Backyard Oasis

Lesser goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)

Never underestimate the importance of a backyard oasis for wildlife!

Every day, a dozen or more of these beauties start their morning drinking from our backyard dripper. Since they are granivores, they only get about 10% of their water from their diet. Extra water is vital!

Yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia)

The warblers get a lot of water from the insects that they devour but even they appreciate extra water at times. Supplemental water is really important for wildlife especially if you live in spots like we do where there is very little water or high temperatures.

Imagine being able to sit with your food surrounding you on all sides! This chipmunk truly was savoring the berries from the manzanita bush.

Most gardeners consider this little guy a pest but they sure are cute! This pocket gopher surprised me one morning by clearing out his underground tunnels. When he/she finished, the big hole in the ground was filled up with dirt so no one would know where the entrance to his/her home was located. Pretty clever! BTW, if you live with gophers, protect your new plants with gopher cages to prevent them from becoming a feast to this hungry critter. Trust me, it works! 

Planting a native garden and providing water will help turn your backyard into a wildlife oasis!

Photos and content by Robin Roberts

Click on photos to enlarge.

Island of Gotland - Part 3

The one way to make a vacation last longer is to prolong your blog which I certainly have done. This video gives you an idea of the southern coast of Gotland, an island with a rich history off the coast of the mainland.

 Churches from the 11th and 12th century can be found across the island.

Viking runes and burial sites with even older bronze and iron age gravesites also dot the island.

Visby, the largest town on the island, is surrounded by a medieval wall.

Cobblestone streets with historic homes, church ruins and some pretty interesting restaurants and shops fill up this town. If you arrive by a cruise ship, be sure to give the locals some business! If you don't know about the tradition of having "fika" every day with your favorite "bulla", now is the time to learn!

This friendly looking chap has a prominent spot in the botanical garden. You may not recognize this Swedish botanist and zoologist but you certainly know his name for his famous contribution to science with binomial nomenclature....Last name begins with L if you need some help.

We didn't spend much time in Visby rather we wanted to explore the countryside and nearby islands. Windmills, thatched-roof buildings and sheep were a common sight.

Traditionally, farmers also had fishing huts along the coast. A few of these villages still exist.

A problem traveling with me is that I always want to stop to take a photo. How many hedgehog crossing signs have you ever seen? Of course, I wanted to stop! Unfortunately, I never got to see any of these cute critters in person.

Exactly one month ago today, we visited one of the world's oldest nature preserves, Stora Karlso.

Thanks to this protected status, thousands of seabirds find sanctuary nesting along the cliffs. The most abundant, the common guillemots, had already nested and returned to sea before we arrived.

This will be our next volunteer "lookout" job. Instead of being on the mountain top, we can overlook the sea.

Farewell from this unique island.

Next time you come to visit, remind us to show you how to play Kubb but it will have to be after "fica".

Click on photos to enlarge. Photos and content by Robin Roberts.

Exploring Beautiful Places in Sweden - Part 2

Planes, trains, ferries and cars...we used them all. Our friends made sure we didn't miss any of the important ones. I found myself mesmerized in front of this display in the Stockholm train station. If it makes you feel dizzy, please go on to the next photos. I'm getting a bit dizzy myself.

Before entering the busy city, we were immersed in the beautiful countryside full of estates and farmland.

Weathervanes are a good indicator of where you are located. A hunter with his dog and the beloved red-haired Pippi Longstocking from the famous children's stories were two that caught my eye.

If you are a fan of Downtown Abbey, you have the opportunity to stop at once private estates that are now open to the public for tours. A royal castle is also open in this area. 

We easily could have stayed in this beautiful, tranquil spot for a long time!

I awoke to the trumpeting of two common cranes, Grus grus. They certainly weren't common to me. We could hear the echoing of their calls far in the distance. We followed the calls until we found them in a huge meadow together. Magical moment!

Our next stop was the archipelago. What an amazing part of the country! Hundreds of islands of different sizes line the coast. Some are inhabited whiles others are preserved in their natural state. The one we visited had large areas of undeveloped land favoring wildlife.

Exploring by boat is a great way to get a sense of this unique place.

The other is to walk along the quiet trails and explore the countryside.

I discovered this family of whooper swans, Cygnus cygnus, on a quiet little pond. Their gentle, graceful movements were in sync with one another. 

Fields of flowers led me to a huge flock of European goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis. Check out the red face of the male. Quite striking!

This little white puffball with a long tail is called a long-tailed tit, Aegithalos caudatus. They showed up in a small flock calling quietly like bushtits,Psaltriparus minimus, of the west. I loved this cute little bird.

Sharing these special places with friends has created memories that will last forever. Our next stop in this journey is Gotland, the island full of rich ancient history. By the way, can you guess what the above 2 photos are? Next time...

Click on photos to enlarge.

Photos and comments by Robin Roberts.