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Winter Tree Identification – Bark!
February 17, 2025 Winter and tree identification leaves me looking at the bark. This is Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), a tree that is quite common here. The tree produces a chemical, juglone, in all its parts. Juglone creates a toxic reaction in other plants. An example of its effectiveness is at the yoga studio where…
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It’s Frog Time!
February 16, 2025 Loads of big winds today making lots of noise coming through the woods. I was surprised to hear and recognize the familiar, “Clack! Clack! Clack!” despite all the sounds of the wind. That “Clack” sound is the male Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) joining in their mating call. A sound that always surprises…
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More Ice Today
February 15, 2025 Today another ice day but this time a slow rain with temperatures fluctuating right around 32º. Not too much. Not nearly as exciting. The ice that knocked out the power on February 6th was much more beautiful. Much more awesome. That’s okay. Perhaps there will be fewer trees damaged this time ’round.…
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A Comfy Quilt For The Day
February 14, 2025 Hoping you’ve had a comfy day, perhaps wrapped up in a cozy quilt. _______________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
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Eating Habits Of Blue Jays
February 13, 2025 A boisterous, rowdy bird that lets everyone know that it has joined the party. The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). Blue Jays have a varied diet of nuts, seeds, berries and small fruits. They will also eat insects, spiders, snails, birds’ eggs, small rodents, frogs, carrion, and baby birds. At the feeder you…
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Much Snow And Many Birds
February 12, 2025 This morning I measured our snow. Eight inches with much rain sinking to the bottom of the accumulation. Birds were in panic mode. There was suet out already. That’s always a popular place but there were no hulled sunflower seeds out on TOP of the snow. After I scattered some out many…
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A Snow Day
February 11, 2025 The snow started this morning at about 9:15, coming down at a good clip. That lasted a while and then it slowed, only to get serious again a bit before noon. And that has continued through the day. Beautiful, serious snow coming down. Even now nearly twelve hours after it first started…
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Still There For The Birds
February 10, 2025 Fruits, berries, or technically drupes of Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium). Waiting for birds to find them. As is the case here, sometimes it is well into winter before these drupes are discovered and eaten. A time when there are fewer things to eat. Located out by the end of my lane, I keep…
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Snowdrops By The Back Porch
February 9, 2025 Soon to open, Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis). Native to Europe. Though not native, it is a well behaved plant. Two leaves emerge from a bulb along with a single pedicel, or stem, with a solitary flower. Three to six inches tall. It is said that Snowdrops blooming indicate that spring is coming. However…
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And NOW There Is Power!
February 8, 2025 It is Saturday evening as I sit here typing this. You might recall on Thursday I posted a blog about my Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) which had been painted by Mother Nature with a thick, beautiful, coating of silvery ice. Early Thursday morning that ice event caused many many trees to come…