Breaking Ground...Again

I've yet to reveal more than a glimpse of the first phase of the pond & streambed project...and, even though I've yet to fully disguise the liner on the first one, I've begun digging the next stage in this project.

Birds & Berries

While at the patch, there was a lot of excitement from the birds.  I'm sure they were hoping I wouldn't strip the bush of all of the ripe ones.  The catbird is always hanging around the property and seems to have decided everything is his; I could hear his calls.  A robin took off across the yard from somewhere nearby.

While at the patch, there was a lot of excitement from the birds.  I'm sure they were hoping I would not strip the bush of all of the ripe berries.  The catbird is always hanging around the property and seems to have decided everything is his.  I could hear him calling..and enjoy his company.  A robin took off across the yard from somewhere nearby.  As I tried to compose some pictures of the berries, an oriole landed on a branch of one of the other bushes.  I was lucky enough to snap a photo through the branches.

Already in Use

The pond is still mostly a liner filled with water...with only some of the rocks strategically placed, however, it is already getting some use!  Who knows how many birds visited while I was not watching...I do know I saw a catbird very early on, but did not have a camera ready.

Today, I went out the back door when I spotted this little guy splashing away.  It is a hot day and a bath must be great!  He didn't even mind that I came out, did an abrupt about face, grabbed the camera, and took shot after shot.

The section that he is using is the exact spot I designed with bird bathing in mind.  I tried to keep it shallow...and the rock I used allows for a slight variation in depth to accommodate birds of various sizes and fearlessness.

The Bluebirds' Second Clutch of Eggs :-)

Just Add Water

After hauling two more large rocks to the site of my pond and streambed project, I finally felt ready to resume building a water feature...at least the first phase in what I envision for our hillside.

The hole I dug last year was filled up with weeds...and a few natives that I moved to another project I'm working on--the backyard slope.  After moving the rocks I'd left in place since last year so that I could mow and see what I was working with, I dug a little more, raked away stones, and put down the liner ((with old carpet underneath).  I filled it with water to get a feel of what I was working with.  Being that it is near the top of a hill and on a slope, I have my work cut out for me.  Honestly, I was a little discouraged as I tried to imagine how I could eventually make this look natural.  Now, two days later, I feel quite a bit more sure that it will turn out okay.

What surprised me the most was, the next morning (less than 24 hours after filling the liner), I found a water strider bug (Limnogonus fossarum)!  The following morning, I spotted two other insects under the water; I've seen them before, but don't know what they are--yet. :)

"Just add water"...it really is as simple as that...not that hauling all of the rocks, and now trying to piece them together to look natural is exactly simple. :)

Their Finished Nest

I'm finally posting a picture of the bluebirds finished nest.  This is the second one of the season...and I hope they have time to build another and raise a third clutch...but I guess I'm getting ahead of myself.

Something's Coming

Maybe it isn't earth shaking...but it does involve moving earth and lots of rocks as well.

While, I'm not ready to unveil my latest work, I will debut my latest invention, the rock mover: 

It's low-to-the-ground profile makes loading the rock so much easier.   Instead of taking days or even weeks to move a huge stone end over end from one end of the property to the other, I now can do in 3-5 minutes what normally takes 3-5 weeks (at least the way I do it)

                                                                                                                                Late winter or early spring (who could tell the difference this year?!), I moved this rock end over end, *up* a slope.  Eventually it came to rest here, propped up on a log...it stayed there for months, until yesterday, when I felt I needed it across the yard now, with no time to spare.

Now, what was it I was gathering all of those rocks for again?