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 the rich crimson of the Sumac drupes.
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January 8, 2026
Many Robins (Turdus migratorius) along with their flocking buddies, Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), up in the Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana).
They’re enjoying the frosty blue colored berries, which are not really berries at all but seed cones. They usually contain one to three seeds. A great food source for both Robins and Cedar Waxwings.
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January 7, 2026
The mid-20th century saw Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) near extinction. What a surprise to find this out, since to me that doesn’t seem so very long ago.
But that is the case, with there being a 90 percent drop in their population due to habitat degradation, and invasive House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), and Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) taking over nesting sites, both cavities in trees and birdhouses. These non-natives birds frecuently kill adult Bluebirds, destroy Bluebird eggs, and kill nestlings as they agressively take over the Bluebird’s nesting area.
One of many programs that have had a huge impact on the Eastern Bluebirds’ recovery is a program with Virginia Master Naturalists. This citizen science project involves working with the Virginia Bluebird Society. Participants track populations of these Bluebirds by weekly checking birdhouses during the breeding season for eggs, hatches, fledglings, and threats from House Sparrows and Starlings. These volunteers build and install bluebird houses, and monitor the Bluebird trails.
Now due to great effort, the Eastern Bluebird population has greatly recovered. Thank goodness.
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January 6, 2026
A Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) perching on the garden gate, showing off its russet tail which contrasts to its gray-brown higher feathers. A unique coloring among Thrushes.
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January 5, 2025
Wander and find the amazing world of Mother Nature’s art. It’s everywhere. Go out. Don’t have a goal in mind. Don’t think of miles you are going to hike. Just walk and look closely at the little things. Is that a purple mushroom? What is that pattern in the tree bark? Look at the texture of that rock.
Mother Nature is a marvelous artist. Take your time. Find what she has created.
Here, one of her compositions. White Oak leaf (Quercus alba) on a rippled sheet of ice.
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January 4, 2026
A Northern Flicker Yellow Shafted form (Colaptes auratus luteus) in the underbrush. They generally feed on the ground using their beak as a probing tool. Eating fruits, berries, seeds, and nuts, but they also eat ants which can make up almost half of their diet.
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January 3, 2026
Two Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) sitting in a tree looking for berries.
The Waxwing in full view has a tail with yellow tips. This is the normal color. Beginning in the 1960s some Cedar Waxwings began to develop orange tail tips. This is the result of their eating the berries of the non-native Morrow’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) as it was just getting recognition as an invasive.
Cedar Waxwings that eat large amounts of the berries of Morrow’s Honeysuckle will develop orange tail tips, as you can see on the barely visible Waxwing in the left of the photo. As the consumption of Morrow’s Honeysuckble berries stops and the bird goes through its next full molt, its yellow tips will return.
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January 2, 2026
Word seems to have gotten out. No songbirds there for a meal. A Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) sitting on the garden gate, a spot where there are often many birds. Try, try again little hawk.
And it is indeed a small hawk. The males of this species are the smallest hawks in both the United States and in Canada.
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January 1, 2026
I take pride in saving the seedheads of native plants for the birds. Though I often see many Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) scrounging around looking for something to eat, I seldom see them eating the seedheads that I’ve deemed for the birds of my woods.
These are the seedheads of Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida) that this Squirrel is gobbling down. Quite unexpected to see it eating them. They usually go after the peanut butter or sunflower seeds that I put out.
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December 31, 2025
A Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis). When they’re here, it is during the winter. But that’s not every year. When I see one I’m ever so grateful to see this tiny Nuthatch, which grows to a length of 4.3 inches. Much smaller than the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) that I see year round, which is between 5.1 and 5.5 inches.
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