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Welcome to

Country Birder... and Butterflies 

 

** It's the middle of February, and Winter is losing ground to Spring.  The days noticeably are longer, and the sun has been shifting in the horizon.  Temperatures go between bipolar extremes well below freezing to the 50's or 60's within 24-48 hours.  This is all Nature's way of waking up her dormant creations and causing the sap to rise in trees and critters, alike.  The tree line sings with Cardinals, Robins, and Sparrows who take advantage of the weather to start claiming or reclaiming territory.  But keep the bird baths clean and the heaters in good service, because we're not finished with the cold yet!  There's still time to frost-sew native wildflower & grass seeds to support our butterflies and pollinators.  Hurry though!  Many native wildflower and grass seed varieties need a period of cold stratification to germinate.  Nature's freeze/thaw cycles are perfect for setting seed, but don't wait too long!  Visit Prairie Moon Nursery for great information on seed germination codes and instructions for direct seeding and indoor starting.**** 

 

 
 

 


Click on the links below to view photos and descriptions of birds observed in our country back yard. 
 


Click on the links below to view photos and descriptions of butterflies (and some moths) observed in our country back yard.
  
American Kestrel Indigo Bunting Black Swallowtail Painted Lady
American Tree Sparrow Laland Longspur Common Buckeye  Pearl Crescent
Baltimore Oriole Northern Bobwhite Eastern Comma Red Admiral
Barn Swallow Northern Cardinal Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Red Spotted Purple
Barred Owl Northern Flicker Eight Spotted Forrester Moth  Silver Spotted Skipper
Blue Jay Northern Mockingbird Giant Swallowtail Silvery Checkerspot
Brown Thrasher Palm Warbler Great Spangled Fritillary Spicebush Swallowtail
Carolina Chickadee Pileated Woodpecker Hummingbird Moth Summer Azure
Cedar Waxwing Red-bellied Woodpecker Monarch  
Coopers Hawk Red-headed Woodpecker Mourning Cloak Multiple Species
Dark-eyed Junco Rose-Breasted Grosbeak   Gardens
Downy Woodpecker Red-tailed Hawk   Raising Monarch Butterflies
Eastern Bluebird Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern Meadowlark Snow Bunting
Eastern Phoebe Song Sparrow
Goldfinch Summer Tanager
Horned Lark Tufted Titmouse
House Finch White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren White-crowned Sparrow
Goals for 2017:
Red-winged Blackbird Mourning Dove
Grey Catbird Heron
Eastern Kingbird Crow
Chipping Sparrow Starling
  Robin