It was a cold, gray day in my suburban Denver neighborhood yesterday until I spotted this immature Golden Eagle landing in a nearby tree. I was absolutely thrilled to be able to watch this big, beautiful bird for several minutes before it left its perch and soared away.

Apparently it likes my backyard habitat, certified by the National Wildlife Federation, because it was back again today. This time it perched in a tree closer to my house and directly above the bird and squirrel feeders. Mourning Doves landed close by, but the squirrels stayed snug in their nesting box until the eagle flew away.

I’ve seen some other interesting birds in my yard in the past including an American Kestrel, a Great Horned Owl, and a hawk that flew away before I could identify it. But this  is my first eagle and I hope it stays around long enough for me to get a closer look.

This migrating monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) stopped just long enough to make my heart soar.


Many butterflies have enjoyed the nectar from my butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), but this was the first time I’ve seen a monarch drop by for a snack. Even though this is one of the best-known and most recognized butterflies in North America, I’d never seen one in my backyard.

Sure, I might have caught a glimpse of one as it sailed through the yard. But I was never sure that’s what I saw. It could always be another member of the family with the distinctive deep orange, black and white coloring.

Reading up on these beautiful insects, I learned that when migrating, they can be anywhere from the Midwest to the coast of California. They like open fields, roadsides, canyons and even suburban areas like my backyard.

They migrate from September through October in huge numbers on their way to the mountains in Mexico where they prefer to spend their winters.

The early squirrel gets the tomato.

While I was on my way to the garden to pick tomatoes this morning, an early bird–I mean squirrel–was making a delicious tomato breakfast from one of my Celebrity tomatoes.

I saw this tomato yesterday when it was just turning ripe red, but I decided to give it one more day.

Can squirrels read minds?

This tomato was obviously the low-hanging fruit for the little guy. I can picture him standing on his hind legs, holding onto both sides of this delicacy and chewing away like crazy. He neatly sheared off one complete side of the fruit of my labor.

But it’s okay. I’m not mad. Squirrels are just part of the fun in my backyard habitat.

I actually admire the critter for having such good taste. Celebrity (Lycopersicon esculentum ‘Celebrity’ Hybrid) is an All-America Selections winning tomato from 1984 and it continues to be a reliable performer in my garden year after year. Its disease resistance is one of its most attractive features.