-
Bigger Than A Hummingbird But Still Mighty Small
March 5, 2025 The Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis). Measures in at 3.1 to 4.7 inches in length. Mighty small and actually the smallest Wren in North America. They’re only here in my part of Virginia in the winter and they normally frequent areas more dense than I have here. It’s wonderful to see one and…
-
Soon There Will Be Hummingbirds!
March 4, 2025 I’m delighted to say and a bit surprised that it will be occurring again in what seems such a short amount of time — next month Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) will be arriving again. The tiny clowns of the avian world. My first sighting last year was on April 17th when three…
-
One Of Many
March 3, 2025 One of oodles of trips out to the Southwest. Its terrain so different. Its natural world so captivating. This, a trip up Mount Lemmon. Seeming so extremely high compared to my East Coast mountains with an elevation of 9,159 feet, it is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains. _______________________ If…
-
Second Day Of Meteorological Spring
March 2, 2025 Yesterday was the first day of meteorological spring. Too bad, that means winter is winding down and coming to an end. Last night though there was a low temperature of 15º. Winter is still holding on. At least so far. In the gardens around my cabin there are no native plants in…
-
Zygodactyl Feet
March 1, 2025 A Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescensa) showing its zygodactyl toe arrangement. Woodpeckers, Owls, and Parrots all share the same sort of foot structure. They have zygodactyl feet. Two toes facing forward, two toes facing back. This allows these birds to more easily climb, grasp, and manipulate. More common in the bird world are…
-
Another Day At The Vernal Pool
February 28, 2025 Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) active in my vernal pool today. Males making their distinctive clacking sound to attract females. They are the earliest frogs to emerge from their winter shelters to begin mating. I see them even before Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer). Their tadpoles develop over the course of two to three…
-
This One More Obvious
February 27, 2025 This one, quite a bit easier to tell which species of Sparrow it is, in comparison to the Song Sparrow (Melospica melodia) and the White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) which I mentioned in my post yesterday. The Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina). Only the male Song Sparrow sings. Its song is described by the…
-
Master Of Camouflage
February 26, 2025 The Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) is indeed a master of camouflage blending in with dried grass near the birdbath. Not at all striking in its coloring, streaks of gray and brown. The Song Sparrow is well represented throughout our continent. They’re said to be “the most common and widespread sparrow in North…
-
Concern For Beech Trees
February 24, 2025 I enjoy seeing American Beech trees (Fagus grandifolia) in the winter. They’re deciduous trees but don’t drop their leaves until spring, giving my woods a scattering of soft brown patches everywhere. And if it snows, those soft brown leaves turn into snow cones hanging from their branches. This past Saturday I attended…