A Flock Of Cedar Waxwings

November 30, 2025

Hanging out at the Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra), a large number of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum). Word must be out that there are berries here.

Sociable birds, Cedar Waxwings often travel in groups. Unlike many other birds, they even build their nests in close proximity to one another. While looking for a source of food, they will gather in large flocks, into the hundreds of individuals, often including Robins (Turdus migratorius).

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Black Birch Catkins

November 29, 2025

The male catkins (or male flowers) of Black Birch (Betula lenta) form in the late summer and early autumn, overwintering in a dormant state. When spring arrives these catkins lengthen to 3/4 – 1 inch, and mature to release pollen to the wind. Black Birch is a monoecious tree, having both male and female catkins on the same tree.

Once the female catkins are pollinated they develop into cone-like structures, first green, turning brown in autumn. They contain small, winged seeds maturing during the warm months of summer and are released in late summer.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker At The Birdbath

November 28, 2025

Even when it’s cold, like now, birds need water. Here a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) enjoys having some water available at the birdbath.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Northern Saw-Whet Owl

November 27, 2025

A very fortunate sighting, one night back on November 18, 2016, as I was coming home on our lane just before 9pm. A small bird flew in front of my truck and landed on a tree just on the other side of the lane. It clung to the bark of the tree and just watched me. That gave me a few seconds to get my camera, which is almost always with me. Not enough time though to get the proper lens, or to get the one I had in proper focus but I DID manage to get a picture. A little Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus).

To honor this small Owl, which grows to just 7 – 8 inches in length, I created a Christmas ornament for little Granddaughter.

Now, last night, with several members of our family here for the Thanksgiving holiday, in the middle of the night we all heard a Saw-whet Owl! What a surprise. What a treat.

Another encounter with a Saw-whet Owl, this time shared with several others. Something special to be thankful for.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Pinecones Of Pitch Pine

November 25, 2025

Pinecones of Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida), which are usually between 2 to 4 inches long. Its bundles of needles are called fascicles, each of these fascicles normally contain 3 thick, twisted needles ranging in size from 2.5 to 5 inches long. These needles sometimes will emerge directly from the trunk rather than from branches (called epicormic growth). The only other pine tree that has this characteristic is the Pond Pine (Pinus serotina).

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Northern Flicker Yellow-shafted Form

November 24, 2025

This, a Northern Flicker (Yellow Shafted Form)(Colaptes auratus auratus), and many other birds enjoy the berries of Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra).

There are so many things that make me thankful for being surrounded by nature. This magnificent bird is one of those things.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

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 their breeding grounds with no migration at all. Others will head south, but only quite a short distance to spend the winter. What I see here in central Virginia is a nomadic tendency, flocking together to find abundant food and water sources, often with Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum).

So seeing a Robin does not mean it is spring.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

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 like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

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 to 12.3 ounces.

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) drill holes in trees searching for Carpenter Ants (Camponotus) and wood-boring beetle larvae. Trees they prefer have soft wood, or are dead or dying. Those holes, often large, rectangular or oval, are easy to spot.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!