I spent yesterday afternoon with my parents in their backyard.  We had a fun time planting and transplanting, trying to make sure there’s enough nectar to satisfy Mum-mum’s visiting hummers.  When I saw the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers eating oranges in Dick’s backyard, though, I couldn’t resist going to get my camera…

These silly birds will land carefully on the branch above the orange, sorta hop-skip-flap their way down to actually stand on the orange, then peck it open with their beaks in order to get at the juice within.  Sorry, Dick, I hope you don’t mind sharing…

Mum-mum and Dyeyo call their resident friendly woodpecker “Shorty.”  He comes to their feeders regularly, especially now that he’s raising a brood of babies.  Sometimes he brings Mrs. Shorty in, too.  Yesterday both Mr. and Mrs. Shorty spent a good part of the afternoon taking care of their new family.  They’d fly down to the feeder, grab a seed, then disappear up into the oak tree.  Tiny baby calls would ensue.  Then the process repeated, over and over.  We tried to find the nest, but I couldn’t find the cavity hole.  We did find a recent fledgling, though. 

We spotted a fledgling Mockingbird, too, and this fledgling Loggerhead Shrike.  It’s a very loud time of year.  The babies’ calls are loud, repetitive, and sometimes downright annoying. 

“Hey!  Jay!”  I can’t blog about my parents’ backyard without mentioning their most vocal residents.  The Blue Jays are big fans of the peanuts that Mum-mum puts out for them each afternoon.  They are such pretty birds. 

I had a great time yesterday.  Happy Mother’s Day, Mum-mum D!