Second Budding

 Before the deep freeze, trees were starting to bud, and it appeared Spring had arrived. The low temperatures, far below freezing, destroyed the buds, and some trees seem slow to recover. That, and the tropical palms, such as the Sego Palm, appear to be gone. Time will tell, but the date palms seem unaffected. 

Last year, my wife, and I, stored our bird feeders, since the Muscovy ducks found they could dump the feeders. That really disappointed my wife, since she loves the wild birds more than I do. We never wanted the ducks. A sister-in-law brought them to place them in the pond, and they bred a dozen more of what I consider pests. Instead of staying in the pond, they wandered and became a nuisance.

The Muscovy ducks left, except for one, and the one doesn't seem interested in the bird feeder. This allowed us to fill them again, and watch the birds arrive. I've been surprised. 

The Cedar Waxwings have arrived in dozens. I was ignorant of what they eat, but my wife discovered they flocked to the small terracotta feeder we keep full of sugar water for bees. They emptied it in a few hours, and my research found they can strip trees of berries during their migration back to the cooler climate of the northern states. 

I bought some blueberries, and some raisins, my wife but up a flat feeder, and I filled it to see if the birds would accept my offering. They did, and their voracious appetites emptied the feeder in less than an hour. So, realizing they could bankrupt me in days, I only half fill the feeder twice a day. This, I think, will force them to forage for insects, wild berries, and help fatten them up for their trip north. Heaven knows what they've been eating, because even insects are scarce at this point. The lack of them led to our bluebirds leaving, or their demise. 

So, the trees are budding again, the drab browns are being replaced by the brilliant greens of early Spring, and the temperature is increasing every day.  It's been more than nice, and the long range forecast has no freezing temperatures in store. Things are good, and I am blessed.