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Robins And Migration
November 23, 2025 A Robin (Turdus migratorius) in late November, here in Virginia. Ask an American Robin if it migrates and you might get a deep sigh and then a long stretched out, “Well . . .” Seems it is a tossup, in part depending on food availability and weather conditions. Many stay put in…
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Raindrops On A Chestnut Oak Leaf
November 22, 2025 Raindrops on a Chestnut Oak leaf (Quercus montana). This tree has the common name of “Chestnut Oak” due to the similarity of its leaves to those of the American Chestnut tree (Castanea dentata). Its leaf has shallow lobed edges, while an American Chestnut leaf has ocean wave edges. _______________________ If you would…
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Sign Of A Pileated Woodpecker
November 21, 2025 This morning on my way down the mountain I saw a woodpecker that I often see, a Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). The largest woodpecker in North America. About the size of a crow. Measuring in at 16 to 19 inches long, with a wingspan of 26 to 30 inches, weighing about 8.8…
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A Classic Pose Of A Nuthatch
November 20, 2025 A White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) in a pose I often see. Quickly going up and down a tree trunk. Surprisingly, going down like this, head first. Searching, hunting for insects. The White-breasted Nuthatch has strong feet that enable it to grip tree bark without using its tail for support, a technique that…
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Juncos
November 19, 2025 Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) are generally migratory winter birds here in Virginia, though I’ve been up in Shenandoah National Park during the summer and have seen that there is a population of Juncos up there both in breeding season and the winter months as well. Doing a bit of research I see…
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My Buddy The Phoebe
November 18, 2025 Their breeding and wintering ranges overlap here in Virginia, so I’m fortunate that I’ve got Eastern Phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) year round. Flipping tail. Often coming back to the same nest year after year. The independent sort. Eating berries when insects can’t be found. My buddy the Phoebe. _______________________ If you would like…
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Relying On Wind Dispersal
November 17, 2025 Seeds of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). We’ve had such big winds these past few days, these particular seeds probably have blown long distances thanks to their silken threads. Those silken threads, called floss, act like parachutes taking the seeds to new places to grow. These plants, and other species of Milkweed, help…
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These Are Not Cherry Tomatoes
November 16, 2025 Carolina Horsenettle (Solanum carolinense). Goes from this in June — — to this in November. Berries that look very much like they ought to be delicious, much like a cherry tomato. But beware. This fruit of the Carolina Horsenettle has a common name of Devil’s Tomato, which you should take as a…
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Two Color Morphs Of White-throated Sparrows
November 15, 2025 The white-striped morph of the White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis). This morph has a bold black and white cap, along with bright yellow lores (area between and just above the eye and bill), crisp pale gray breast, and a pure snow white throat. Males and females of this morph sing more frequently, are…
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An Aggressive Non-Native
November 14, 2025 An exquisite colorway for this time of year. Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is an aggressive invasive non-native, originating in China, Japan, and Korea. A surprising characteristic is this plant’s roots which are bright orange. Another surprise, it can cause a rash like Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) since, like Poison Ivy, Oriental Bittersweet…