A mama cardinal flew up to my bone-dry birdbath this morning and made me feel guilty for not having filled it yet. It's been so hot that the water evaporates almost immediately anyway. So I took out a pitcher of water and some birdseed. I'm sure she will appreciate it - if she can convince herself to return. Somehow the birds haven't noticed (or don't trust) that I no longer have cats. I don't usually feed birds in the summer, but with the excessive heat, I'm sure they have a harder time finding something to eat. *** About 30 minutes after I posted this, I saw the mama cardinal merrily taking a bath!
I've been nursing along a pot of weeds just to see what kind of plant they grow into, but even they are drying up and turning yellow, in spite of my efforts. I miss seeing color in the back yard, but nothing would grow this year without extreme watering and care - so I'm not really sorry that I didn't put forth any effort, or buy lots of potted plants. I had to make do with the forsythia in the spring and the recently dried-on-the-bush gardenias. They were both pretty for a day or two and then dessication set in. The temperature reached 103* here yesterday and it will be at least 99* today. Thank Heaven for the pool; just looking at it makes me cooler. I hope to get in it today, though.
The deer have all but abandoned me. All last year I saw herds of 6-9 nearly every day in the woods around my home, but this summer, I only see 1-2 at a time and not every day. My son speculated that they have left to be near a water source (in short supply around here now) and will return when temps moderate and foliage returns. I hope so, as I love seeing them around.
How are you, your plants and animals weathering this extreme heat?
The deer have all but abandoned me. All last year I saw herds of 6-9 nearly every day in the woods around my home, but this summer, I only see 1-2 at a time and not every day. My son speculated that they have left to be near a water source (in short supply around here now) and will return when temps moderate and foliage returns. I hope so, as I love seeing them around.
How are you, your plants and animals weathering this extreme heat?
15 comments:
I have been keeping myself indoors as much as possible on days when the high is over 88. Doing pretty well with it, actually. And our condo complex has a built-in sprinkler system for the common areas, so we're not totally desiccated.
A couple of days ago, I broke down in late afternoon and started some "spray hoses" going - those flat hoses that have holes punched every few inches (as opposed to soaker hoses that are porous but don't seem to do the job for me). One of the spray hoses is along the neighbor's fence and waters the irises, roses, and bush/small tree area that is there for the wildlife. The other hose was along the back-of-the-house foundation planting area that includes asparagus, strawberries, onions, tomatoes, and volunteer sunflowers, and a couple each of bird and hummingbird feeders.
How the birds flocked to frolic in the water. We had about 5-10 chickadees, a couple of titmice, a couple of cardinals, a family of house finches, and a couple of downy woodpeckers to watch out our living room window.
I've been leaving food for the deer (and we always have a salt block out); but, we've seen only one or two - occasionally - this summer. Who knows what is dining from their feeders?
Cop Car
Every time I turn my lawn sprinklers on a bird convention takes place in my yard.They are desperate for water and fly in and out of my spray and congregate in my bushes to savor the shower.
I have a few Astilbe plants and when they bloomed they had gorgeous plumes of bright pink.
I was so pleased I ran to get my camera and by the time I came back with it they weren't so pretty anymore. It was 103 degrees at that time.
Only a slight exaggeration there....but,honestly,they did fade very quickly. They usually last a little longer.
i have heard that this wave is due to a recent solar flare, sorry it's so hot for you. we are cooler in the mountains, just warm in the low to mid 80's --- we have a big black bear that comes out at night to flip the garbage cans over. no deer. plenty of birds at the bird bath. flowers everywhere.
I have seen birds panting. I didn't know they did that. I keep a water fountain going for them but even that water gets so hot, I don't know how much good it does. The birds are taking dust baths.
Life is hard for those (human or animal) who have no A/C to snuggle up to. The only plants I water are those that produce food. "Pretty" will have to wait. Not an easy time.
we had to use the sprinkler yesterday on the garden out front - even the Shasta daisies were wilting!
Thank everyone! I'm going to go and start the sprinkler in the back yard right now!
I bought a whole load of plants to make the house look a bit more friendly before everyone arrived for our party today. Now I regret it as we are going away for 2 and half weeks and my parents will have to drive to our house to water them all while we are away.
Flowers? I planted some and they didn't come up!
Reading this post reminds me I need go water the plants I have. I feel sorry for everyone suffering so in the heat. While it's hot here in Florida, on the gulf side where I am, we don't have nearly the temperatures that you all have. Humidity? yes, but evenings have been quite pleasant here lately.
Ireland is green, but that is because we have plenty of rain and the temperature has dropped drastically.
Your heat wave is brutal and no wonder all the creatures have gone where there is water. I hope your cardinal comes back and that you and yours stay as comfortable as you can.
It amuses me the way our cheeky robin makes his presence felt if the fat balls are depleted and the water needs changing. I sometimes wonder if he''s someone I used to know.
I didn't plant any veggies this year (or anything else). The Evil Twin is a one-minded master of eradicating all poison ivy from our 2 lot lawn...after he got into it bad a few weeks ago! So our yard is mostly brown too. :-(
The HEAT sounds so oppressive and kind of dangerous, too....I feel for the Animals having no water source.....The poor DEER....I would be staying inside my house as much as possible---Keep Cool, my dear.
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