Last evening the cool dry air came in and it was just a delightful time to be outside. I grazed on the sungold tomatoes and picked some green beans, just enjoying the heck out of the garden.
While I was at the bean bed I noticed a chickadee in the dogwood about 10 feet away. He was flying to the strawberry towers next to the beans and picking bugs out from among the leaves.
Further down the back flower bed a male cardinal was perched on the tall phlox. He seemed to be going after bugs among the sunflowers and dill.
Then I saw a humming bird working around the red runner beans and checking out the underside of the cardinal, I guess because he is red!?
I kept going with the beans, they're producing at a tremendous rate right now. Then I saw the male cardinal chasing a grackle around the beds. He was clearly in pursuit, but I didn't know why.
I moved to the next bean bed (we always plant to many) and I could hear a rapid chip chip chip in the dogwood. A small brown bird that didn't look exactly familiar was raising a ruckus and hopping awkwardly around the branches. Suddenly (s)he made an equally awkward flight to the beans I was working at, it was less than three feet away. Then the male cardinal showed up, also making a racket. Then I recognized the first bird as a fledgling cardinal. The chipping was similar to the familiar sounds of the adult cardinals, just higher pitched and about twice the rate.
The adult herded the youngster into the neighbors burning bush and took up a vigil, obviously trying to keep the fledgling safe. I heard a lot of noise at one point and saw the neighbors cat under the burning bush. I chased the cat away, although the cardinal didn't appreciate my intrusion either.
As I continued working a round the garden I saw the adult cardinal hanging around for over 20 minutes. Later when I went back the area was quiet, I guess the adult got the fledgling to move to where ever it was he wanted him.
All in all I think this sums up why I love our yard and gardens.
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