Feeding the birds

Normally I don't put much birdseed out in summer, mainly just thistle seed for the finches. But since I did not get out to feed the birds this winter as much as I should have-could have-wanted to, I ended up with a lot of extra food this spring. So 'what-the-heck' it's taking up space in my cabinet, why not feed them.
Wow, what a difference from the normal winter birds that visit my feeders. Here are a few.

Rose-breasted grosbeak pair

Sparrows

Goldfinch pair

Red and gold finches

Gray Catbirds 

Brown-headed cowbirds

(By the way... cowbirds are lazy, they let others raise their young.)

Male cardinal and house sparrows

Male goldfinch in a maple tree

And look at the maple buds. This was taken yesterday. Usually by now we have leaves on the trees.

Getting things done, doubtful

I hope everyone had a nice Easter. We did. We spent it with some of the family down at Camp Brandenburg near Madison, an awesome girlscout camp. And now its back home again and hopefully back to work. I don't mean work as in 'go to work and get paid'. I mean work as in 'get some things done around the yard that haven't been touched since last fall'.
We finally had a decent day to work outside and since I had it off, I spent all of it outside. Sometimes though, I feel like little Billy from Family Circus. I begin out in the front flower bed, the weeds are already past my ankles. Where is the garden fork...? Aha! Up by the porch. After retrieving it I head back down to the front bed again, only to realize I forgot the wheelbarrow. So where's the wheelbarrow? Oh, yeah...lying broken behind the garage...! But it can be fixed. An hour later I wheel it outside the garage again, but not before I swept the entire garage floor.
On the way back to find my misplaced fork again, I notice that the nettles and burrs are beginning to take over the banks of the creek. Well that won't do, give them an inch.... where's that hoe?!  And so the rest of the day goes.
Everywhere I look, every direction high or low... I see something that needs attention. Needless to say, I didn't get much done today. But I did have time to take a few pictures of the animals. There is always time for that.

The cowbirds are back. They're funny to watch. Here they are following Timmy around.

That's Duncan, our bull grazin behind the birdhouse.

The birdhouse colors match our house.

I see that Erin is losing her winter black color. Her coat always turns red in summer.

Here, the hens are enjoying the warm day but I see they've already dug a hole. Knowing how chickens like to eat (A.K.A. kill) grass, I put a divider in their pen so I can rotate them. Its not quite finished yet (it still needs the dividing gate put on) but it looks like I'll be needing it soon.

Bad girls!