I Need To Make Some Suet For The Birds

Seeing movement some distance from me, I focused my attention on what was going on. Turns out it’s a male Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) visiting me today.

This is the smallest woodpecker in North America. One that I often see, all year long. They’re fascinating and having them here year ’round makes me feel quite fortunate.

Seeing this one reminds me that I need to get busy and whip up some suet for them. They eat insects, and acorns, grains and berries. But they are particularly attracted to suet at my feeders. I haven’t put any out in quite some time.

Suet at the feeder will mean seeing these little woodpeckers more frequently. Perfect!

In Winter At The Feeder Everyday

So long as I’ve got the feeder filled, this is one of the birds that shows up during the winter. Actually there are a few of them that come to get the black oil sunflower seeds. The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). This is one that showed up on Christmas Day to get its portrait captured in pixels.

They love seeds and are not particular about the type. They’ll eat black oil sunflower seeds (I put out the hulled seeds), safflower seeds, Nyger seeds, cracked corn, peanut hearts, millet, oats, or milo. They’ll eat from a platform feeder, or enjoy seeds that are scattered on the ground. When available, they’ll eat insects too.

These Juncos measure in from the tip of the bill to the tip of the tail at about 6 inches in length.

I’ll enjoy these little birds while they’re here during the winter, and as the weather warms, I’ll look forward to their return.

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Graupel

Most of New Year’s Day, snow and graupel fell from the sky. Granddaughter and I were totally pleased to see it. If anything would stick, it would be the second snowfall of the winter season. The first was December 10th when the mountain received 2.75 gorgeous inches.

As graupel falls, it isn’t necessarily obvious that it is anything other than snow. If you’re able to look at it closely, it looks a bit like tiny fluffy snowballs rather than the enchanting crystals of snow.

Graupel has a fascinating way of happening. Sometimes if conditions are just right those enchanting snow crystals will run into supercooled water droplets. As the snow touches the supercooled water droplets, those droplets will freeze onto the snow crystal. Falling through the sky the snow crystals will continue to collect supercooled water until one cannot identify the crystal any longer and this combination becomes ball-like, and is known as graupel.

As afternoon turned into night, there was a mere dusting of snow. No snow on the lane. Snow in the gardens, such as the photo above, with what is left of the leaves of iris providing a place for things such as larvae of butterflies to hunker down for the winter while waiting for spring to arrive.

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Beautiful Song

One showed up this morning. The first day of 2024. I always anticipate something special showing up on important days. This was that special something, a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus). Not arriving for the seeds at the feeder, they’re not interested in that, but arriving to get a splash in the birdbath.

And oh the beautiful music they make. Mnemonics, basically means us humans putting words to the songs of birds to assist our memory. To help tell one bird song from another. In this case the Hermit Thrush is reportedly saying, “veer-veer-veer-veer; Why don’tcha come to me?; Here I am right near you”. A lot to remember but if you can get it into your brain, it’s going to help. A lovely and enchanting song.

Glad I was paying attention this morning to see its visit. Otherwise the day would have gone by with nothing special to note.

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The Tiny One Is Taking Charge

This morning a Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) came by for a dip in the birdbath. I was pleased to see the little critter since I seldom see them. They mainly eat insects but are willing to eat berries while they spend their winters here in Virginia. I have some raisins out on the feeder but I don’t think the little wren realized it. It knows where the birdbath is and went straight to it, to take care of its feathers.

Imagine a bird a tiny bit smaller than a Carolina Wren. It landed on the fence post with a take-charge sort of stance and chattered its bossy sort of twittering as if everyone should pay attention.

I wish they’d make an appearance more often. Maybe I should try different berries out there on the feeder.

Mercury Glass Ornament

Ten years ago, on December 9th, there was a remarkable ice storm here that entertained me for hours as I roamed with my camera. These images are just a very small look at the many pictures that I captured as I was wandering on Cloud Nine.

This first picture is a native shrub. Beautiful, particularly in winter, when it is without its leaves but, oh those wonderful scarlet berries! It is Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), a species of holly that is native to eastern North America in the US and southeastern Canada.

Ice, ice everywhere. Here it tries to drip from the yellow-green, twisted pairs of needles of a Virginia Pine tree (Pinus virginiana). Another native plant in the “neighborhood” here.

Ice dripping from the red branches of Blueberry (Vaccinium). Looking closely you can see the buds that will, in a number of months, turn into the flowers of the Blueberry bush.

My favorite find in all my strolling was what appears, to me to be a mercury glass ornament in the shape of a pinecone.

Why be normal. I adore ice storms and snow. Why be normal indeed!

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Late December Surprise

An adopted orchid bloom!

A lovely surprise this late in December. A short time ago I noticed buds emerging. I’m hoping it is in response to my careful watering. In any event something good is coming of the care this plant is receiving. Amount of light? Temperature of the room? Watering schedule?

My yoga friends might recognize this orchid plant. One of many that were, if my memory serves me right, rescued from the trash last year by another of the students. It has given me immense pleasure.

And now, great joy, with many more blooms to come.

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Moderate Drought

Pink, certainly not a winter color, but this photo has rain drops in it. That’s what I’m after. Priceless raindrops. After the past many months we have been through drought conditions. Slowly, very slowly, we are making progress.

Over the past several months we have gone from “moderate drought” to “severe drought”. Hanging out in that category for way longer than has been comfortable, as plants and trees seemed to beg for water.

We’ve only been out of the “severe drought” catagory for a couple weeks. I’m hoping this trend continues, and even progresses beyond that over the next few weeks. Slow is good.

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Stunning Beauty

A female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), hit by the sun at just the right angle and intensity, showing off her feathers at their best.

Cardinals are at their brightest coloring by midwinter/early spring, in preparation for the spring breeding season. They go through a complete molt in late summer, leaving them with not the brightest feathers but with feathers that have a subtle grayish dullness on the tips. As winter wears on, so do the feathers. Wearing off the dull tips revealing that brilliant red we know so well.

By midwinter/early spring the Cardinals will be ready for modeling for next year’s Christmas cards.

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