Tag Archives: Florida Backyard

Look Who Came for a Visit-Part 2

11 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Nearly two years ago, I wrote about critters we see here in Florida, birds, water birds, and especially the “visit” we had from a doe in our backyard.  (Please see my post of December 30, 2018 – Look who came for a visit) Fred and I have been thrilled with the wildlife we see here in this wonderful state. 

But the visit from the deer is especially thrilling.  She did not seem to be afraid, but watched me closely as I took her picture.

Well, I was startled to see her – I like to think it’s the same doe – recently in our backyard again.  But this time, she was laying down, seeming to be just resting!  I have enhanced the pictures, since I took them through the glass door and the screened-in patio. 

I continued to watch her for about half- an-hour, alternating between watching the French Open Tennis Tournament on TV, and her.  She would watch me some, then look down the alley between our house and the next-door-neighbor’s fence.  She was in a spot where she could see that, and also into our and our other neighbor’s yards.  She was very attentive.

So imagine my surprise when I looked back at her after some time, to see her standing up – and her spotted fawn was nursing! 

My heart was full!   As I watched, amazed, the fawn’s tail was going 90-miles-an-hour!  What a delight.  I did have a bit of trouble getting a good picture of the fawn nursing – either the bushes were in the way, or the screen door and door post were in the way.  But after the fawn stopped eating, I think I was able to get some good pictures.

Back to the TV for a few seconds – and when I looked back – they were gone!  I missed seeing them leave, like I had wanted to do.  Shucks!! 

When I was describing this  event to a friend, she asked what time of day it occurred.  When I told her it was “2:00 in the afternoon,” she was amazed.  As she said, usually these animals come out in the early morning.  So the afternoon was an unusual time for the doe and her fawn to be out.  It was wonderful!

But it was such a thrill to see that – right in my backyard!  I have wondered whether or not this was the same doe we saw nearly two years ago.  Perhaps we are a spot where she feels safe – for herself as well as for her baby.  I would like to think so, anyway.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us this precious moment to observe your creation.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Carolina Wren

13 Jul

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Photo provided by Pixabay

While shy of people, Carolina Wrens seem to like being where people are. If your home is in the suburbs and close to woods and shrubs, you may have the honor of hosting them when they nest in springtime. 

When you hear a sweet clear call that insists you stop, look, and listen, you may be entertaining a Carolina Wren. One of our neighbors had a hanging planter on her front porch with a Carolina Wren nest in it. She greeted the family coming and going and could look out the big plate glass window to keep an eye on them.

We had a Carolina Wren family at our house, too. Our pair decided they liked our back yard. As you know, our yard adjoins a Diceranda refuge, so they didn’t have to go far to find items for the nest. For some reason, we had placed a small plastic table under the kitchen window. It had a plant in a terracotta pot in it. We kept seeing the Carolina Wrens when we looked out the window, but we didn’t know they were building a nest that would be so close to the ground.  We started in right away to worry about cats, snakes, hawks, and any other dangers for the babies we could think of. 

The mother and father worked together on the nest. It looked like a woven bowl with a big enough opening for the eggs and could accommodate parent-sitter taking his or her turn. The one that wasn’t sitting searched for food and brought it home.

 I read that the Carolina Wren eats caterpillars, moths, and roaches, along with other delicacies. For a treat, sometimes they catch a lizard or frog. They get plenty of protein, but they also consume plant material such as fruits and seeds from various wild plants. I don’t think they ever get any chocolate, poor things. Oh well, it’s probably not suitable for baby birds anyhow.

The one thing that surprised me most after seeing three tiny babies was that that the parents not only flew in with something in their beaks, but they flew out that way too.  We talked it over and decided that we probably knew what it was. It looked like a tiny white capsule. What do you think it was? Here’s a hint, it’s something we all have to clean up.

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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Cardinal

25 May

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Photos by Melody 

You can imagine our astonishment when we moved to Florida from California and saw our first Cardinal. Males the color of fire engines immediately caught our attention. It took a bit longer to acknowledge the beauty of the females in their soft orange and taupe finery and their orange bills. 

After we had lived in our home in Florida for a few years, we decided to make our back yard into a refuge for birds and butterflies, and that was when we began to observe their behavior more closely. We heard the sweet and clear calls of the birds. I’ve read since they have 16 different calls and songs. Last year a female cardinal built a small nest close to our front porch. When it was finished, she patiently sat on the eggs and the male brought her food day after day. Later in the process, he sat on the nest to give her a few short breaks. 

The babies hatched in twelve days. The parents stayed close, one watching while the other gathered food. The babies grew until the nest seemed way too small for them. Then one day they were gone. Oh, no, they weren’t ready! Did something get them? It seemed a great loss and we felt terrible that we had not been able to take care of them.

The next day I went into the back yard, and there I saw two small brownish birds clinging to the stems of the jasmine vine that covered the back fence.  Having seen them in the nest, we knew these were our baby cardinals! In a few days we began to see their parents teach them how to fly, how to take a bath, and best of all how to sing and call. It seems to me all the world sings in one way or another, and it tells me that our Lord God loves all kinds of music. I know he loves to hear it from his beloved people like you and me. 

“All I need to do is to call to you, singing to you, the praiseworthy God.

When I do, I’m safe and sound in you.”

The Passion Translation Psalm 18:3 

Hear the songs of the cardinal

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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