An egg case or Ootheca of a Chinese Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinensis). A Praying Mantis that is native to Asia and its adjacent islands. I do see a native species of Praying Mantis, Carolina Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) on rare occasions. A cause for celebration.
A faithful winter resident. This morning a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) appeared at my birdbath reminding me that soon I’ll need a water warmer out there to keep the water from freezing. These photos, above, are my visitor the Hermit Thrush this morning.
Perhaps you’ll remember that just a week ago I thought my first Hermit Thrush had stopped by to say hello. But it was another Thrush. The first time for me to see a Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus). A learning experience. Such subtle differences. These two lower images are the Swainson’s Thrush from last Friday. The most striking thing I notice (though still subtle) is the color difference. The Hermit Thrush has a cinnamon color on its wings and tail. The Swainson’s Thrush is gray-brown with no hint of cinnamon.
Now that I know the difference between these two birds, I’m hoping I’ll notice right away when another Swainson’s Thrush comes migrating through.
Thankful for the Blue Ridge Mountains along with the magical world of Mother Nature that is in these mountains. AND that I get to live up here witnessing that magic every day.
Wishing you a lovely Thanksgiving.
So many dear friends over the decades. Each one special in their own way. This is next door neighbor Bonnie on the left and me on the right. Best of buddies. And even now still making friends. Collecting friends like there’s no tomorrow. So thankful for each and every one of you.
I’m thankful for special moments. Moments never to be repeated. Thankful that sometimes I’m able to capture those moments as a photograph. This is one of those moments. My Dad’s hand reaching out to hold his great-granddaughter’s tiny hand.
So much to be thankful for, not only during this Thanksgiving season but throughout the year, including precious family.
Wondering when the Black Bears (Ursus americanus) will return in their usual numbers. Their population has dropped dramatically due to mange in this area.
In their absence White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are taking advantage of the situation. Under normal circumstances I see way more bear than deer. But now deer seem to be ubiquitous.
Last night I posted a blog about a turkey on my road, but I didn’t mention that this sort of “traffic” is not unusual. Last night’s turkey, and these, above, are Domestic Turkeys.
There’s another sort of turkey traffic too. Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). Though the Domestic Turkeys tend to stay away from the woods further up the road, the Wild Turkeys are more often seen up here in the woods.
And then there are chickens that cross the road. I have no idea why they cross the road. Other than to get to the other side.
But my very favorite traffic crossing the road, over all the years I’ve been up here, these little pigs that decided to take a stroll. I’ve only seen them once, but I’m so glad I was able to capture an image.
No telling what one might see in the middle of the road these days. Tis the season!
A matter of a few feet from the back door of the cabin, in the middle of a path. Discovered a couple days ago. Photos taken this afternoon. No telling when or where you’ll find mushrooms popping up.
This one is a Russula pulchra. Just 2 inches across.
I love capturing fungi in pixels. So many colors. So many sizes, shapes and textures.