Spring is bringing out the birds and the flowers......

I don't know who is happier to see spring.....me or the birds!

I was watching a few of the birds on the back deck at the feeders.  This Downy seems really "fuzzy" above her beak.

Don't know why she wanted a seed from the very bottom.

Then she took it to this tree limb to work on it.

 House Finch male

 I saw this May Apple that was just ready to unfurl.  Thought the flower bud sticking out was interesting.

 ......and one that is almost all the way open.  I don't usually get a shot of the flower, because it is tucked way down underneath, and I'm getting too old to lie down to look under it.  

Red-bellied Woodpecker female found a peanut

 Mr. Red-wing Blackbird......I just wanted to show his lovely wing epaulets :-)

 The Mrs. Red-wing was more shy and didn't want to come out of this bush that is by the deck.

Here she is peeking out at me.

 The Song Sparrow

Is this what you call "mugging for the camera"?

 I really like the little Song sparrows.

Here it is joined by a few friends....a House Sparrow pair and Mrs. Cardinal

 I have one patch of the pale violets blooming.  I gave Mike strict instructions not to mow them down!  My yard usually has purple violets scattered all over it and I mow around the biggest patches.  I only get these pale ones around the back of the house.  I need to try moving a few.

The Vinca down near the old hut.

 Mrs. Cardinal enjoying a few seeds.

Appropriate to have a Cardinal.....I was taking these photos while trying to watch the St. Louis Cardinals win a baseball game.  They hit 4 home runs while I was looking back and forth between the TV and the birds!  

Doves on the driveway......I had about 10 of them out there!

 Forsythia blooms.  My forsythias don't put out a lot of blooms and the bushes are very old and out of control.  They have moved forward from the creek area to about 20 feet further into the yard.  Mike wants to cut a lot of them down and reclaim the yard....which we really need to do!  I worry about taking away the habitat for the birds and uncovering nests.  However, if it would discourage a few of the House Sparrows, it might be worth it.  I know that Song Sparrows nest on the ground and worry that they may have their nests in the tangle underneath.   It's a problem we have to do something about...soon.  

Spring flowers in the yard.  This gives a false idea that I have lots of lovely flowers....which I don't!  These are just a few clumps that I put out years ago along the dam.

 These last two shots are poor, but I was enjoying the splashing that a female Mallard was doing on the far side of our pond.

....and a Kingfisher was swooping over the pond and landed in a tree on the far side!  I haven't seen one here for many years.  Hope it comes back.  I can't seem to get good distance photos any more.....don't know if it is the autofocus or something else that is going bad.  Maybe I will have to ask for a new camera for my birthday....hint, hint, if you are reading this, Mike.