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Warbler In Winter
A winter resident. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). An insect eater while the insects are around and berry eater during the chill of winter. Favoring the berries of Juniper, Poison Ivy and Poison Oak, Grapes, Dogwood, and Virginia Creeper. They love the birdbath. And though I’ve not made up any suet recently, I’m planning on putting…
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Vibrant Colors
Such an enchanting bird, the Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum). Its head a buff color trickling down the neck to gradually become soft shades of gray. These neutral colors are accented with small spots of brilliant color. The waxy wingtips of scarlet that are gained through age. The tips of the tail feathers a bright sunflower…
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Year Round Resident
A female Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens). A bird that is native to most of the United States and Canada with the exception of the north’s tundra and the southwest’s deserts. As they are in Virginia, these woodpeckers are permanent residents to most areas. During the winter though there are a few exceptions. Northernmost birds, and…
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Robins And Cedar Waxwings Hanging Out Together
The past several days I’ve been seeing Robins (Turdus migratorius) and Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) in large flocks visiting my little pond and my birdbath. This is a normal thing to see during the fall and winter, these two species on the lookout for berries and a source of water. Depending on each other to…
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Crimson, Emerald Green, And A Touch of Frosted White
The perfect colors for the month of December. Crimson, emerald green and a bit of frosted white. Thrown together with a touch of naranja. Crimson, made up of red bell peppers. Emerald green, expressed with jalapeño peppers. Frosted white up there in the top left corner, in the form of cauliflower. And naranja, sneaking into…
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Happy December 2nd
We’re now into day 2, of the month of December. Tasks are swirling around in my head. Overwhelming me a bit. For me, December is a very busy month. Just a couple days ago, for 2 days in a row, the temperature didn’t get up past 40° here. Yes, mighty cold, but to my mind…
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Echinacea Hybrid
A photo from long long ago, when I didn’t have the wisdom to stick to native plants in my garden. Despite that, this is a favorite image. An Echinacea hybrid. Those petals such a beautiful warm color, accented by the soft yellow Crab Spider (Thomisidae), who has just captured its dinner. Those Echinacea plants have…
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Raucousness
One of two Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) that have decided there is food for them at the feeder. This one temporarily playing coy for the camera. Unlike the Blue Jay’s normal demeanor of pure raucousness. Birds with beautiful feathers, many shades of blue, are here around my cabin all year long. They certainly are the…
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White-breasted Nuthatch Again
It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen one. One feeder, and only one, has been up for just a few weeks. Today though, I was treated to the arrival of one White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis). They’re usually permanent residents here. This is the look of a male White-breasted Nuthatch, black, gray, and white. The…