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Ticks in Winter
Today’s post is a collaborative endeavor between my treasured buddy/granddaughter, seven year old “Cherry” Jones and myself. I had mentioned to her that my subject was going to be ticks and that I had no photographs. She immediately suggested she could do illustrations, so here they are! We were quite surprised just a few days…
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Eastern Phoebe In Winter
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). An amiable little bird that I love to see around as it flicks its tail feathers as a signal to me. A sign of identification. Being that it is an insectavore makes me welcome it well beyond my being enthralled by its charm. An event of just a couple days ago…
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A Catbird!
A photo from May, 2021. A very rare sighting for me. The Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). A contributing factor to my seldom seeing the Catbird is its avoidance of unbroken forest (mostly that here) and its affinity for suburban gardens (not suburban at all). Possibly.
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Bluebirds During the Holidays
Special days bring special things. Today was no exception with some Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) arriving. Shopping for housing no doubt, perhaps with a real estate agent. They were all checking out the houses around the yard and noticed that meal worms were waiting for them at the feeder. This male with his brilliant blue…
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Birdbaths in Winter
During the winter my birdbaths really draw the birds. Bring in birds that aren’t interested in the seeds and suet that I put out at the feeders. Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) and Robins (Turdus migratorius) don’t eat at the feeders but they sure take pleasure in the water. Another on my list of those that…
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Purple Finch
A bird that I rarely see. Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus). Not an unusual bird, but one that just doesn’t show up here on my mountain. In all my years of capturing images of birds, I’ve only had two occasions to photograph a Purple Finch. Once in 2010 and once in 2017. The Purple Finches that…
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Downy Woodpeckers Love Suet
Suet at the bird feeders here insures that Downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) show up. They’re cute little things, about the same size a Dark-eyed Junco or a White-throated Sparrow. The smallest woodpeckers in North America. The Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) is quite similar in its markings but a good bit larger — the size of…
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Christmas Eve
The road coming up past my lane, February 10, 2010. One of several similar events during that astounding season. My very favorite winter of all time. My precious family, my cherished friends and my dear readers, I’m wishing you all a Happy Christmas and Merry New Year.
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Chickadee
In flight going after a meal. The object of this Chickadee’s (Paridae) attention, a pinecone smeared with peanut butter and then rolled in hulled sunflower seeds. The little birds are intrigued!
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GrandKitty Camp
It certainly is a wonderful time of the year. It really helps too, that for the past few days it actually has been a bit cold. Much like it should be at this time of year. And other things are happening here at the cabin to make things merry and bright. The big happening for…