When our kids were young, it seemed that our yard was the place where all the neighborhood kids came to play. My wife was known as the “popsicle lady,” and our freezer was always filled with popsicles. Kids all over the neighborhood knew about it, so when they came to play at our house, they were sure the “popsicle lady” would have treats for them on hot summer days.
Now that our kids have grown and moved on, our yard is still filled with life, but in a different way. Instead of children, we have young birds from the neighborhood that visit us. While they may not come for popsicles, they’re certainly drawn to the sunflower seeds that my wife, the “seed lady,” lovingly puts out for them. This summer has brought us a beautiful variety of juvenile birds: downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, and red-headed woodpeckers have all made nests in or near our backyard. It’s such a joy to observe the juvenile northern cardinals, blue jays, and eastern towhees fluttering about. Just today, I stood in awe as I watched an American robin tenderly feeding a worm to its newly fledglings in our yard.
Since the end of April, I’ve been observing an adult male summer tanager in the backyard and hoping that he had a mate that I just hadn’t seen. Today, I saw and photographed a recently fledged male summer tanager, so I guess he did have a mate after all.
Watching these young birds flourish in our backyard has become a heartwarming summer tradition for us, even if we don’t have popsicles anymore—or do we?
Birdtography 
Leave a comment