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A Hermit Thrush On A Snow Day
February 21, 2025 A winter resident here in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus). As the snow was coming down steadily two days ago it was in a typical stance flipping up its tail and slowly lowering it over and over again. Though they eat insects during the warmer months, in the…
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Another Snowy Morning
February 20, 2025 It snowed all day long yesterday, leaving 2.5 inches of snow on the ground. This morning it started back up again but didn’t last very long. Today, just a dusting. Among the birds out looking for something to eat, I counted 13 Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). Beautiful accents of color against the black…
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Winter Tree Identification – Bark!
February 17, 2025 Winter and tree identification leaves me looking at the bark. This is Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), a tree that is quite common here. The tree produces a chemical, juglone, in all its parts. Juglone creates a toxic reaction in other plants. An example of its effectiveness is at the yoga studio where…
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It’s Frog Time!
February 16, 2025 Loads of big winds today making lots of noise coming through the woods. I was surprised to hear and recognize the familiar, “Clack! Clack! Clack!” despite all the sounds of the wind. That “Clack” sound is the male Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) joining in their mating call. A sound that always surprises…
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More Ice Today
February 15, 2025 Today another ice day but this time a slow rain with temperatures fluctuating right around 32º. Not too much. Not nearly as exciting. The ice that knocked out the power on February 6th was much more beautiful. Much more awesome. That’s okay. Perhaps there will be fewer trees damaged this time ’round.…
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Eating Habits Of Blue Jays
February 13, 2025 A boisterous, rowdy bird that lets everyone know that it has joined the party. The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). Blue Jays have a varied diet of nuts, seeds, berries and small fruits. They will also eat insects, spiders, snails, birds’ eggs, small rodents, frogs, carrion, and baby birds. At the feeder you…
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Much Snow And Many Birds
February 12, 2025 This morning I measured our snow. Eight inches with much rain sinking to the bottom of the accumulation. Birds were in panic mode. There was suet out already. That’s always a popular place but there were no hulled sunflower seeds out on TOP of the snow. After I scattered some out many…