Notes from the garden

Summer is winding down, and there isn’t as much diversity in my garden, either in flora or fauna. I’ve seen at least two chipmunks in my yard, squabbling over the food I set out for them. The squirrels have taken over my birdfeeder, so if any birds are using it, they are doing so when neither I nor the squirrels are around. Chipping Sparrows are still around but are being seen less frequently, Cedar Waxwings are still in the neighbourhood, and every now and then a pair of cardinals shows up in the tree outside my computer room window. Best of all, half a dozen Blue Jays have started visiting in the morning looking for peanuts, and I saw my first Ruby-throated Hummingbird in my yard this year on Tuesday. I first noticed her sipping nectar from the meager Bee Balm flowers still in bloom before coming up to my back deck and feeding on the Scarlet Sage growing in the planter attached to my deck railing. She didn’t stay long, but it was a delight to see her.