Welcome!

Welcome to austinagrodolce … My family and I garden with more intention and enthusiasm than allocated budget or overall design plan. It shows. Wildlife populations don't seem to notice our lack of cohesive design, they just like the native plants here. It seems by growing local we've thrown out a welcome mat. Occasionally, we're surprised at who (and what) shows up.



Wednesday, September 3, 2014

The Usual Suspects

Welcome back for another post as part of Wildlife Wednesday, when garden bloggers stop to appreciate the fauna that goes along with the flora in our outdoor spaces.

Here at austin agrodolce, we don't simply welcome birds, we work hard to lure them in.
Chief Bird Watchers: Bijou and Sketch
We keep our cats indoors.
Lesser Goldfinch couple
We put out feeders,
Blue Jay
we provide lots of water,
Beauty Berry Bush
we plant native perennials known to provide berries and habitat.  And, we use very few chemicals in our outdoor spaces.  If that means things get a bit buggy here?  The birds don't seem to mind one bit.
Black chinned hummingbird
To reward our efforts we have a fairly consistent cast of feathered characters who serenade and otherwise keep us good company whenever we venture outside.  Above and to follow are the stalwart regulars that make up our Avian Ensemble.
Ruby throated hummingbird

House Sparrows

Black crested titmouse

Poppa Cardinal - We are pleased to share our gardens with a nesting pair.
Carolina Chickadee
Mockingbird
Yellow Warbler
Carolina House Wren - A mating pair leads us a merry chase each year as we try to prevent them from nest building in a car bumper or empty shoes or the tip bag stored in the garage.
Eastern Screech Owl adult
Eastern Screech Owl fledgling
White tailed Dove
There are a few other feathery visitors coming our way.  We get the occasional flock of Robins and Cedar Waxwings stopping by to feed on seasonal berries.
There are smaller Mourning and Inca doves that tend to show up later in the summer and a crew of woodpeckers that work the trees out back.  I recently got a photo of a woodpecker though it wasn't great.  They're pretty shy.  The other doves always seem to catch me without my camera.  But I'll get them all, sooner or later.

Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall, birds in the garden here are as constant a presence as the weeds, but they are a lot more welcome and a lot better company.  We love them all.

6 comments:

debra said...

Brava! Habitat for more than humanity. Such diversity doesn't come by accident. Nicely done.

TexasDeb said...

Debra: It has taken us a while to really get the hang of being good hosts. I remember when we first moved in here we would hear birds on occasion but rarely see them. Now they are our welcome (and near constant) companions. They make such good neighbors!

Tina said...

Oh, Deb! Those birds shots are so great--such a variety and of species and situations. That ruby throat photo, though--wow!! I haven't seen many hummers in my gardens this year--a few, not many. Maybe as the time nears for their migration south, the numbers will improve for me. Love this post and its gentle hints for attracting wildlife to the gardens.

TexasDeb said...

Tina: Thank you! These photos are a collection of my favorite/best shots. I've taken hundreds (if not thousands) of photos through the years that were absolutely awful. The birds though - they are and always have been beauties.

I'm hoping for another spate of hummingbirds passing through this Fall myself. Keeping the feeders filled just in case...

Pam/Digging said...

What a flock of fun bird photos! I've been seeing the goldfinches on my bubbling fountain this week too.

TexasDeb said...

Pam: Goldfiches take my breath away. They are like little flashes of sunlight with wings, aren't they? I'm always happy to see them visit.