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Winter Arrival of the Hermit Thrush
Seems every day I’m seeing another of my winter birds. This one, my treasured Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus). A medium sized bird with a magical, flutelike song which it doesn’t bring along on its winter visit. It saves those lovely notes for summer, choosing to blend in and not make too much of a noticeable…
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Robins in Winter
Just a couple days ago an American Robin (Turdus migratorius) stopped by for a drink at the bird bath here at my cabin. It’s not at all unusual to see Robins here during any month of the year, even during winter. During the summer earthworms, snails, spiders and other arthropods make up much of their…
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Winter Visitor – Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
It was a good morning for birding, including spotting my first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) of the season. This is a male who was happy to model for me. These woodpeckers for the most part eat arthropods, along with fruits and berries, tree sap, nuts, bast (inner bark of trees), and tree buds. I’m always…
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Tracks in the Snow
Looking through my photographs, deciding upon an image to use for this year’s Christmas card. That task brought this photo to my attention and many good memories — during the winter of 2009-2010, 72 inches of snow fell at my cabin. It was such great fun. That winter is my very favorite winter of ALL…
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Mistletoe in Arizona
Juniper Mistletoe (Phoradendron juniperinum). Looking back at photos from a trip to the Southwest. Such a wonderful part of the country. I love to roam out there. To find new plants and animals. This, a species of Mistletoe that I was not familiar with. Juniper Mistletoe is a plant that grows on Juniper trees in…
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Northern Red Oak
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra). A grand cacophony of glee. The last of autumn. The Northern Red Oak is quite common in a good part of eastern United States and southeastern Canada. If you are trying to figure out the various Oak species, the Northern Red Oak is going to send you quite the challenge.…
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The First Day of December
It’s December 1st. The first day of meteorological winter. This image, an ice storm, does its thing on a Colorado Blue Spruce, mid-January 2015. Once a Christmas tree, then planted in the yard. Again one day to be a Christmas tree.
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Late Autumn At the Feeders
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis). This graceful pose by my model, the female White-breasted Nuthatch, was captured a while ago but reflects the many birds that I’m seeing right now at my feeders. I didn’t have the feeders out during the summer and greatly missed seeing all but the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds which circled the cabin, round…
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Bark of Shagbark Hickory and Hop Hornbeam
During the winter when there is little to use to identify a tree, the bark is often the place to go to get that identity. Two trees that grow here in the Blue Ridge Mountains that can offer a bit of confusion, due to each having shaggy bark are shown here in these eight photographs.…
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Wishful Thinking
A few mornings ago as I sat eating my waffles I was treated to a wonderful sight. Snow flurries being blown through the sky. Blowing quickly past the window I was peering through. Certainly not unusual for this time of year. That got me thinking of the marvelous weather that winters can bring. And of…