Terragro - rebuilding the garden berm

About 3 summers ago I decided to build gardens for bringing nature into my back yard.  My yard slopes to the back so I would need to build in a berm for the plants so that while sitting in the sun room we would have good views of what was happening.  We got in 2 truckloads of terragro that my wonderful plumber moved for me with his front end loader.  Middle of last summer we decided that the berm needed building up so last fall after Hurricane Sandy I removed most of the plantings and put them into pots for the winter.

This time I decided to rent the front end loader and move the dirt myself.  I enlisted the help of my 2 sisters, Leslie and Jenny for a Sunday workday at my house.  Leslie (left) and I both drove the front end loader.  It went smoothly and we had time to replant some of the center back garden before quitting for the day.

Wordless Wednesday - Jake's Landing Road - Willet's have arrived

Birding ~ Cape May Point State Park

Killdeer

Savannah Sparrow

Wordless Wednesday - 3 Osprey couples - Matt's Landing and Thompson Beach Road

Birding - Alexander Avenue

Black and Surf Scoters

Forester's Tern Diving

Bottlenose Dolphins

 

Northern Gannet

Birding Cape May Point State Park

Decided that I'd join the CMBO Bird Walk a few days ago.  We saw better than 50 species of birds.  Pictured are some of the birds we saw:  

Northern Gannets

Blue-winged Teal

Carolina Wren

Purple Martin

Daffodils

"And then my heart with pleasure fills

And dances with daffodils."

~ William Wordsworth

Northern Gannets, Black & Surf Scoters - Delaware Bay

When I looked out the window this morning before getting ready for work I could see the Northern Gannets streaming by over the Delaware Bay.  There were hundreds of them along with large groups of Black and Surf Scoters.  I was working but needed a bird fix so I went onto my beachfront to watch the birds and get some pictures before it was time to go.

Nummy Island

The Black-bellied Plovers have arrived though they are not in breeding plumage yet.  There are Ospreys all over the county including here.  The Red-breasted Mergansers, Brant, Common Loons and Red-throated Loons are still here.  The American Oystercatchers are flying overhead and calling.  The Red-winged Blackbirds are too numerous to count, have established a territory and are also calling.  Spring is in the air though the weather isn't cooperating.

44th Street Rookery - Avalon

I love when spring starts and the herons return to the rookery on 44th Street.  I feel like spring migration is really going to start.  There were about 15 Yellow-crowned Night Herons along with 6 Black-crowned Night Herons.  As a great added surprise there were also 6 Red-breasted Nuthatches working the trees along the sidewalk.