We had some unexpected guests in our garden earlier this week. I believe it was on Sunday morning or possibly Monday.

My husband and I were in the kitchen when he turned and said “Look, Look a Blue Jay!” and just outside the window in a window planter a lovely male Blue Jay was examining the remnants of the flower box. There’s still some snap dragons and annual geraniums in the box … dead of course because of the cold, but I expect the Jay was after the seed heads that were still on the plants.

We watched the Blue Jay fly around our yard for a short while before it disappeared. It visited a few different plants and then sat at the bird feeder in the center of the yard.

After the Blue Jay disappeared we were about to leave the kitchen … discussing how we’d better fill our Suet containers later that day … and then I saw a light colored bird with reddish tones to it’s feathers enter the yard and sit in the Rose of Sharon tree. I believe it was a female Cardinal.

The Cardinal was quite happy to sit in the Rose of Sharon and on the fence nearby for a little while before it too disappeared.

To the best of my knowledge Cardinals and Blue Jays don’t get along all that well … well …. I don’t think Blue Jays like many other birds in their immediate territory.

I hope they both come back though. We filled a few suet baskets and topped up the seeds in two of our bird feeders.

I know that there’s been a blue jay around for a few years. I don’t see it often, but I hear it calling out as it flies around the immediate neighborhood. I’ve also see the male cardinal around a few times over the last few years as well.

We have a number of birds that frequent our yard, but most are quite common birds. I suppose Jays and Cardinals are common enough too but we don’t see them often so they are special visitors to our garden.

I suppose I’ll take the birds visits as a compliment to my garden. It’s maturing and I’ve been careful to grow plants that a number of birds and butterflies enjoy. It seems to be paying off because each year there is more and more wildlife in my garden.

I’ll keep an eye out for my little visitors and try to get some photos.