The cats and I spent some time in our backyard in mid-August. They watched lizards and I watched birds. Everybody had fun!

The cardinals have had a productive summer. This is our third clutch of baby cardinals. We have at least two nesting pairs who bring their babies into the backyard for the safety of our hedges and the birdseed in our feeders. I caught a glimpse of Papa Cardinal feeding Baby C deep inside our beautyberry bush…

The cardinals aren’t the only ones raising a family in our backyard. Blue Jays, Brown Thrashers, even Eastern Bluebirds periodically stop by the birdbath. So do the Mourning Doves, whose juveniles have already learned to call “look out below” as they come in for food!

A small motion at the edge of the hedge caught my eye, and I grinned as a bunny hopped out. He too grew up in our backyard this summer. These guys always remind me of my mom’s stories of her pet rabbits.

The last bird sent the boys scurrying to update their life list. A Rock Pigeon may not be the most glamorous bird ever, but it does make the 62nd species that we’ve observed in our backyard. Squirt especially liked watching them – the bigger birds are easier to see as he chatters out a friendly hello!