Springtime visitors

Garden puttering the other day, the pair of Pine grosbeaks that's been hanging around came by to kibitz. I've seen them splash in melt water even in winter so I put out the bird bath for them. Then, the next day look who showed up. The female grosbeak watched from her tree perch for several minutes.

Although it was suggested, I don't think the chickadee is landing on the rim of the bird bath. Her wings would be spread. Just before I hit the shutter she was perched on the rim. For some reason I think she hopped. She is looking at her reflection and maybe that spooked her, also another chickadee had just taken off. Totally surprised me when I saw her feet in the air in the photo. I have other (fuzzy) pictures of her taken both before and after this one and she is perched on the rim in both.

Meanwhile the female grosbeak sat in a tree branch watching for several minutes. Later in the evening she came down to the garden. The robin showed up the next day.

I've been trying to follow the grosbeaks to see where they might have  a nest. I think it's high up in one of the two huge spruce trees in the side yard but can't be sure.

It's getting very green in the house with most of the plantings from last week pushing shoots up through the soil now. I may have to start transplanting into larger vessels soon.