Ladies of the Summer Shrubbery

"Seriously, Mabel, did you hear about the Wood Duck down the canal? Dumped her
eggs in a Hoodie's nest. No better than she should be."

Grey Catbird, grumpy old dowager, all hump and rump.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird like a needle, embroiders the air over the rudbeckia....stitching up some bugs, then darting to the feeder to wash them all down.

As she turns this way and that her little motor sounds like the rumbling drum of summer.

Catbirds chatter from the ditch and goldfinches shriek about potato chips all day long.

Gossiping, gossiping, gossiping, needlework, and rocking babies in an oriole cradle. Singing about it all season long. "Swing me the cradle, cradle, cradle," calls the male from the top of the old spruce.

It's almost like a ladies' sewing circle only with feathers and flowers and all outdoors. With bugs, berries and grass seeds in place of the cakes and the cookies.

And then comes the Eastern Towhee, "Drink yer tea. Drink yer tea."

I feel so welcome out there with them all.

Actually these are hungry baby Green Herons.

I think they were clattering beaks together as if begging parents for food.
I knew there had to be a nest in the tree above, as a sheet of birdlime covered whole branches all
summer long.

However, it was another birder who first found these cute fledglings. I was happy to see them
a couple of days later.