I thought you guys might like to see what I believe are Java Sparrows. Common as muck 'round here, but I find them charming. They spend the whole day at the feeder and are very noisy...Picture a little blurred, but you get the idea anyway.
Java Sparrows
Nice birds..looks like they are well equiped to opent nuts and seeds.
My newest little garden area getting filled up pretty quickly.
Nice sunset last evening - sorry about the electric lines which are ever present here as they don't even bother to try and put them underground because of the bluestone and lava rock.
nice winding path too.
Thanks RJ, actually in places the paths look like they were laid down by a drunken sailor - sort of zig-zagged. Quite a surprise to me when I got home from work. Had I been able to speak Micronesian I might have got the concept over better - as it is some of the stretches are quite unique!
Oh, Jen, it is beautiful. Quite different from when they were putting in the septic. You had this in your minds eye all along. Someday I shall return.
Christi
Forgot to say how cute the birds are. I am not only into big time bird watching but have a cage full of caterpillars. So far have released 4 of the giant swallowtail. Very neat to watch and little to no work. Just have to replenish the food supply everyday. Orange leaves and rue are their host plants. Both of mine are looking pretty pitiful about now. Also have milkweed plant and yesterday discovered 4 Monarch cats. Didn't pick them as my "cage runneth over".
What beautiful birds! I have never heard of Java Sparrows so I just had to go googling for more info: http://www.efinch.com/species/java.htm very interesting reading. Like LouC I am an avid bird watcher. At one time I had about 14 backyard feeders, down to about six or seven now and spend a fortune on birdseed, raisins, peanut butter and fruit for them, but it is worth it ... nothing more relaxing than sitting by the pool in the early morning, with a cup of coffee and listening to the birds sing.
Your garden is really lovely and I like the walkway. Great sunset photo too, even with the electrical wires showing. I wish they would put ours underground but we are in a little unincorporated area of the city and it takes forever to get some services. I don't understand why it isn't mandatory in the entire state of Florida to have underground utilities ... it sure would help during hurricanes instead of being without electric power for weeks when the winds knock down the poles. It would be nice not having to spend money for gasoline to run generators too.
I lobbied to have my wires underground but was told it would cost thousands. I don't believe it but didn't get anywhere with it.
Christi
Jenny,
I ate the first strawberry paw paw..was very yummy! had lots of seeds!
That was so quick Rj! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hey Jenn, I love what you have done to the Cess Pool!!! HAHA.. I love the little Java Sparrows, too. They are barely finding themselves up here...but I figure soon, with the civilization encroaching. They must LOVE your garden!!! They are so busy and so perky!!! Don't the males have a bright red cap?
How's your mango supply? Sending my private flock of Java Sparrows to fetch them!!!
Aloha, Carol
Aloha Carol,
Poor mango season this year - three of my trees tried to bloom and set fruit three times and got blasted with rain every time, and didn't even have as much as one mango on them. Even the "ordinary" mango, which we just leave for the birds because they are stringy, didn't do much...the othe two small trees had a small late crop - nothing to write home about though. I still have plenty in the freezer from last year - wanna hop over and get some? We are sick of them!
Yes, my garden does look a whole lot better than it did with the gigantic hole in the ground that was there when Christi and you came - LOL! Still trying to find places for all the lava rock and bluestone that is heaped in the "back forty", the pile never does seem to get smaller despite the walls I have made everywhere. I can use the larger rocks to make small edging around the gardens, I can even get rid of some of the medium sized ones, but I can get rid of the small ones that are just too large and uncomfortable to walk on as a gravel path - still working on that. I even considered chucking them over the wall and building up the cliff along the Pi'ilani!
Avocado just coming along enough to pick and ripen now - WANT SOME? Two large trees are more fruit than we can eat and we are begining to wear out our welcome with friends who see us coming with baskets full to get rid of !
Funnily enough the fig trees have been in fruit since April and still going strong. In Arizona I used to get two crops a year but here they are non stop, are they like that with you?
I bet you are enjoying your new Kichen Aid mixer - I have one and wish I had had it years ago when I had a large family to feed.
Aloha,
Jenn
OH, the fruit of the Gods, avocado. Sure wish I were close I could clean one tree very quickly.
PK
HA HA...Avocados? We have about 14 trees...and they are starting to drop!!!
I hear you about the rains...buggered up a lot of fruit this year!!
Bob took a pile of lava rocks, then planted orchids in the crevices with cocohusk chips...they love it in there!!! Will send a picture...
Carol
Braveheart,
Love the birdies. Have only seen them in the pet stores here. That drives me wild to see things in cages. Some day I am going to be in the national news as the crazy woman that went around to all the pet stores here and let all the birds out. Here, they probably would survive.
Thanks for the pix
Hap
It's not a very sharp picture because I took it from an upstairs window, but here are some java sparrows chowing down at our feeder. They come and sit in large numbers on the banana trees just before sunset to wait for my husband to bring the cats in and fill the feeder.
Thanks, Kona.
I that a Cedar Wax-wing there too? What is the larger bird?
Hap
yeah, I was wondering what the gold finch, weaver looking birds is?
Hi Jenn, Love the birds and your garden! I'd be glad to take your avocados! We love them! Sure wish we were closer....for many reasons! HaHa!
I also love that beautiful sunset!!!! Speaking of wires....Ours are underground, but you have to be so careful when you are digging. People are forever cutting them. When it rains my Mom's phone won't work because it gets water in the lines......there are drawbacks! Nothing is perfect!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Aloha!
HAHA...in Spain we had to worry because the rats chewed the underground wires...and plumbing. Made for interesting problem solving!!!!....
Some people here have trouble with the fire ants chewing electrical wires to their pumps if they have a septic system in the rural areas!
The little red fire ants are attracted to electrical current for some odd reason, and nest in switch boxes...shorting out the systems!!! We have to bait ours!
They are pesky critters aren't they. They were all over here when my DH first built the house. He was out there every month with Diazanon. Not only were we getting attacked, but out little doggie was too. But as the neighborhood built up and others spraying, they are rarely seen. Good riddance. There is one outlet that has stopped working. HUM...wonder if????
Good Mourning all.
Hap