A Break from Haymaking

Johnny has worked hard repairing haymaking machinery, then cutting, raking and baling the small fields between and around llama area, goat barn, machine shed and orchard. He cut part of them last week and we put the bales in the barn on Friday, May 29, before the weekend rain. This week he did the second half and we got them in the barn yesterday, June 4. Rain expected tonight. It's always a wonderful feeling to have hay safely in the barn without getting it rained on. We still have the three big fields to do but will wait for longer stretches of dry weather. Hopefully, I'll get photos then.

Today we are taking the day off to do other things. I hiked through the woods with friend Mary, watched the Kestrel nest box for awhile, and took photos. Johnny "relaxed" by mowing the church and library lawns and chainsawing down dead trees. Each to his own...

As Mary and I hiked through the arboretum (staying one behind the other more than six feet), I stopped to take photos of the beautiful Japanese Tree Lilac, now in full bloom.

At Agency Creek, we spotted a young buck deer downstream from us, walking upstream and across. My photos don't let you see his antlers well but, trust me, they were there, unbranched.

 After the buck reached the far side and disappeared up the bank, my attention was brought closer by a robin flying to a mossy clump on a branch in front of me... and feeding a chick!

The nest is in the tree with the horizontal branches reaching out... near the top center of this photo...

and here it is closer...

 and closer...

 We waited for awhile but the robin did not come back to feed while we were there. As we left, Mary noticed a Robin sitting on a branch across the creek... just waiting for us to leave. So we did.

On our way to the Kestrel nest box, we smelled the wonderful fragrance of a wild rose covered with blooms. Wee bumblebees were working the flowers.

After wandering through the woods and out into the south field, we heard lots of begging sounds coming from the nest box. The baby kestrels have a much older sound than the first time I heard them a month ago. Papa Kestrel was stationed atop the box, keeping watch as his mate took off for awhile.

We walked back to our viewing spot and ate lunch and watched for Kestrel activity. As we watched we were entertained by butterflies of various kinds, mostly feeding on horse manure which must have minerals they need. Here is a Lorquin's Admiral.

Mary discovered a colorful caterpillar on a leaf near her. She suspected it had dropped from the tree above. She was right. It's a Forest Tent Caterpillar.

After ending our Kestrel survey where we witnessed adult comings and goings but no fledglings yet, we walked back past the barn and the grazing horses. Jessie Anne was being closely attended by a family of Brown-headed Cowbirds. They happily gobble up all the insects Jessie Anne stirs up for them. I'm sure she's happy to have them do that.

 Also by the goat barn are sunflower seed feeders. A Purple Finch and a Black-headed Grosbeak were eating on opposite sides of one of them.

 Waiting for our return was fifteen-year-old Shirley "Puppy". She doesn't navigate too well anymore, but she has a hearty appetite and loves people... including Mary, who loves her, too.

 It was a good day with good company. Now let the rain begin!