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Sulphur Dust Lichen
December 29, 2025 The rock wall beside the lane approaching my cabin is nearly a tenth of a mile long, and has been here for about 100 years. It has a special charm about it, other than its remarkable history, with Sulphur Dust Lichen (Chrysothrix chlorina) on many of its rocks. An intense color that…
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Enjoying Peanut Butter
December 28, 2025 A Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) pecking at the peanut butter I’ve put out. It’s quite the popular item for the birds. Sometimes I add a generous amount of cayenne pepper to discourage Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). They can taste it and its heat, while birds can’t. _______________________ If you would like to…
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A Peanut Butter Fan
December 27, 2025 A few of the birds here know me, and will arrive for their meals, when I put out food for them and then give them a call. This is one of those little critters. A Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor). Peanut butter is particularly popular with many of the birds. _______________________ If you…
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Northern Flicker With A Mustache
December 26, 2025 This is a Northern Flicker yellow shafted form (Colaptes auratus luteus). See his black mustache? That indicates that he is a male. But of course! He is a bird that is native to a great part of North America, some of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands. Though most woodpeckers don’t…
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Merry Christmas From A Thicket
December 25, 2025 Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) seek out tangles of vines, dense shrubs, and thickets. These environments provide protection from predators and the weather. This guy settled in here, in a perfect spot to say, “Hello!”, and to wish you a very Merry Christmas! _______________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts…
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Christmas Eve Tradition
December 24, 2025 For many many years, having enchiladas has been the tradition here on Christmas Eve. When we moved back to the East Coast, from New Mexico, the only tortillas that could be found were in a can! But the tradition carried on. I started making my own tortillas and things got better. Now…
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Mimic Catbird
December 23, 2025 It is grouped together in a family of songbirds known as mimics, the Mimidae family, along with our familiar Mockingbirds, and Thrashers. This is the Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). These clever birds have a repertoire that includes calls and songs known to be of the Catbird, but also imitations of other songbirds,…
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A Junco In The Garden
December 22, 2025 Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) sitting on a plant cage in the garden posing for the camera. A winter resident here at the cabin, though at higher elevations, just a few miles away such as in Shenandoah National Park, they are year round residents. _______________________ If you would like to receive my daily…
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Shortest Day Of The Year
The seedhead of a Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma), wearing its snow white winter cap. Just waiting for a hungry bird to come along for a meal. And Happy Winter! Yes, today is the first day of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The shortest day and the longest night of the year. _______________________ If you…
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Poison Ivy Drupes
December 20, 2025 These are drupes of Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). A drupe is a succulent fruit surrounded with a very thin outer skin. Within that succulent fruit is a hard pit that contains a single seed. Other examples of drupes are: Peaches, Plums, Cherries, Apricots, Olives, also Avocados. And surprising to realize, Coconuts, Almonds,…