A family of mourning doves spends much of the day with me in the yard. They alternate between foraging for small bits of sand and stone in the driveway (this aids digestion), perching on the telephone wires, or drinking from the bird baths. They have the unique ability to swallow water with their heads lowered. These constant companions are a calming presence within my environment.

Goldfinches rarely stop. Their zigzag pattern of flying is delightful to watch. Even when they do land, they continue to bounce. This year the echinacea and false sunflowers were their favorite eat-while-bouncing destinations.

Rabbits have personalities just as people do. Last summer, the rabbits ALWAYS made themselves known in the yard, whether by knocking down fences, zipping through the gardens, or chomping on my favorite balloon flowers. Shy and gentle, this year’s colony is much less rambunctious.

I particularly like this picture. I can see the reflection of the roof line of my house against the sky in this sweet creature’s eye.

The sparrows tour the yard in small flocks every day. I think of them as “multi-level” friends, as they are as likely to be found hopping down on the grass as flitting between the bird baths and flowers. This juvenile seems happy just to bask in the afternoon sun.

Such a cute little chipmunk, right? Most of the time. However, I snapped this picture right after he had raised a ruckus and scared the sparrows away from the birdbath, so he could jump up and have a nice long drink from it all by himself. Then, he flipped up to the tree, still warning the birds to beware, only to hop down to contentedly eat this snack on the ground.

This young blue jay was shy for quite a while, but the discovery of the birdbath enticed it to visit. Lately, it has been a daily companion. I have been watching his adult feathers emerge these past weeks. This “common” bird has such detailed and delicate markings!

Hummingbirds zip through the yard, stopping at the hummingbird feeders for a short while. At the end of the summer, they are also likely to be found hovering just above the giant white hostas. How in the world will these tiny creatures fly all the way to Central America in the coming weeks?

A friend has challenged me to post one nature photograph on Facebook every day for seven days, and to encourage others to do the same. The idea is to flood Facebook with color, life and hope.

One of my favorite places to view nature is from under the apple tree in my own yard. Thus, this week I’ll be sharing pictures of the creatures that lifted my spirits with their visits.

This juvenile cardinal sometimes eyes me warily, but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the bird baths.

There is nothing quite as satisfying as buying local produce in the Summer and Fall. A recent trip to nearby Sterling, MA netted all the usual fruits and vegetables, plus locally roasted coffee, maple syrup made just a few miles from where I live, and wonderful home-baked treats. Hurrah for Fall!

It is shocking how sunflowers mimic the magnificence of the Sun!

Scenes from an early evening walk in the cool air. Fall is surely not far away!