Song Sparrow On A Garden Post

February 18, 2026

Not totally a loner, but one that will choose solitude over dealing with a crowd of other birds. That helps me identify a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), a bird that without the help of binoculars or a camera looks very much like a winter resident here, the White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis). A bird that gathers with all its friends to hunt for seeds. A very sociable bird. But if I don’t get a good look, that camera, or a pair of binoculars will help me solve the mystery.

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Not All Winter Landscapes Are Black and White

February 17, 2026

Several years ago, Valentine’s Day, there was a stunning ice storm. Here, a small glimpse of the beauty that was created. Ice on Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana). Deep, yummy, emerald green. Not a black and white image. Though in my heart, winter here is black and white, this is an example that shows, that idea is not necessarily correct.

So, prehaps I’ll modify my thoughts to: winter here is almost always a black and white landscape.

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Half Way Up

February 16, 2026

Half way up the mountain to our cabin, at the side of the road, a stately White Oak tree (Quercus alba). It sits there as an example of something I love about winter, the black and white landscape. With a quick glance this picture actually does look like it’s black and white. But there are brown leaves that are hanging on the tree, an example of marcescence, the leaves not dropping until spring. And there is a pine on the right that is a very dark green. So technically, not the landscape I think of.

That’s okay. I can pretend that it is a black and white landscape. Something that I will have to sketch with pen and ink, one of these days.

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Blooming Air Plant

February 15, 2026

There are four Air Plants (Tillandsia) in my kitchen window. A spot where they can enjoy the bright light. The window faces northeast so they get a good amount of direct sun in the morning. They get a soaking in a bowl of water every week or so, a soaking that lasts about an hour.

I never really expected that I would get any blooms, but one day, lo and behold, I could see a bud starting. I thoroughly enjoyed the unusual occasion, and once an Air Plant blooms, it will die. But before that happens it will create one to three pups, or offsets, that grow at the base of the plant. This plant is still working on creating one pup. And it’s been a while. Nice.

Totally enjoying the adventure with Air Plants.

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Snow Buddies

February 14, 2026

Well, probably not really buddies, but in the same neighborhood anyway. A Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is obvious. Look in the distance above and behind it and you will see a Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus).

Two birds nearly the same size, with the Blue Jay being just a tiny bit larger. The Blue Jay has a length of 9.8 to 11.8 inches, the Red-bellied Woodpecker has a length of 9 to 10.5 inches.

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Sweets For The Sweet

February 13, 2026

I found some McIntosh apples a few days ago. My absolute favorite apple for pies. This afternoon I put together a Hatch Green Chile Apple Pie.

Sweets for the sweet. Made with Valentine’s Day in mind but we had some after dinner tonight. Yum!

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Playing In The Icy Pool This Morning

February 12, 2026

My camera and I got to play at the vernal pool today, the one at the yoga studio where I take classes. It has been dry for so long, much longer than is usual, so we had a great time. Melting snowcrete created a marvelous amount of moisture, perfect for imagination.

One of the captures this morning looks to me like the space photo of the week, from the James Webb telescope as it peers deep into the Milky Way. But of course this is actually a work of art by Mother Nature.

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Broom Forkmoss

It is mind boggling, the number of species of mosses in North America. A list put together in 2025 tells me that there are 1,590 species.

This is a close look at one of them, Broom Forkmoss (Dicranum scoparium), found in North America from the Pacific Northwest to the Appalachian Mountains. An identifying characteristic is the way its leaves strongly curve to one side.

Another identifying feature is Broom Forkmoss often grows in round mats or clumps.

This moss along with other mosses, liverworts, and hornworts are called bryophytes. They are all small plants that have no true roots, but rather have rhizoids which are rootlike structures. These rhizoids help with hydration and assists in anchoring the plant to the ground.

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A Green Of Winter

February 9, 2026

Its the middle of winter, relatively few plants are green. But this one is an evergreen, its leaves performing photoshythesis during the winter. Striped Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata). The scientific name means “spotted winter-loving” in English. Growing to just 3 to 10 inches tall, preferring deep shade, frequently forming colonies.

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