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Another Dusting Today
January 18, 2026 Midafternoon today, I looked out and saw snow coming down out of the sky, hard and heavy. It went on for a while but only left a dusting. Another day of pure joy. These seedheads, topped with some of that snow, are the Maryland state flower, Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). The green,…
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Seedheads Of Asters
January 15, 2025 Another chance for you to feed the birds by doing nothing! These are the seedheads of Asters (Aster) which can provide much food for wild birds. And the Asters look lovely while in bloom during the summer. A disheveled garden can be a source of pride. _______________________ If you would like to…
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Tall Anemone Fluff
January 14, 2026 Blooming mid-to-late summer, a Tall Anemone (Anemone virginiana). After the blooms, fluffy seedheads develop which last until spring. With spring, comes nest building season, and birds, such as this Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus), use the fluff of the seedheads for building their nests. Another reason to not tidy up your gardens, _______________________…
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The Nuthatch Pose
January 13, 2025 A White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) in its classic nuthatch pose, upside down. I love having these birds around with their funny, laughing sound, much like a horn of a tiny, tin toy model T. _______________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
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A Feather
January 12, 2026 A feather caught on the brambles of a Wineberry shrub (Rubus phoenicolasius). The brambles are sticky throughout the year, even in winter, making them even more unpleasant than their hairy, thorny, red (now brown) stems. The sticky and hairy stems may be a means of protection against small insects, and fruit predators.…
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A Hermit Thrush In A Dogwood
January 11, 2026 Resting in a Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) that has enjoyed the warmish weather the past few days. But today the temperature fell rather than rising, and there were snow flurries, so it’s looking a bit puffed up against the chill. They are a bird that forages through…
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Showing Off His Color
January 9, 2026 Many birds enjoy finding Smooth Sumac berries (Rhus glabra) to get nourishment. In particular I see Northern Flickers (Yellow Shafted form)(Colaptes auratus luteus), often dining on the berries, which are actually drupes. This Flicker is in a pose that allows you to see its bright yellow tail feathers, a nice contrast to…