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Confusing Weather
Yesterday yummy. It got up to 63°, the sun shining, and a lovely blue sky. Unquestionably a perfect spring day. Those Daffodils definitely added to that perfection. Today was quite a different story. At the crack of dawn the thermometer had fallen to 17°, and the trees were being violently whipped by high winds, as…
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Eggs in the Pond
Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) eggs. There’s a small man-made pond within sight of my kitchen window. Late winter and early spring finds much activity out there. Wood Frogs are the ones that start things off, having what seem like parties, loud parties that last all night long and on through the day, for many days.…
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Yellow-lined Owlet
The Yellow-lined Owlet moth (Colobochyla interpuncta) does an incredible job of using camouflage to become nearly invisible. Here’s another look. Same photo, just closer. Ah, there it is. See those two little legs sticking out? The larvae of Yellow-lined Owlets feed on the leaves of persimmon trees and willows. Their adults are active during the…
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Red-bellied Woodpecker
A regular around here. The Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). And here you get a glimpse of why it has its name, a very tiny smudge of red on its belly. They can be found in the eastern United States, from Florida north to Canada. Red-bellied Woodpeckers eat fruit, nuts, seeds, berries (such as Poison Ivy…
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Coltsfoot
It’s blooming now along roadsides where it grows aggressively. Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara). A plant that is native to Europe and parts of western and central Asia. It is a plant that has flowers that resemble Dandelions, though if you’re quite familiar with Dandelions you’ll know that this is not one. The leaves are totally different…
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Goldfinch Still in Winter Attire
In the past few weeks I’ve been seeing a few Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) coming to my feeders. They return for the seeds that I put out, hulled sunflower seed and nyjer seed. They’re dressed in their winter garb. Males hardly recognizable without their brilliant yellow body feathers, and trademark, rich black foreheads. In the next…
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First of the Green and Gold
This is what they’ll look like come May, but now just a single minuscule speck of yellow nestled in the green. The first hint I’ve seen of a Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) bloom this spring. These plants don’t grow tall but do spread out nicely. Don’t be concerned though, their growth is not aggressive.…
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Overwintering as an Adult
While most butterflies overwinter as eggs or pupae, there are a few including this one, the Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) that overwinter as adults. They wedge themselves in crevices in trees, behind loose bark, or under loose shingles away from the worst of winter. You’ll see them out on trails on warm sunny days during…
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Sunflowers for Ukraine
My heart goes out to Ukraine. The news all day long is so devastating. So insane. The national flower of Ukraine is the Sunflower. A flower that symbolizes happiness, optimism, honesty, longevity, peace, admiration, and devotion. It’s believed that Sunflowers were planted and grown as a crop by American Indians in what is now New…
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Maples in Bloom
Early March, meteorological spring and things are just beginning to stir. Flowers? Not many, certainly not many of the native sort but a few. The Maples (Acer) in the lower elevations are acknowledging that spring is here. Maple blooms are something that you’ve got to be aware of, or something that you’ve got to look…