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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

carolina chickadee

i'm not one for a fairy tale imagination. my mind is more the kind to cut right through the cloudy aspects of an issue and clear the mud away fairly quickly. but i have to admit yesterday as i stood still in the shade canopy of my backyard handwatering ... a scene out of sleeping beauty (i think it was her - maybe it was cinderella - see i am not even good at remembering fairy tales) came to mind. the one when all the birds come flitting down out of the trees, surrounding her with chirps and song. and if i remember correctly other animals also join her and they commence to chatter about like humans. well there wasn't any human chattering but birds & butterflies were everywhere.

as i stood approximately 5 or 6 feet away from a bird bath and bird feeder minding my own gardening business, to my delight i was privy to a birds eye view :-) of several species enjoying their morning frolicking.


i didn't have my camera with me yesterday but today i attempted to repeat yesterday's experience. not a huge surprise- it wasn't at all the same today- maybe because the time of day wasn't the same- i'm not sure but none-the-less i was able to get a snap of this carolina chickadee which according to my birds of florida book is rare or absent south of tampa bay. these 4.5" little cuties tend to join the company of mixed-species foraging flocks that also contain tufted titmice of which i spotted several at the same time and another small bird that i still haven't been able to absolutely identify (i want to say it was a blue headed vireo) but was thrilled to watch. the chickadees and the titmice don't sit still very long as they are quick to fly from limb to feeder and back again. a pair of rufous hummingbirds i've been watching over the past couple of weeks made an appearance at the same time. then of course there were the usual suspects - doves, a plethora of cardinals and blue jays. the thought has occurred to me several times lately that i even enjoy hearing the caw-caw of the crows in the early morning- something about that sound that gives me the feeling of wide open spaces.



i'll be glad when these dry spells and the heat are memories but it has been cause for ample time to reflect and do some observing while i drag hoses around and get my handwatering done.

9 comments:

  1. thems some veddy interesting names...

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  2. The movie you are thinking about is in fact Cinderella...at least that is what came to my mind first, but now I am beginning to doubt myself.

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  3. I think it may be Snow White...she was in the woods a lot---with the seven little guys.

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  4. jane: i was thinking the same thing but i honestly do not know.

    mlm: whew- if it was snow white i am really bad with my fairy tales. i know the birds made a dress for one of them... but i was picturing the scene when they are all in the woods and all the little animals & birds come popping out from all over the place surrounding whichever princess it was.

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  5. Yep, MLM, it was definitely Snow White. Better buy the DVD's and watch them again. You can relive your childhood. Cinderella had mice helping her. And Sleeping Beauty just stayed asleep for several years waiting for Prince Charming to come kiss her awake. But the chirping, singing, flitting birds was in Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. and does anyone remember "Song of the South"? I heard they are remaking it, and it had lots of chirping, singing, flitting birds in it.

    Oh, and I enjoyed your bird stories today too!

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  6. sg: i thought i'd be able to count on you for the correct fairy tale. thanks for the help.

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  7. Oh, aren't Chickadees just the most adorable little creatures?! Is that, by any chance, safflower in your feeder? It's supposed to be great, but we never could get anything to eat it.

    Anybody who gardens in this furnace is truly a die-hard gardener. 8-}

    Have a JESUS-filled day! ^i^

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  8. sophie: it works out really well for me and my garden critters. i use safflower in the feeder you asked about and two other ones and i put a sunflower mix in some others. the squirrels and the crows won't eat the safflower - yay.

    safflower feeders attract all the smaller birds who prefer it - chickadees, titmice, cardinals love it.

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  9. mlm: kudos to you too for thinking it was snow white- sg gave such a definite confirmation i forgot you were actually the first to 'name that fairy tale'. thanks.

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


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