For the Birds

 It's been nice having a yard set up for the birds.  Everywhere you look there is a birdhouse or feeder.  The boys - especially the two year old - have enjoyed watching them all summer.  This morning I was sitting in my favorite chair waiting for the first daycare kids to arrive.  I could only see the top part of the feeder, but noticed there were an awful lot of birds around it.  When I got up to check, a whole flock took off.  

 They kept coming back and leaving.  At one point I counted over 40 birds around the feeder at once.  Of course I didn't have my camera in hand at that point.

I've also been watching this bird.  It has really been digging a lot at the base of the tree.  I've seen it there at least three different days, and before that I had thought the kids must have been digging around the base of the tree because the ground was all torn up.  Now I'm pretty sure it was just the bird.

It appears to be some sort of woodpecker, and I'm guessing it's digging up bugs.  I think it must be a female since it has just a hint of red on it's neck.

We've had a lot of hummingbirds around too, but I neglected to get them fed so we haven't seen as many as I would have liked.  I had a feeder up just after my boys gave me one for Mother's Day.  That was before the four year old played pinata with it and a broom. (insert angry face here) lol

We will definitely miss the trees and grass in this yard.  I will not miss the irrigation ditch.  The view at the new place is amazing.  And while I wish we could have trees too, at least there is a large deck on the main floor, and we have a walk-out basement under it, so there will still be shade to relax in while I watch my boys playing in the foreground, cows grazing just beyond them, and a magnificent mountain view beyond that.  Sounds idyllic, don't you think?  Oh, and did I mention, I'll be dropping the daycare, so it will also be quiet and peaceful... well, if you consider living with three young boys quiet in peaceful lol.  In comparison to my current life, trust me.  It will be quiet and peaceful ;)