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Quite The Songster
March 30, 2025 Yesterday morning I heard beautiful musical phrases each repeated twice, coming from the woods. A Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) singing his heart out. It is the male Brown Thrasher that sings, and he has a vast repertoire of songs. Even more songs than other songsters and family members Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) and…
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A Quick Glimpse
March 29, 2025 A quick glimpse of blue in the garden this morning. An Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) came by for a brief drink and a quick, “Hello!” They’re only seen occasionally. Hoping a pair will use one of the houses that are out for them this spring. Quite the pleasure to see. _______________________ If…
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Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar
March 28, 2025
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The Elusive Towhee
March 27, 2025 Another solitary bird. One that is around but not obvious, since it enjoys dense shrubs and lots of leaf litter in which to search for their next meal of seeds or insects. An Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). The male Towhee sings its song, an easy one to remember, “Drink your teeeeea!” A…
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First Of The Violets
March 26, 2025 Little white and purply-blue Violets blooming near my frog pond, in the first week of spring. Bi-colored Common Blue Violets (Viola sororia f. priceana). Native to the eastern half of the United States and Canada. Violets are the host plant of many Fritillary butterflies. Welcome spring. _______________________ If you would like to…
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It Says Its Name
March 25, 2025 Often I’ll hear it calling its name before I see it. A Phoebe (Savornis phoebe) who often flicks its tail. An insect eating bird that will take off from its perch in pursuit of its prey and return to that same spot to eat it. A solitary bird, so the one I…
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Twinleaf In Bloom
March 24, 2025 A small native flower that doesn’t get much attention. Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla), native to eastern North America. In bloom right now. This is one of those plants that has seeds that are attractive to ants. The ants gather them, take them to their nest and feed their larvae the nutritious portion of…
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Soon To Be Pink Clouds
March 23, 2025 Redbuds (Cercis canadensis) are budding out, soon to become charming clouds of pink scattered throughout the trails here in the mountains. Those buds don’t just occur on twigs. Redbud trees send out buds directly on the tree’s trunk and large branches as well. This behavior is called cauliflory and is found not…
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Blueberries In The Works
March 22, 2025 On the bushes right now. Buds form for the following June in late summer and early autumn. Seems much preparation is in order for blueberries to happen. All winter long the buds sit. Waiting. And now spring is upon us and the bushes are taking signals — length of day and temperature.…
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A Special Visitor
March 21, 2025 Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis). Though they are here in the area year round they aren’t in my yard all the time. They just pop in from time to time. Two days ago was one of those days when I had a special treat. A special visitor dressed in blue, with a soft…