Down in the Garden! — Part 1

Just a week ago it rained again! This time we got 3/4’s of an inch of rain and everything got well soaked! Walking in the rain, listening to the sound of heavy rain on the roof, and smelling the wonderful damp-earth fragrance filled my day with joy! What a miracle! Especially at this time of year when everything is so dry, and forest fires are on everyone’s mind. Fingers crossed that more rain comes again in the near future!

Down in our garden so much is happening! Lots of butterflies and tons of insects are still feeding on the flowers! Reptiles, especially lizards, are abundant right now, while the daytime temps are still warm. Some of the sunflowers are going to seed, and new birds have arrived to feast! Year-round residents, such as Steller’s Jays, are also enjoying the abundance of seeds!

Steller’s Jays are quite acrobatic while feeding on Sunflower seeds! They tip upside-down, leap up from the ground to peck at seeds, and sometimes perch on a stem with their heads twisted at odd angles to get seeds! It’s quite amusing to watch them!

There are lots of Lesser Goldfinches gleaning sunflower seeds down in our garden. More keep showing up every week! Males, females, and a few juveniles have been weekly visitors. It seems that family members stick together in loose groups, while they’re feeding in our garden. I love to hear their constant, sweet “beeping”! When the temps get cooler, they will migrate down to the foothills and valleys of California for the winter.

Lesser Goldfinches usually have 2 broods a year, sometimes even three! These beautiful little birds have their babies later in the year than most songbirds. They time the hatching, and subsequent fledging of their nestlings to match this time of year, when seeds are newly available.

Your questions and comments are appreciated. Please feel free to email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!