Winter – Page 2

Tall Anemone

Tall Anemone (Anemone virginiana). A gift that shows up in my gardens thanks to Mother Nature. Filled with delight when it makes an appearance as a volunteer.

A plant native to eastern North America where it can be found in 38 of the 50 United States. In the north from Maine to Minnesota and clear to the south, Georgia and Louisiana.

A beautiful flower which has a trick up its little sleeve. Those “petals” of white or pale green are not petals at all but are sepals. And take a look at the photo above, with the crab spider on the lower right sepal. It’s just waiting to pounce on a pollinator that may come by.

The central yellow green area is the pistillate head which is encircled by stamens topped with yellow or light brown anthers. Those anthers are covered with pollen that lures hoverflies, sweat bees and other small bees.

Summer moves along. The sepals fall away and the pistillate head expands as seeds are created.

Those seeds become surrounded in a woolly world. Fluff that becomes a transportation system. Caught by the wind the seeds are sent on their way.

But that transportation system takes time. See that snow? Over the winter the seed heads persist waiting for the perfect breeze. And waiting for something else.

As the pollen lures pollinators, the fluff of the seed pod lures nest builders.

Come spring birds are assembling nests. Nests occasionally of fluff.

A Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) knows where to find its fluff. In the garden next to the daffodils. Perfect for the nest.

Gregarious Cardinals

Quite the contrast to their breeding season during which Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are singularly territorial, winter is a time for them to hang out in flocks.

Sitting in the blueberry bushes waiting their turn at the platform feeder. Waiting for a chance at the sunflower seeds.

Or just sitting soaking up the sun enjoying its warmth.

It surprises me everyday to see so many beautiful Cardinals gathering in the snow, soft buff colored and brilliant red exclamation points in the black and white landscape.

Snow Drops

The name is Snow Drop (Galanthus nivalis). This is what it looks like right now against my back steps as night time temperatures go down to well below freezing.

It welcomes those temperatures and its namesake, snow, without a care.

One very hardy plant that grows up from a bulb.

A plant that is native to Europe and southwestern Asia. It’s well behaved and stays where I plant it.

No worry of it being invasive and all the while brings joy in the middle of winter.

Five Inches of Snow

It snowed overnight. Wet puffy snow has covered everything. I’ve been transported into a Christmas card waiting to be signed and sent on its way.

It’s the second snow here this winter making winter seem a bit more like the way winters ought to be. The winters that I think of when I think back to Kilmer Street and that wonderful hill. A great sledding hill, and oh! those snow forts!

I’m roaming this morning. Me with my camera getting pelted with snowballs as the wet snow dropped from the trees. We stopped to get a picture of the berries of Smooth Sumac that the Northern Flicker, and Hermit Thrush love to gobble.

The snow has really accumulated on the leaves of the White Oak tree. Young White Oak trees often keep their leaves during winter. Other trees that have this same characteristic are Beech, and Hornbeam. They are said to be marcescent.

The snow has collected in the Flowering Dogwood trees as if they are stocking up on snowballs. Getting set for that big snowball battle surely soon to happen.

Camera and I follow the tracks of a wild turkey for a long way, until the tracks take a turn up and over a rock wall. We don’t feel like climbing.

*Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)* *track. Glove added for scale.*

The turkey’s track is about 4.5 inches long and the big critter has a stride of 2.5 feet. WOW!

The Forsythia has reached up, catching many clumps of snow. Stretching to where the sun might have been on any other morning. Stretching tall, other branches drooping. All waiting for the warmth of the sun. The warmth of early spring to be brightened by its blooms.

Perhaps those blooms will wait a little longer. I don’t think winter is close to being over. I hope not.

In Praise of Blueberries

In my yard I’ve got a good number of mature blueberry bushes. Twelve? Fourteen? Enough that I can stock my freezer with loads of quarts of luscious berries to last throughout the year. And the birds? They’re welcome to their share. I love that the berries entice them.

Of the birds that come to enjoy the berries some are frequent visitors that I know well. A cardinal, a perfect example. Other birds don’t often make their presence known depending on the magic of camouflage to hide from my attentive eyes. A female scarlet tanager blending right in.

Each of the seasons provides a different aspect. A different way to appreciate the berries, the bushes. Winter with the buds anticipating the following spring develop sometimes encased in ice.

Winter as the rusty-red branches provide an accent to the snow that falls.

Spring with buds creamy white. Spring with buds soft red.

Spring and her blooms. A pollinators’ playground.

And then there’s summer. You know what that means.

Harvesting and eating.

Autumn celebrates with a brilliant palette. Sumptuous warm colors that tell me there is more to come with each season.

Can you tell? I am in love with blueberries and their bushes.

Black Walnut Bark

So many trees out there! Summer provides us with leaves to look at to recognize species, often right away. When winter arrives we’re left with very little hint as to what species of tree we might be looking at. Along with limb character, the tips and buds on branches, and the look of leaf scars, there is also the bark of the tree. The tree above is a Black Walnut (Juglans nigra).

Black Walnut is a tree that is plentiful here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, giving me an opportunity to really get acquainted with all its traits. In the image above a White-breasted Nuthatch is checking out the bark of a Black Walnut tree by going down the trunk in its amusing way, going down head-first. Check out the pattern that the bark has presented to you.

From time to time the bark of the Black Walnut will remind me of a work of macrame or some other fiber artwork. Weaving maybe?

In this photo you’ll see a couple perfectly round holes in the Black Walnut bark. These are created by a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The Sapsucker will hammer out a series of holes, drink the sap and eat the insects that get trapped in the sticky liquid.

The bark of Black Walnut, is communicating to you. Speaking to you in its limited winter way. Trying to tell you its identity.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

A little feathered creature that I see some winters. A bird that is said to be “irruptive,” meaning it depends on the seed supply where it normally spends its winters. In years when the seeds of pine, spruce, and fir trees are not plentiful these birds will venture into areas where they are not normally seen.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) shows up here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia every two or three years. I’m always pleased to see them. And their songs and calls bring a smile to my face. They sound like a chuckle, or like the horn of a terribly tiny tin toy car.

While they’re here they will visit my feeders, eating the sunflower seeds, peanuts and suet that is put out. Sometimes I’ll see a Red-breasted Nuthatch going back and forth to the feeders, much more frequently than what I might expect. More than likely this means it is going to a special hiding place, stashing food in crevices in tree bark. Putting the food away for later.

So glad you guys are here and I hope I’ll see you next winter too.

A Strawberry Leaf

The landscape during winter. Shades of black, brown, white, with a bit of deep, subtle blue-green. A Cardinal adds spark to the setting. Feathers of scarlet keeping him warm.

Look down as you step. Wild strawberries that gave you joy last summer have left a reminder. Leaves of wild strawberries now covered with frost.

Eastern Comma

Another butterfly that you may see as you hike on an unusually warm winter day. An Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma). These species of butterflies that overwinter as adults have the ability to survive due to the presence of glycerol in their blood which prevents their bodies from freezing. They may come out to enjoy the warmth and return to their winter shelter until spring brings dependable warm days.

Take your time as you wander and enjoy the surprises.

Mourning Cloak

As you are out hiking during the winter, take your time. Look around, notice things. There is so much to see, even in the dead of winter. If you’re fortunate you may see a Mourning Cloak Butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) on the trail in that patch of sunshine ahead of you, warming itself. They overwinter as adults. In crevices in trees, under loose bark, in a woodpile. Living as long as 10 or 11 months, one of the longest living butterflies.

Butterflies in winter. Incredible.