Good news and bad news

First the bad news.  My pheasant left as soon as the snow got off the ground and I haven't seen him since.

Second. The ticks are really bad this year. While I was sitting on the john earlier, I spotted a tick drilling into my thigh.  I have no idea how he got there since I wear long pants. This makes the 4th one this year and the summer isn't even here yet.

The robins that were in my shed last year and had two broods of babies...I had left their nest in place on top of the rafters in my shed to see if they would return but they never did. Not yet anyway.

Now for the good news.  A few years ago, a wild apple tree at the edge of the woods out back, came down during a very bad winter storm. The following spring, I had planned on cutting it up but thought...well, it really isn't in the way of anything so I think I will leave it where it is because some of the roots were still in the ground and the tree was still alive and thriving.  The following fall, I spotted deer eating apples from that tree. Since the tree was laying parallel to the ground, they were low enough that the deer could pick them off the tree without waiting for them to fall.  

If you all remember the  wild rabbit I took photos of while eating clover on my lawn, last fall...  I spotted him this morning eating apple blossums off that downed apple tree!  He loved them! He was so happy!

I have a groundhog living under another shed. I have seen him multiple times.

I started feeding the pheasant back in the middle of winter but after he was gone, I continued to feed the wild birds. I have the usual starlings and red wing and yellow wing blackbirds, and 3 sets of morning doves, plus one set of male/female cardinels and most recently, some evening grosbeaks which are very rare in this area. It's even more rare for them to come out of the forests and eat from a home feeder from what I am told.  

My magnolia trees are in full bloom and my entire property smells like perfume!  Life is beautiful!

God Bless