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A Distinctive Bark
A distinctive bark. One that easily gets my attention. Of trees that love to follow streams, lining the woods with white trunks meandering as the stream does, here and there. This is the bark of American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). A gorgeous bark that sometimes gives the appearance of being pure white. Like a tree trunk…
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And Now, Winter Officially Begins!
Snowflakes caught in the needles of a Blue Spruce (Picea pungens). Today astronomical winter begins which pleases me greatly. Bring on the winter weather. I’m totally ready for it. Two mornings in a row now there has been a slight dusting of snow. Perhaps a glimpse of things to come? _______________________ If you would like…
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Snowbird
Fluffed up against the cold, this is a Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). A little bird with the nickname of Snowbird. It spends its winters here in the southern United States. They eat grains and seeds, including the seeds of spent flowers that filled your gardens during the summer, that is if you’ve left the seedheads for…
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Gardening With Nature In Mind
Here’s a Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) enjoying my gardens which have not been cleaned up. All the seedheads are still out there, making those seeds available to birds that are searching for a meal. Another thing that doesn’t happen in my yard – I never rake leaves. Butterflies, moths, lightning bugs, bees, salamanders, frogs, and even…
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A Different Mistletoe
This time of year American Mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) sometimes comes to mind. It is often seen around here, in a Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) in our tiny town, or up here in the mountains in our native trees. Many places. There’s another one that I’m familiar with. This one a Juniper Mistletoe (Phoradendron juniperinum) found…
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Red-bellied Woodpeckers Love The Suet
About the size of an American Robin (Turdus migratorius), 10 inches long. A Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) coming in for some suet. This one is a female. And this is the male, with a bit more red on his head. _______________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up…
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One Grand Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is an impressive creature. Nearly the size of a Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). I have fond memories of one landing, and working on, a tree within a few feet of my bedroom window when I lived in North Arlington many years ago. It sounded like a human, up in the tree,…