My native Sacred Datura is making a comeback. This nighttime pollinating perennial has a long & fascinating indigenous history.
#WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #PollinatorGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

Apologies for the worst pictures ever… they are too fast! The Kings County skies are suddenly FULL of migrant Cliff Swallows arriving all the way from South America! Flying up to 35mph, catching up to 2,000 insects each a day!

#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden #BirdMigration

Off the Garden Path: Lucky enough to have been in close company of this Raven at Millerton Lake. I have a deep fascination and appreciation for Corvids. He was looking at me as curiously as I was at him.

#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

Most people spend the majority of their life sleeping. I’m pretty sure I spend the majority of my life making nectar and cleaning hummingbird feeders. 😅
Dr. JB’s Feeders are my absolutely favorite.
#WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #PollinatorGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden

It's looking to be a great avocado harvest year! The dense evergreen foliage is a favorite for birds in my garden for protection, shade, and nesting and the provide early season pollen for the bees. #WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden

The "Bug Barn" is eagerly awaiting new tenants. Adding one to your yard is an easy way to support the quiet workers that keep a garden healthy all year.

#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #InsectFriendlyGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

A California native Baby Blue Eyes is rising above the competition in the garden. I still have a few holding on in the shade. Thankful for the resilience of natives as I slowly work on eradicating invasive & aggressive plants.
#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #CaliforniaNatives #BirdFriendlyGarden

The fearless Western Kingbirds have started arriving - swooping from tree canopies, flashing their yellow bellies as they help reduce the insect population in pure flycatcher fashion.

#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

My little Tinker Tot eyeballing the bird bath before flying to the pond for a bath instead. I miss her already! I hope she comes back this winter. She was a trip to watch. Such a bold personality... & very seclusive! (Lincoln's Sparrow)
#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden

The Painted Lady Butterfly migration has been outstanding this year! My garden is a full blown kaleidoscope. Lacey Phacelia flowers are native to our region and continue to be the star in the garden.

#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #ButterflyMigration #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

Saw a Scrub Jay take a deer mouse today, then stop for a drink before returning to the prey. The sparrows have suddenly gone quiet - classic short-term nesting buffer? Potential hatchlings??
#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

BEST. POST. EVER.
Our little California Ground Squirrel buddy that hung out with us for a 4 day stay at Millerton Lake. He was the head of the colony and quite full of himself!

#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #SquirrelsAreFriends #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

This beautiful little toad must have pulled an all-nighter. He was still up, enjoying the morning sun and a soak in my pond this morning with his snail friend. Not long after, I watched him mosey off and slip into his toad abode.
#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #Toads #BirdFriendlyGarden

Happy California Poppy Day! My garden is celebrating today. 🥳

#WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #PollinatorGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden #californiapoppies #CaliforniaPoppyDay

🎼Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise 🎼

Red-Winged Blackbird - San Luis National Wildlife Refuge

#WildlifeGarden #SanLuisNWR #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

We watched this rattlesnake swim far out into the lake, likely for a hunt at the San Luis Reservoir. It was headed straight toward a swarm of Tree Swallows skimming the water surface

#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden #rattlesnakes

My Little Butter-Butt Borb lookin' all cute and coy before a bath. Yellow Rumped Warblers are my most frequent cool weather bathers.

#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

Off The Garden Path: Yet another Great Blue Heron successfully evading a closeup picture. Many more evasive Heron pictures to come. Eastman Lake, Chowchilla CA

#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

🫶

#FarmworkersDay #CentralValleyAg #CaliforniaFarmers #WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #PollinatorGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

I saw my first Hummingbird / Sphinx Moths of the season yesterday evening… one of my favorite visitors in the garden! Today I found this empty pupa that one of them left behind under my tree. Nature is so cool. 😎 🐛

#WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #PollinatorGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden

Happy World Sparrow Day! May all of your sparrows be thriving and may all of your wallets recover. 💰

#WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #PollinatorGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden #WorldSparrowDay #birding

Watching another damselfly pond emergence in progress. These guys are a great natural defense against mosquito larva!

#WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #WildlifePond #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

Another native flower has made its first debut in the garden! Lacy Phacelia. The garden is full of these buds that are ready to pop. I can’t wait to see more of them… and more bees, too! 🐝 #WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #PollinatorGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

It doesn't look like much is going on above the surface of my Narrowleaf Milkweed, but below? An extensive root system is establishing itself that will get this plant through our harsh valley conditions #WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #CaliforniaNativePlants #SaveTheMonarchs #BirdFriendlyGarden

We restructured the habitat hedge by pulling it away from the fence and adding support to make it a more manageable wildlife structure. It’s a simple way to turn yard waste into habitat.
#WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #PollinatorGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

I spotted a Western Toad tadpole in the mini wildlife pond! And a snail poop. 😂 Even at this stage, toad tadpoles have mild toxins that make them less desirable to predators like fish, turtles, and birds. #WildlifeGarden #PollinatorGarden #Amphibians #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

Someone is definitely using the habitat hedge. Every time I add to it, a burrow is re-opened. I'm letting this one break down & am starting a new one that isn't against the wooden fence so it doesn't decay 😅 #WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

"Taking a drink"
One of my bonded scrub-jay pairs is in nesting mode. They landed together on the birdbath. He took 2 big gulps, then passed the water to her. Total trust & intention.Then they flew off as a unit. #WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden
#LegaseedWildlifeGarden

I was excited to see this Turkey Vulture a couple days ago. It has been a few years since I've seen one soaring over our property. #WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #Birding #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden

DAILY MORNING CHECKLIST:
✅ 1. Feed the birds
✅ 2. Start the coffee
✅ 3. Check on Jackie & Shadow 🦅

So beautiful this morning! 🥹
Source and live cam: m.youtube.com/channel/UCsF...

#WildlifeGarden #NativePlantGarden #PollinatorGarden #BirdFriendlyGarden #LegaseedWildlifeGarden #jackieandshadow