Checking in on my milkweed

Just about 28" as of today and almost time to add more chicken wire.

 

 

Nothing happening with the butterfly bush.  I don't think it survived the winter. 

 

 

Also, it's officially toad and frog season...

 

On our walk this morning

A beautiful morning for a walk.  Here's what Russ and I saw...

House Finches getting close to leaving the nest

Here they are this morning.  The poop amount increases as the nestlings age.



Time to start measuring my milkweed

Close to 21" as of this morning.  The leaves showing a little insect damage but appears to be strong....

My neighbor grows chives in her rock garden

Here is a picture of my neighbor's chives...

 

My mother had chives growing around her rockpile...it may still come up.

Meet the "Finch Family"

Here's a little better look at the House Finch nest from this morning...a little more definition in that mass of feathers...(mom and dad were not too pleased I got this close)

Buck with some new antlers

I scared it away



Prairie Dog? Meerkat?

No, just a Fox Squirrel...

Yes, I like squirrels

Nest update

I took a peek at the House Finch nest this morning.  So far I have not been attacked for getting close...

I put more chicken wire on my milkweed plant today

It's really growing so I added another layer to keep the deer away...

 

Taking a peek at the House Finch nest today

Butterfly bush and milkweed update

It's getting deeper into May so what's going on with my bush and any milkweed you may ask...

For the butterfly bush, nothing right now.  From what I've read, it can be late May or June before signs of life appear.  I have learned new growth most often comes from the root.  On established bushes, experts advise cutting them way back.  They have "die back", so they will appear dead and then take off.  I am prepared for mine NOT to take off.  So the branches look dead which I've learned is normal but I've included a picture of the roots before and after I added more dirt.  It appears some of the dirt I buried it with last year washed away or the ground heaved a bit and exposed some of the root system.  So the jury is still out...

 

Before more dirt added

I threw a bit more dirt at the base...

 

 

So onto the milkweed front.  I have been faithfully planting seeds since fall of 2013 in hopes at least one plant would make it.  Last fall I just threw seeds out by hand and didn't even plant any.  Last year I noticed a plant that appeared to be milkweed but not Common milkweed that I was planting.  I have learned it can take until year three for a plant to flower.  I caged off that plant and this year it is really taking off and appears to be ready to flower this season.  I find it funny that the plant that is finally coming up may not be one I planted.  I asked God for one plant and I have it.  The leaves are narrower and the stem/base appeared different than a Common milkweed plant.  But they may change as they mature.  The big test and reveal will come this summer if/when it flowers.  I have suspected it to be a Swamp milkweed plant but the location may not make sense for that type.  Butterfly milkweed are also found in Iowa and have narrow leaves.  Expect many updates.  The next order of business is to make my cage taller to keep the deer out of it.

  

Here are pictures from the last few weeks...

 

 

White-throated Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow

These two types of sparrows are both listed as migrators in my Iowa bird book.  I was over at my mother's the other day and she said bird had flown into her window and died.  It was a White-throated Sparrow. 

This is what a White-throated Sparrow looks like.  The yellow over the eye told me it was not an ordinary sparrow...

 

 

I'm sorry to include a picture of the deceased bird but the things we do for documentation...

 



 

 I looked out in my backyard today and yesterday and saw what looked like a sparrow with black and white stripes on its head.  And after I went to my guide, I believe I had a couple of White-crowned Sparrows which do not have the yellow over the eye.  

 

Here is an internet picture.  

 

 

 

Now here is what I saw over the last two days.  Judge for yourself...

 

 

Well "gall"(y)

I've noticed these little balls on my oak tree over the years and finally decided to look into it.  There were never enough on the tree to suggest they might be early acorns.

Turns out, these "balls" or "galls" are protected a gall wasp.   They are also called "oak apples".

Oak apple galls form when a female gall wasp injects her egg into a budding oak leaf. The tree responds by forming a gall around the insect. The gall protects the growing insect and provides it with sustenance.

These are pictures I took over the past few days...

This is not my picture but shows one open...

House Finch nest next door

Our neighbors to the north have a satellite dish close to the ground like ours.  They also now have nesting House Finches (not sure they are aware of it).  There are babies in the nest.  I can't get as close as I did with the Robins a few years ago but here you go...

 

 

 

Stay "tuned"...