A Chickadee (Paridae) shivering and fluffed up as the snow comes down, trying to keep warm.
As I see this, I want to make it into a Christmas card. Maybe next year’s Christmas card. Or perhaps pull out my pastels and do a painting, or maybe an oil painting. No action on any of those thoughts right now, time is a rare commodity.
I like all those ideas. Check back in a month or two.
An amazing creature. An Eyed Click Beetle (Alaus oculatus), which can be found in the eastern United States. Because of their length, reaching up to 1.75 inches, they’re a bit of a surprise to see. The “eyes” that you notice immediately are not actually its eyes, as you can see in the photo above, but are a defensive mechanism to startle predators.
The larvae of these click beetles eat the grubs of wood-boring beetles. They spend the winter as either larvae or adults, often under logs.
Every now and then I’ll see one of these fun beetles. I’ll look forward to finding some as winter turns to spring and they emerge from their hiding places.
My Dad was totally into recycling and composting before they were even a thing. When I was little he was often out back burying kitchen scraps in the compost, and mention a scout troop doing a newspaper collection for recycling, he was on board helping out. Later, after he retired, he volunteered at recycling centers to help others as they brought things in, and to keep the recycling centers tidy.
I’ve followed his example doing my best to recycle whenever it is possible and keeping that good old compost going. For the past many months the compost has been like concrete when I’ve gone out to bury something. Now though, thanks to a few good rains and some snow a couple days ago, it is pure pleasure to go out and bury those kitchen scraps.
I’m trying to help this planet continue to support us. Not necessarily to “save” it, since it’s going to be around for billions of years with or without us. But our planet, Earth, really needs us to treat it gently and carefully so that it will continue supporting us.
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a year round resident, one that doesn’t migrate. Looking stunning all year long, but particularly in late autumn and winter, when there are few colors to complete with their many shades of red. This female Cardinal is enjoying Beautyberry (Callicarpa) drupes.
Oh MY! What a beautiful morning. How wonderful to wake up and find 2.75 inches of snow plastered all over everything. Up early because an electrician was coming out at the crack of dawn this morning. He managed to show up in his trusty 4X4 Silverado, despite a very challenging, narrow, twisty-turny, snow covered, mountain road.
This image above is snow lit by the sun just beginning its path across the sky. Snow on the branches of Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) trees. Branches that just a short time ago were filled with crimson leaves.
Anticipation of the electrician’s visit had me up much earlier than I would normally be up. Because of that I was able to catch the early morning light accenting the snow. So many enchanting things to see, as if a Snow Fairy had waved her magic wand, decorating everything for Christmas.
And this second image with Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) in the background while a Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) stands out. More than likely this stunning tree will come inside, and will mark the spot where Santa will bring his gifts in just 2 weeks.
Who would have thought, a visit from an electrician would enable me to witness a Snow Fairy’s magic.
At the yoga studio that I visit often there has been a vernal pool. Notice I said, “has been.” Over the years it has been there nearly all the time. Sometimes large, sometimes small, but there.
It has provided me and my camera much entertainment. Particularly in the cold weather with its frost and ice creating wonderful natural artwork.
I doubt I’ve seen water there in more than a year. I miss it.
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 some together soon to see if I can tempt one or two of these warblers to the bird feeder.
The birdbath AND the feeder. I’m hoping for more sightings.
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 yellow. Its eyes “covered” with a narrow black mask outlined in white.
I’ve mentioned the tips of the tail feathers, being bright sunflower yellow. But that isn’t always the case. In the 1960s Cedar Waxwings began appearing with orange tips of their tail feathers rather than the normal yellow. Look at the photo immediately above at the two birds. The one more in focus and to the left has that orange coloring on its tail.
This has happened because this bird with the orange tipped tail has been eating the berries of a nonnative invasive bush, Morrow’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii). The birds that eat these berries absorb the carotinoid pigment of the berries which change the color of the tail tips as they are growing.
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 birds from western mountains possibly move slightly south and to lower elevations during the cold of winter.
Suet will entice these little woodpeckers to your yard. I thoroughly enjoy having them here year round.
