Ruby-crowned Kinglet Migration

Here for the winter? I hope so. I saw a tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) a couple days ago. Normally there are some that spend the winter here. I’m hoping this one is not just passing through.

Their breeding range is far northern North America. They spend their winters in the southern US and the Southwest, some going further south to Mexico. Populations in the mountains of the west take the easy route, just going from the higher elevations to lower elevations where it is warmer.

I’ve never seen them at my feeders but others with feeders have had better luck. These Kinglets eat spiders and insects, as well as berries and seeds. Leaving my gardens go to seed has great benefit. Here, during the winter, these Kinglets are a big fan of seeds of spent Goldenrod and other flower seedheads that I leave for them.

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Black-throated Green Warbler

A migrating visitor yesterday. A female Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) making her way to the birdbath.

An insect eater, especially caterpillars during the mating season. B-TGWs eat berries during migration. Poison Ivy berries being a favorite.

Their breeding territory is eastern North America, western Canada and cypress swamps along the southern Atlantic coast. Their winter destinations are Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and the extreme southern tip of Florida.

Hoping she’ll stop in again, on her way back in the spring.

Pie Tonight

A delicious new pie recipe. Put together, baked, and out of the oven this afternoon. For our dessert tonight. Topped with vanilla ice cream. Oh my! Was it ever GOOD!

Hatch Green Chile Apple Pie

One unbaked 9″ pie crust

Six medium sized apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 2″ pieces. Place into pie crust.

Top the apple pieces evenly with 4 oz. El Pinto Hatch Valley Green Chile.

Pie Topping

  • 1 cup unbleached flour
  • 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream together flour, butter, the sugars, salt and the spices. Sprinkle on top of the apples and Hatch chiles. Bake in preheated 425° oven for 15 minutes. Turn oven temperature down to 375° and bake for another 45 minutes, or until the edges of the pie are bubbling. Let the pie cool, or serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

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Dressed For Autumn

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum). Putting on an eye catching show in the mountains.

Rich yellows, golds, reds, oranges and purply-browns.

Summertime, they produce a black berry supported by a scarlet cup-like stem. Seldom noticed. They’re there though. Just look for them. But these autumn leaves, no search is necessary. That color can’t be missed.

Extremely Rare

Extremely rare, but they do exist. American Chestnut (Chestanea dentata).

Before 1904, this fast growing, tall tree ruled swaths of eastern US forests. I mention the year 1904 because that is when the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) was first discovered at the New York Zoological Gardens. The blight was introduced to the US by accident from East Asia and it nearly wiped out the whole population of these wonderful trees over the course of just a few decades.

It brings great delight to me though, when I find a large American Chestnut tree growing in the woods. They are truly rare but they are out there.

The American Chestnut Foundation is working diligently to develop a tree that will survive. I have great hope that they will see success and again American Chestnuts will survive in great numbers in our woods.

A Little Yellow Mushroom

Yellow Unicorn Entoloma (Entoloma murrayi). A cute little mushroom that looks as if it ought to be right next to the Pixie Cup Lichens for the pixies’ and fairies’ enjoyment.

A cap that is cone-shaped, or bell-shaped, that is pointed at the top. This pointy top is referred to as an umbo in the fungus world. The width of the cap is generally between .5 to 1.25 inches. A nice bright yellow or yellow-orange that fades as it ages.

The stalk, also yellow, is 1.5 to 3 inches.

These mushrooms grow in eastern North America, Central and South America, and also southeast Asia, in wet areas of deciduous and coniferous forests.

This blog gives no information about the edibility or toxicity of any of the mushrooms that are written about.

Scarlet Berries

July finds them emerald green, blending in with other greens. Not to be noticed by the dedicated hiker. I find them though. The dedicated nature photographer. Understated berries of Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum).

But come October, contending for attention, in competition with the colorful leaves, the berries have become a brilliant shade of scarlet. Maybe even the dedicated hiker won’t miss them. What say you, Gary?