Swallowtails and House Wrens

Spotted this week in the garden:

House Wren

Tiger Swallowtail

Yay, wildlife!!

New Hydrangea and Birdhouse

"Endless Summer Blushing Bride" and post top birdhouse

The birdhouse already has a new inhabitant.  We're pretty sure it is a chickadee, but sometimes it doesn't look like one at all.  When you see it in person, it doesn't seem quite as black as the other chickadees around.

Doesn't look like a chickadee here...

Here it looks like a chickadee

Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker spotted in our backyard!

Gold finch

One more wildlife post:

We have been spotting gold finches (both male and female) eating the seeds out of the new black-eyed susans.  I added the BES's because they were on sale at Home Depot (end of season sale) and we had a bare spot in the flower bed at the family room window.  The choice of plant and location couldn't have worked out better. I now consider this bed B3 the cutting garden.  I love peeking out the window at the blooms, but I was totally thrilled to find out the the gold finch enjoys perching on the flowers and eating the seeds.  Very exciting!