "Little House on the Prairie?" I've never seen one and YOU have just made my day! :-) Have a great weekend!

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  21. Oh Lisa that poor little bird and turtle! How kind of your husband to stop and pick up the Kingbird & put him out of harms way.
    I love that little "tiny treasure" garden.
    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  22. Thanks for the photos, Lisa. I have never seen mosquitoes setting upon a turtle like that. I'd definitely stay in the vehicle too.

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  23. Great bird photos, thanks for sharing

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  24. Lisa, you may like this one
    http://twoontwooff.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-heck-is-it.html

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  25. Hi Lisa, How's everything out there in Indiana. Haven't heard anything from you in a while. Hope you're just so busy you haven't found time to blog.
    Marnie

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  26. Hi Lisa,
    I love the shot of your Henslow's sparrow. They used to be here in Minnesota too, but are almost non-existent now due to habitat loss.
    I knew the Eastern Kingbirds were pretty big, but that one looks huge in your hubby's hand. Thank for both for rescuing it.
    The bobolinks are back in Minnesota now, but I have yet to hear a dickcissel--another excuse to go out birding, I think.

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  27. That was sweet of you to save the kingfisher! I hope it's busy hunting for it's food right now. I love those cute little birds. We don't have those here - for past few months I started sight warblers but that's the only one! :(
    Great photo of the turtle.

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