A Sassy Little Wren

A sassy little bird that might be trying to make up for its size by being so vocal. A Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus). This, one of several that I see year round here at my cabin. Little clowns that entertain me with their uninhibitedness and their relaxed nature while I’m outside with them.

They eat all sorts of insects and spiders, along with millipedes and snails. They’ve also been known to eat small tree frogs and lizards. During the winter they switch to seeds, berries and small fruits.

Put out something a little strange and they may take it as a challenge to build a nest – in a boot, in a wreath, in a potted plant. Clever birds!

The Weather Forecast

Winterberry

The weather forecast for tomorrow night (Wednesday night) into Thursday is exciting for me. Prospects of beautiful ice.

Purple Coneflower

I had a dentist appointment scheduled for Thursday, but given the risk of driving up here where it’s bound to be even more icy than down in the lowlands, I’ve rescheduled that appointment. And besides I’ll need all that time for roaming with my camera.

Flowering Dogwood

The only thing better than ice is pristine snow. The perfect decoration for the black and white landscape of winter.

Multiflora Rosa

Nature at its most beautiful. Me and my camera thoroughly enjoy capturing it in pixels.

Unpredictable, Sometimes, Winter Resident

An occasional winter resident. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). If I see one, I often see others. During the winter you’re going to see them eating berries from the bushes that provide their winter meals.

I’ve seen it mentioned that these Warblers will come to bird feeders where they’ll eat sunflower seeds, peanut butter, suet and raisins but I haven’t had success with that. The one thing I can count on is that they love a bird bath equipped with a water warmer.

I’ve been surprised at the birds that the bird bath will attract, no matter what the season.

Dark Skies

AH! Brilliant stars in the nighttime sky. That’s what I want. Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia I’ve got nighttime skies that are way better than Arlington, Virginia, but it is certainly nothing to write home about.

Vacation has called me to Sapello, New Mexicoo. I’ve been there two or three times and I’ve been blown away. This is what dark skies are about.

Brilliant stars in a dark sky. There is nothing better.

Ice On Virginia Pine

Beauty of the season, though this year’s temperatures have not been cooperating. It’s a favorite subject of mine, ice covered needles and pine cones. This, Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana).

Virginia Pine has short needles, about 2 inches in length that grow in twisted pairs. The tree lives to an age of 65 to 90 years, and to a size of 15 to 40 feet in height and a width of 10 to 30 feet. Often flat topped. Not your perfect, stately pine, sometimes growing at a slant.

But, hey, perfection is so overrated.

Jalapeños From The Garden

I’m putting together a calendar for my Mom. Going through all my photographs trying to decide on 12 of my favorites. I think this will be the image for September, the month when these jalapeño peppers were harvested.

Juncos In Winter

Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) at my cabin are winter birds. Not to be seen during the warmer months. UNLESS you go up the mountain to the higher elevations. To the ridge tops of the Appalachian Mountains where these Juncos reside year round. Winter and summer. They along with some that live in the west, don’t migrate at all.

And see those seed heads? Left in the gardens for the birds.