This photo has been photo-shopped and a larger version was posted on RedBubble, and therefore, probably looks better there. Anyway, one of the wonderful benefits of feeding birds all winter is that come spring and summer you will get surprise sunflowers scattered arbitrarily throughout your yard. I have tried in prior summers to plant sunflowers and all were eaten by bunnies before they even got a few inches high. The ones planted by birds somehow make it through to full bloom, although they may prosper in the most inconvenient or unusual places. This sunflower is growing right at the very edge of my driveway and I have to carefully miss it as I pull out of the garage. It is tucked just in front of my tall ornamental grasses and that may be the reason it was overlooked by hungry animals. I also have two larger sunflowers in bloom in the middle of my flower beds, one in my herb bed with the sage, one out in the garden with the blueberry bushes, and one tiny one struggling further down the edge of the same driveway. This is certainly a gentle reminder of the natural order of things. Whatever we do does come back to haunt us, so we must remember to do nice things only. I took this photo in the setting sun while waiting for the goldfinch to drop by who have also found the blooms.
(I am currently watching the goldfinch (which I do not normally see since I do not put out seeds in the summer due to fear of disease issues) land on these sunflower blossoms and pull out the unripened seeds. I keep trying to get a photo, but they are pretty shy.)
I just love watching birds at work (and play)! They are such a delight!
ReplyDeletethese photos can be compiled beautifully to make nice photo gifts.
ReplyDeletewish i could find some surprise sun flowers...they are lovely...
ReplyDeleteSun flowers can be magnificent - specially the huge ones. Interesting about the birds sewing your seeds, and being the only survivors. A nice photo to Tabor - Dave
ReplyDeleteHi There, You are right about watching for the disease issue in summer --especially in the Finch family. I still put it out --and so far, no problems. However, it takes work and I am VERY careful.....
ReplyDeleteHope you get a picture of the finch getting the sunflower seeds from the flower.... CUTE!
Have a great day.
Hugs,
Betsy
Beautiful photo. I have sunflowers and dill self-sown all over the vegetable garden. They show up in some inconvenient places but I leave most of them.
ReplyDeleteI don't feed the birds with store bouht stuff, generally. I do feed the woodpeckers with suet cakes, however. Also have many plants in my yard that produce seeds and berries for them. My daughter had a yard full of sunflowers at her old house, all planted by birds. Dianne
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed that. We have three sunflowers currently vying with Jack's beanstalk, but showing no sign of a flower!
ReplyDeleteyour blog is a delight. absolutely.
ReplyDeleteI have missed it .
and I love goldfinch. I do have a tube feeder with nyger seed, but clean it frequently so it stays dry and clean. which is quite easy this year as we've had no rain!!!!!