I called Turkey Creek landfill. As those of you in Jefferson County may know, Jeffco has leased Turkey Creek to a private firm to manage the county landfills. This is supposed to save us all tons of money. The contract allows the company to bring in garbage from other sources than Jeffco. It was less than 20 years ago when Jeffco spent tons of taxpayer dollars to buy property for landfills. I'm sure it will be just like BFI picking up my garbage for the city. When the contract runs out, there will be a big boost in rates and the county will say it is too expensive to buy trucks and equipment so let's pay more. Makes you wonder whose brother-in-law got the contracts. Am I a cynic or just street wise? Anyway, I called and they don't know anything about a plant dig. I am guessing since a private company took over, they are very aware of the liabilities such an project can incur. If I hear more, I'll post it. - Terry

That's a beautiful series of photos of your catbirds, Jane. They look like a garden ornament perched atop the shepherd's hook. We have catbirds. Their catlike calls are one of the few birdsongs I recognize. Mr Tunnels! Ha ha! Great name! Claire, your dragon looks wonderful in his new tri-colored metallic coat of scales. In addition to being the summer of the trees here, it also is shaping into another summer of the birds, even more so than last year. The house finches have babies in last year's swallow nest on the outside ledge under the porch roof. I think the female is building a second nest in the nestbox inside the porch while Dad cares for the first batch of babies. The barn swallows meantime are feeding little ones in the original ancestral swallow nest inside the porch. And, oblivious to the nesting birds, the hummingbirds are constant visitors to the nectar feeder hanging from the eaves. All these different birds, and others (goldfinches and occasional Baltimore orioles) perch on the branches of our crabapple tree in the front yard, and they look like brightly colored jewels amidst the pink blossoms. I really need to take some pictures with a better camera. In the barn, a pair of tufted titmice have refurbished their nest from several years ago and are in some stage of rearing little titmice. They are supposed to be cavity dwellers, but I guess their nook up in the eaves is close enough. Their nests are such delicate affairs with moss siding, like filigree. Perhaps the nicest surprise is that I have a pair of tree swallows nesting in my birdhouse, on the sawed-off utility pole out in my "orange garden." I had boarded up the entry hole to the house in frustration during my battle with the English sparrows. Since I hadn't seen an English sparrow in several years, I cautiously unblocked the door, hoping for bluebirds or tree swallows, and my wishes were rewarded. With the birds in residence on the porch, I scheduled the house painting until August or September, explaining to the head painter that his guys could just take down the nests prior to painting because the birds would be gone then. He asked "Do you want us to try to remove the nests so they can be put back up?" I replied, "No... demolition!" His somewhat relieved reply: "Ah demolition! That's a word I understand!" LOL! It made me laugh! These birds are master carpenters. They will rebuild next year from scratch, I've no doubt.

Was attempting to pick a gallon of blackberries today and wasn't getting anywhere since they are so small with it being so dry. I spotted something white in a the middle of a large bramble and leaned way way over the top of the vines to try to figure out what I was seeing. Another turkey nest! It had been empty a while, but this makes a total of four nests that I found this spring. I had originally assumed that the hen I have been seeing in the yard with youngsters in tow must be "our hen" but now I really couldn't say for certain. THe chicks are generally a loud and unruly bunch, and they choose to fly rather than run if you get too close. They are about as skilled at this as robins that have been out of the nest a while, and if something caught them out in the open I doubt they would have much of a chance unless they managed to gain some altitude quickly. WHen you see a flock crossing the road it almost seems like a turkey is chumming around with a large covey of quail because the youngsters start and stop in a nervous kind of way and then just go streaking past their mom. I guess their legs being so much shorter makes flying a better option over running in the woods just yet.

Lots of violence and sadness... the grackles and cowbirds and the Keene falcon ... mixed in with grace of butterflies and that magnificent display from the Tom. And,of course, I loved all the hummers. We haven't seen any for quite a while ... is it because our neighbors don't have flowers and so they moved on to better pickings? We still put out the feeders and are hopeful. Still, there have been some recent visitors. Most morning a Mama duck brings her brood to our feeders. We enjoy watching the babies mature and become more independent grazers. A few of the babies A chipmunk has made a home in our gardens. He/she travels through the grass, tail up, from the nest to feeders. Love this little guy! And a young deer has been grazing along the river's edge. Ears up, heading back into the woods.