Blue-tit

 Blue-tit is checking out the seeds in the verbena.

He really enjoys it. 

(Click the images for a sharp view)

Bull Finch

 An amazing beauty came along to drink some water.

His colors are outstanding, being fethered  in this candy stick pink in combination with grey and black is awesome!

Here in Holland his name is Gold-finch, (Goudvink) ( Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

which is confusing because in other countries the same bird is named Bull Finch.

Blue-tit

 When I wanted to walk to my mailbox and stepped through the door, right in front of me sat a fainting Blue-tit in shock.

He might have crashed against the glass-window or it was the heat, because today its extremely hot.

I took him out of the hot sun into some shadow. I tried to give him some water with a dropper and put his feet in a bit of water as well to help him cool down. 

Finally he flew away, so glad he did!

Swallowtail back!

Today my sister came visiting and suddenly she said: Look, look! come quickly...!!!

There he/she was....The Swallowtail is back! he/she landed while fluttering around in my garden on the verbena. As quickly as I could I grabbed my camera and was able to get a glimpse of this beautiful butterfly.

In dutch the butterfly is named Koninginnepage so I always name her Queen!

Only when summers are very warm they fly up more north from the southern countries.

Back in 2006 The butterfly was here as well and I was able to photograph the whole process of transformation from egg to butterfly (click link here for the transformation series)

It is so amazing to see the whole process...and I am so delighted to see her back!

(Click images for sharper view)

Nuthatch

 This beautiful young nuthatch just sat there ...  a bit looking around, enjoying his view I suppose.

Blackbird sunbathing

 Blackbird is enjoying a sunbath in the grass and has a yummy drink as well.

Hare

 I totally fell in love with the hare, who is still coming everyday. Mostly in the evenings now, however he might be here around in other parts of my garden where I can't see him.

I love his cute little tail, which is black on top and white underneath...Who would think of that, when our Creator was imagining a design for a hare.

and then his soft little cute nose...sooo tender and soft.

Young coal tits

A while ago, I accidentally discovered that the coal tits had made plans for another breed. 

I think it was a second nest this year.

Today I was suddenly seeing that the young were eagerly looking out of the box, ready to take flight. I grabbed my camera and waited behind the window, where I had perfect view on the nestbox.

I did not have to wait long, that I saw the first young fly on the fence. A while later I saw the second one take flight, landing between the leaves of a climbing plant.

Some time later when I was inspecting near the nest I found a third bird sitting quietly in the ivy. 

 I was happy to be right on time to watch the birds take flight.
 

Hare

I see him almost everyday, feasting on the clovers and grass and some poppy's.

Very interesting however is that he comes to my terrace in the evening. He instals himself near a big plant pot at the end of the my terrace. He then grooms and washes his legs and face on such a adoring manner that my heart melts by seeing him doing so. 

He then lays down and takes a nap...!

I've never heard of that a wild hare takes a nap on a terrace. Mostly they have their sleeping place in a burrow, not near a house.

Does anyone know more about that? If so, please let me know.

Dove bathing

 Dove is taking his summer bath. He is really enjoying it!

Rabbit is a hare

 Rabbit is not a rabbit. he is a hare...

Someone wondered and told me it's not a rabbit. It's a hare....a young one.

Because he is a young hare, he looks a lot like a rabbit. however his ears are longer and his hind legs are  stronger. Now I know, there is no mistake.

He likes flowers a lot. He loves eating some of the campanulas. There are lots of flowers in my garden, so there is enough.

Rabbit 2

Today he was back! my little rabbit. He again feasted on the flowers in the grass and I could see he really liked them. He even took a papaver bud. Just in front of me...It seemed to me he didn't notice me. He then began washing his nose and ears! and even took a nap for a while.

Never saw a wild rabbit that close and so enjoying himself.
 

Rabbit

 This morning I had a very special guest visiting my garden.

I think he really liked it and me too.

However most people don't want them in the garden, and that's what I understand as well. He was looking for nice yummy things, like clover and other flowers and then he discovered the poppy's and ate a delightful meal of poppy leaves and flower.

When he noticed me, he suddenly ran away...too shy to have me as an observer, when he has his yummy meal.

Summer

 This feels like summer...

Poppy

 Such beauty in detail on just a poppy stem and poppy bud. (click image to enlarge)