White Christmas .. or close to it!

We had snow in the Santa Cruz mountains behind our home. This observatory on one of the hills surrounding Silicon Valley was snowed in. Snow is not common and the sight of snow is quite welcome though we have some very cold nights here..

Moved all the hibiscus plants indoor.

Bird with Sunflower

This tiny bird has become quite courageous. It mingles with sparrows and hops on Sunflower and Cosmos plants looking for seeds. It has yellowish belly and wings have a shade of green. See it every morning these days.

Sun Flower : 2009

Sun-Flower

Seedling

We grew sun-flowers this year from the seeds found in a bird-feed packet. Soaked them for a couple of days in water until the sprouts showed up. Then planted them in moist soil during winter rain and protected the seedlings from slugs by putting a cut cylinder of water bottle around it.  Now after about 4 months we have 15-20 sun-flower plants ready to bloom. They attract a number of pollinators. I hope that will be good for near-by tomato plants.

Good Roses

These roses are very hardy – tolerant to infrequent watering and do not attract aphids or fungal diseases common in other roses. Excellent for California spring/summer.

Parrots

6/28/2008
There are some wild parrots in our area. They are usually perched on the high tree tops in the mornings and the evenings. Quite a boisterous couple. You can see one of them hiding behind the leaves.

They are atleast 1 foot long in size. It is easy to spot them once they are in the area.

If I am correct, these parrots are on the list of endangered species. They are called Yellow Headed Amazon parrots based on the California Parrot Project. You can click on the link for California Parrot Project to find more details.

 

5/18/2009

This morning I saw them just outside our home. Two of them again, making a lot of noise.

Tulips

Tulips have started blooming.  These were potted in the patio. There were more in the front yard. But, they have not bloomed “together”, one or two of them would bloom at a time.

I mail ordered the bulbs this year from :

http://www.bloomingbulb.com

Daffodils are looking nice in the front yard too. Someone likes to call them Daffy-dolls. :)

White Daffodils with Pink Trumpet

 

Sign of spring. These white daffodils with pink trumpet were planted three years ago. Every-year they are more in number.

 

A “regular” daffodil blooming in the backyard. Few leaves on the trees in the background show signs of life. More birds have started singing in the garden now. A mocking bird often visits and mimics them.

Nothern Mocking Bird

Very common sight in the garden and in the neighborhood. Sings very well at dusk on summer evenings. Link to the Cornell Ornithology Lab here.

Nothern Mockingbird is called "Nightingale of America".

Crocos Flowers

First bloom of crocos flowers even before the arrival of spring. Stigmas of crocos flowers

(i'm not sure if this species or some other) are dried and used as Saffron.

Yellow Rumped Warbler

This yellow rumped warbler has been a resident of our backyard. Often seen on Pine tree, from where it flies to catch insects mid-air. Other days I have seen it looking for something on the ground amidst grass.

Cornell Ornithology Lab link here.