December 25, 2025
Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) seek out tangles of vines, dense shrubs, and thickets. These environments provide protection from predators and the weather. This guy settled in here, in a perfect spot to say, “Hello!”, and to wish you a very Merry Christmas!
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December 24, 2025
For many many years, having enchiladas has been the tradition here on Christmas Eve.
When we moved back to the East Coast, from New Mexico, the only tortillas that could be found were in a can! But the tradition carried on. I started making my own tortillas and things got better. Now fresh tortillas are found even here in Maryland, and Virginia too.
Nothing better than wonderful Mexican food.
Merry Christmas dear friends!
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December 23, 2025
It is grouped together in a family of songbirds known as mimics, the Mimidae family, along with our familiar Mockingbirds, and Thrashers. This is the Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis).
These clever birds have a repertoire that includes calls and songs known to be of the Catbird, but also imitations of other songbirds, frogs, and noises that humans have around them such as car alarms, cell phone rings and sirens.
It’s unusual for me to see a Catbird up here in these mountains, particularly in the winter but sometimes it does happen.
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December 22, 2025
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) sitting on a plant cage in the garden posing for the camera.
A winter resident here at the cabin, though at higher elevations, just a few miles away such as in Shenandoah National Park, they are year round residents.
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The seedhead of a Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma), wearing its snow white winter cap. Just waiting for a hungry bird to come along for a meal.
And Happy Winter! Yes, today is the first day of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The shortest day and the longest night of the year.
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December 20, 2025
These are drupes of Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). A drupe is a succulent fruit surrounded with a very thin outer skin. Within that succulent fruit is a hard pit that contains a single seed. Other examples of drupes are: Peaches, Plums, Cherries, Apricots, Olives, also Avocados. And surprising to realize, Coconuts, Almonds, Pecans and Walnuts are also drupes.
Poison Ivy drupes are a vital winter food source for over sixty species of birds. I often see many different species of Wood Peckers enjoying them.
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December 19, 2025
At a puddle of water on the lane. Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) and Robins (Turdus migratorius) are social birds, particularly in the winter and share the same taste in food, during the winter as well. Another thing they share is their affinity for birdbaths and puddles for drinking and bathing.
When I see a single bird in either of these species I am always on the alert that I will see many more of both species, flocking to a tree or bush for its berries.
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December 18, 2025
Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus), chittery chattery noisemakers. The female doesn’t sing the beautiful songs that you will hear from the male. The female makes chattery calls, and raspy trills. Joining in occasionally with the male. A duet with her life long mate.
They are non-migratory. Such a treasure to have year-round.
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December 17, 2025
One day in February, some years back, this happened. The forest, and this cone of a Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana) covered in magic.
This is why I love winter.
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December 16, 2025
Blackhaw drupes (Viburnum prunifolium) waiting for a hungry bird or two to come along to gobble them up, to disperse those seeds to a new spot far from the parent shrub.
Blackhaw drupes don’t get eaten up quickly but later in the winter after the first frost. Aging and frost helps them become sweeter, becoming like raisins. As these drupes become more tempting, other fruits have already been eaten.
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