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American Persimmons
American Persimmons (Diospyros virginiana). They seem to be everywhere up here now. The fruit growing into a small orb with a soft green color. Dropping from their branches as they ripen. Those little fruits are tempting bears, if any bears are around here now. It’s something that bears really enjoy eating if one can tell…
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Where Are My Bears?
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Pressing My Luck – Bears
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Downy Woodpecker
The Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens. A permanent resident here and in most places in their native range. That range, with the exception of the desert southwest and the tundra of the north, is nearly all of Canada and the United States. But in the northern portions of their territory, some may wander a bit south…
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Tufted Titmouse
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Winter Slumber
In the Blue Ridge of central Virginia bears take a winter slumber. Waking on the rare occasion to thrill those who pay attention to such things. This sleepless creature roamed the woods in January, 2015. Years later, another sleepless one. January 2020 noted by one who pays attention to such things. Rare occasion indeed.
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My Winter Birds
Perhaps these are my pets, the birds that come to my feeders. Wild birds that give me comfort just by being there. The bird you see in the picture, above, is a winter bird in my area (the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia), a White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis. He has a sweet song that is easy to remember,…
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Jack-in-the-pulpit
Anticipation Anticipation makes my world go round. I find something, perhaps a plant, just beginning to emerge in the spring. I return to the infant plant often. Watching and waiting. Looking forward to its grand finale. This is the story of anticipation from beginning to disappointing end, of a Jack-in-the-pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum. The photograph above, taken in mid…
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Black Bear Hibernation
Sleeping through some, or most of the winter, as Black Bears (Ursus americanus) do, has been referred to as winter sleep, carnivorean lethargy, dormancy or torpor. Now leading physiologists simply call this long sleep, hibernation. We humans sometimes get up in the middle of the night for a midnight snack. Black Bears are known to…
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Bear Signs
I see signs of Black Bear, Ursus americanus, up here in the mountains very often, though I don’t see the bears themselves frequently. An often seen sign of bear, is a pile of bear poop, or bear scat, a term used in more sophisticated company. Bear scat can weigh typically, one half pound, to one pound.…