Don't Mess with Dad!

I'm starting to think I don't have a need for a television in the summer. My yard critters are so good at providing me with entertainment, I find myself captivated by their antics for hours on end.

Last year Momma Bird decided to make herself at home in one of my bird feeders building herself a cozy little nest, so I never got around to actually filling it with seed. Turns out that she loved her little hut so much, she came back again this year for round 2 of hatching her little baby birds.

She did it all on her own last year, so I was quite surprised that she either whipped her man into shape this year or kicked his sorry butt to the curb and finally found a male of worth to watch over her. And watch over her he did! He was on that branch for days on end, never straying far from Mama's side.

Although I was far away on my deck, he was giving me the stink eye, making sure the tone was set not to mess with dad.

Apparently this little birdy here didn't get the memo to stay away or was just itching for trouble because he couldn't resist hanging out on the fence a wee bit too close to Mama Bird.

So, dad did what he does best and opened a can of whoop ass on little birdy.

The show went on for a good 30 minutes until little birdy learned his lesson and flew away. Dad definitely had his work cut out for him! He was vigilant at watching over Mama Bird every day, and in the end was rewarded with 3 sweet little baby birds of his very own.

Who needs staged soap operas when you can tune into the animal soaps every day in your own back yard?

Kudos to all you hard working dads out there! May you be blessed with lots of love this Father's Day!

My Woodland Babies

I was complaining about my strawberry thieves the other day, but it's hard to stay mad when our woodland babies start making their appearance in the yard. Mama birdie decided to build her nest in the bird feeder this year. I was scared to put food in it, for fear the squirrels would hop in and hurt the babies. It's so cute watching them perk up for feeding time when mom comes home.

Recently, this little guy started making an appearance. It's a joy watching him gain confidence exploring the yard. He's been lurking around the back yard for a few days, but I recently caught him wandering around our front yard.

I'm still haven't seen the raccoons come out at dusk yet this spring, but I am anxiously awaiting to see if they have any babies bopping along behind them this year.

Do you get baby animals in your yard each spring? Do you find them adorable or a nuisance?

Woodland Vandals

As we were pulling into our driveway last year, we noticed one of our Halloween tombstones was broken clean in half. Our first instinct was to blame the kids or one of their friends from the neighborhood. Of course, no one would fess up, so we pulled up our security video. To our surprise, we saw a squirrel running through our little graveyard, and bam! He karate chops the tombstone with force that would impress even the strongest of black belts.

Woodland creatures are furry and cute, but don't let them fool you. They are the biggest vandals out there! We've had our fair share of destruction from them over the years, so maybe the mean streak in me was a little delighted that for once, they decided to pick on our neighbors. They are on vacation and asked my husband to keep an eye on the house. I think they are going to be a little ticked when they come home to find a little vandal has done a number on one of their wooden columns on their porch.

Look at that evil little woodpecker, pecking a hole bigger than it's head right through the column. Despite our best efforts, this is one little vandal that is determined not to be run off.

Have you ever had any property damage from woodland creatures?