Ack!

I'm very lucky to have three species of woodpeckers visit my garden pretty much every day of the year. My favorites include these largish Red-bellied Woodpeckers.  This male had picked up something that he didn't like, I guess, and is making sure nothing lingers.  Look closely to see his very long thin tongue which he uses to great advantage to pick ants, larva and other small critters from under tree bark and in tree trunks.  The tongue is slightly barbed which helps hold onto the hapless prey item.  

When I first went out this morning to put the feeders out, I heard the delightful bouncy song of the first House Wren of the year - and apparently there was another male nearby because soon there were two having a dueling song-fest.  I never laid eyes on either one, but they're here!  My garden will be filled with their song until they've raised their last brood of the summer, sometime in late July or August.  In addition, there was a Ruby-crowned kinglet singing up a storm somewhere in the pine trees.  I don't usually hear their songs because their breeding range is quite a bit north of us, but I guess this little guy wanted to work on his tunes before he arrived on territory.   The lady kinglets are in for a treat.  

This time of year is always a lot of fun because almost every day I see and/or hear newly arrived migrants in the garden and the woods.  Over the years, I've come to be decent at identifying birds by their songs so even when I don't see them, I know they are there.  Any day now, the first hummingbird will arrive.

Still feeling quite tired and a little out of sorts today but I know I need to give the antibiotics a few days to start working.  

Dark with peppermint today.

xo
Debbi