Two sure signs of the changing seasons are the tap-tap-tap high up in the pines of the Brown-headed Nuthatches excavating nest holes, and ee-awKEEEE of the Red-winged Blackbirds in the Wetlands. We hear, and see, the nuthatches each year at this time as these little dynamos drill one, two, three or mores cavities into the soft wood of the pines. For all of their work they more than likely only use one of the holes to actually nest in. TheRead more
Posts tagged: #Mahonia
Snow
A few days before “official” winter began, it snowed. The snow turned to sleet and rain during the night but there was still some snow on the ground the following day. It doesn’t snow very often in our area so it’s a thrill when it does. I took a few photos (lots of photos) on the Dinosaur Trail before the snow disappeared. Here’s a dozen. I did say that I took most of the photos on the Dinosaur Trail, so it’sRead more
November Settles In
November is the time of year in our area when most of the leaves finally come tumbling down. The mornings are often shrouded in fog or mist which tends to saturate the colors of the foliage that remains until the wind and rain render bare even the hardiest vegetation. Although many plants have ceased production for the year, others are just getting started. Fatsia, or Japanese Aralia, is now blooming on the Dinosaur Trail. It attracts many late season insectsRead more
Exploratory Outing
The warm weather which arrived on the 7th of February brought out two butterflies that winter as adults tucked away under tree bark or in small cavities in trees: a well-worn American Snout and an equally worn Questionmark. A very fresh Sleepy Orange was also seen and had apparently emerged from a chrysalis not long prior to being observed flying along the path on the north side of the Wetlands. A paper wasp seen on February 2 was slowly walkingRead more