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Here For The BirdBath Or Berries
A bird with lovely, lengthy songs. A mimic like Catbirds and Mockingbirds. A Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), a bird that comes ’round for the birdbath and the berries. I miss the Mockingbirds up here. I’ve never seen a single one at this elevation. They seem to prefer the lowlands. And I do miss the Catbirds…
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Passing Through
Normally I go out and holler, in my most threatening voice, at White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) that come by to nibble in my yard. I seldom have to do that though, since there are Black Bears (Ursus americanus) up here and deer tend to avoid areas where there are bears. BUT rather than holler at…
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Flowers To Look For
Roam the trails up here in the mountains and you might find some Smooth Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum). Herbaceous perennials, native to eastern and central North America. Growing two feet tall and on occasion will grow to three feet tall. Bees harvest nectar and pollen from the flowers that grow in pairs along the arched…
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Gathering Berries
Today I was out enjoying the perfect weather as I gathered more Blueberries to go into the freezer. A couple birds joined me but then realized I was there and took off. A Cardinal in one moment and a Cedar Waxwing in another. I was able to get four pints. Many, many more to go.…
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Buzzing Bushes
Native to the eastern and central United States and Canada, Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) is in bloom right now. As I approach the tall bushes I can hear them as I get near. A very loud buzzing. The creamy white flowers have all sorts of insects collecting pollen. A few days ago I mentioned these…
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Mom Wolf Spiders
A female Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) and a very dedicated mom. The female Wolf Spider wraps her (one hundred or so) eggs in a silk sac which provides sustenance and protection. The sac is attached to her abdomen and as she goes about her daily life, she lifts up her abdomen as well as the egg…
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Next To The Wild Blueberries
Deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum), growing way up the mountain, next to a Lowbush Blueberry. Both bushes were about the same height, maybe 2 feet tall. The Lowbush Blueberry typically doesn’t grow any taller than 3 feet but I’m surprised to read that Deerberry bushes sometimes can grow to 15 feet tall. I’m going to have to…
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Ornaments On A Yucca
I’ve been paying close attention to my Yuccas the past week or so, since they have sent up spears, looking like asparagus spears. These Yucca spears are actually spikes with buds. I’ve got two plants, one is Yucca gloriosa which has just started blooming. The other, this one, is Yucca filamentosa, which will begin blooming…