Rabbits, rabbits, everywhere

There are a lot of rabbits this year, which doesn’t bode well for our vegetable garden.

I almost walked right by the one pictured here while taking my son for a walk last week.We usually have a rabbit in our front yard in the morning, eating the grass under the bird feeder, and I have seen three at once in the boat launch across the street.

I wonder if the foxes will come back to decrease the rabbit population?

We also have a lot of barn swallows this year, likely because we also have a lot of mosquitoes.

It’s amazing to watch the acrobatic flight of the swallows as they swoop and fly in between each other, people, houses and moving cars. I was able to capture a picture of a swallow actually sitting still. Anyone who has seen swallows in action knows how rare that is.

I thought I would also include a new picture of our Baltimore orioles. I have seen at least two males and their partners this year but we must have more because I have to fill their feeder every third day.

If you are looking to attract hummingbirds and orioles to your backyard, you don’t have to purchase a commercial mix - it’s just sugar water with food colouring. I add one cup of sugar to a large mason jar of water. I do not add food colouring.

And finally, I thought I would include a picture of the turkey vultures. You can distinguish these large birds even in the air by their red heads.