Old Friends and New

This summer, we are seeing some old friends....

...and some new!

I recently posted some pictures of these little guys. We weren't sure why our house finches had yellow streaks on their wings until Grant discovered today that they are pine siskins! They are a type of finch and are almost identical to the female house finch except for the streak of yellow on their wings.

What fun to watch Grant get interested in the birds with me. He identified three new birds today that he saw in our backyard. While I cooked dinner, he read to me out of the bird ID book, and told me all about the birds he'd seen right in our own backyard. I'm glad I have a buddy to watch birds with!

Summertime Birds

We have been watching baby finches for several weeks now at our thistle feeder. They are really cute to watch, and they are not afraid of us at all. I was able to get pretty close to them to get these pictures.

We aren't quite sure why they have that streak of yellow on their sides. I'm pretty sure they are house finches which are either all brown and white, or in the case of a male, they have lots of red on them.

Botanical Gardens: Spring 2010

Today, the kids and I decided we needed a field trip, so we quickly packed a picnic lunch and headed for the Botanic Gardens.

I'm sure we've seen these lily pads on the pond every time we've been to the gardens in the spring or summer, but after our study of Monet's painting, they caught our attention immediately, and we were stuck by how much they reminded us of his painting.

We were also fascinated by the monarch butterfly's chrysalis. It looks as if it has been made out of jade with a thin gold ring around the upper half. The docent at the butterfly pavilion said jewelers like to come to the pavilion to draw pictures of the chrysalis for inspiration!

Enjoy the slide show Allison made of the rest of our day!

Spring--Turning Into Summer

The weather here in ABQ is finally warm! The grass is green and the birds are singing. I'm so thankful to God that he doesn't leave us in winter year round. We've been watching robins pull fat juicy worms out of the ground in our backyard. I'm fine with them pulling them out, but I don't appreciate it when they leave one deemed unappetizing on my back porch!

My hummers are back! I've watched them long enough now to know them by sound. As soon as I heard the little chittering sound they make, I knew they were back. Sure enough, they've been sucking down the sweet nectar for about four weeks now. If only I could get a good picture to show this little guy's beautiful green color!

All the rain and snow we had this winter paid off. Our rose bushes are blooming nicely. They didn't bloom well last year, but I'm not sure if that was due to the weather or to me finally learning how to take care of the plants in our yard.

Ahh... summer. My favorite time of the year here in ABQ!

Freedom!

Today was the day. Our little butterflies had gained strength, and were ready to fly out into the world. We set the pavilion in the backyard, unzipped the top, and watched them take their turn at finding their freedom.

One little butterfly immediately landed on Kyle's arm!

I was able to get a few shots of this one while he sat in the grass and got his bearings before fluttering off to the world beyond our backyard.

The project was a messy one, but I'd do again in a heartbeat! To watch their transformation, and then to set them free was like watching a miracle. Go to insect lore to buy your own caterpillars and watch the miracle in your home. You won't be disappointed.

Wordless Wednesday

We Have Painted Ladies!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

What a great miracle to behold! Those nasty, ugly caterpillars turned into beautiful butterflies.