Back home in North Carolina after three weeks in Florida. It was a whirlwind of activity and people. I loved it all but it is good to return to the quiet of the mountains. To all whom I saw – I love you all and enjoyed every minute. To those whom I missed – forgive me. I swear someone is stealing minutes, nay, hours from my day. So I have chosen this image because it reminds me of my life: aging with deep lines and swirls but lots of color and plenty of life. Happy New Year everyone. ❧
Mushrooms are generally thought of as delicate and fleshy, two traits that do not seem to suggest a wintery existence. But these two little fellows have poked their heads up through the stones near the koi pond in my neighbor’s yard. The taller of the two is about the same length as my house key, or about two inches. We have had cold weather here, with temperatures in the teens for consecutive nights. But these troopers seem to relish it. Similarly the lichen and many of the mosses have pushed forth with tremendous growth during these early weeks of winter.
Sorry I can’t provide an identification at this time. Perhaps a reader can contribute that information. ❧
Frequent followers will recall the recent post of a Tufted Titmouse with a mouthful of seed. Here is a White-breasted Nuthatch with a similar bounty. The nuthatch and titmouse are often in the company of one another and have similar feeding habits. Our friends at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology enlighten us more on this pleasant bird.
White-breasted Nuthatches are active, agile little birds with an appetite for insects and large, meaty seeds. They get their common name from their habit of jamming large nuts and acorns into tree bark, then whacking them with their sharp bill to “hatch” out the seed from the inside. White-breasted Nuthatches may be small but their voices are loud, and often their insistent nasal yammering will lead you right to them.
The Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescents) always seems so studious to me. It will invariably go straight to the suet as opposed to the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) who will often swing awkwardly from one of the feeders, flinging out seeds until it finds just what it wants. The Downy knows exactly what it wants.
The Downy and the Hairy Woodpeckers are very similar in appearance with the Hairy Woodpecker the larger of the two. So far I am fairly certain I have only seen the Downy here on Fawn Hill. I have seen the Hairy Woodpecker in the past and it is significantly larger. None of the black and white woodpeckers that I have seen this summer have been that large.
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopis pilestus). Taken in Florida in 2006.
Of course there is the largest of the black and white WPs, the Pileated Woodpeckers and I have to admit I was surprised to see them here in North Carolina. I have often seen the Pileated in Florida and in my head I thought of the Pileated WP as exclusively Floridian. Silly, I know. I think it has to do with their pre-historic look. They seem perfectly at home in the scrub and swamps of Florida. Catching sight of them in the woods around my home here on Fawn Hill was a pleasant surprise. ❧
It seems this Tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor) may have over-judged his ability to swallow but with a prize that large you can understand his inclination. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers this helpful insight:
Tufted Titmice hoard food in fall and winter, a behavior they share with many of their relatives, including the chickadees and tits. Titmice take advantage of a bird feeder’s bounty by storing many of the seeds they get. Usually, the storage sites are within 130 feet of the feeder. The birds take only one seed per trip and usually shell the seeds before hiding them.
After reading this helpful tip I watched the birds more closely and, sure enough, they grab a seed (or a nut) and fly quickly away to store the prize and they are back. One enterprising titmouse has begun to stash the bounty in the nooks and crevices of the deck thereby saving time and energy. I have a Turkey Oak nearby that is, no doubt, one of the primary storage spots for the birds. The gnarly bark offers perfect hiding spots although I suspect the squirrels may be finding many of the stash sites. ❧
This pretty little dove makes me think of a ballerina–it’s the lovely arch in the neck. Mourning doves are present throughout the United States and in summer months they even migrate into Canada. It’s a wonder they survive at all. They build nests that are impossibly flimsy and often in very public places. I recall a retirement home in Florida where a dove had built her nest directly above the door leading to the patio area. She would sit there all day, not moving a muscle as people by the dozens came and went. The residents of the home were delighted to have the nest so visible and I have no doubt their collective karma guaranteed the successful fledge. ❧
The flock of Northern Cardinals continues to populate my feeders and they are a joy to see. I am accustomed to seeing Cardinals as couples and I was surprised to learn that flocks are common in the winter months. With four males and three (maybe four) females they certainly bring some lovely color to an increasingly bleak landscape.
This female has beautiful color in her wings. At first I wasn’t sure if she was a juvenile or an adult. It is the crest that tells the difference and she obligingly shook her head revealing a crest of a delightfully punkish orange. On a juvenile there would be no color and a brownish crown as opposed to a crest. So, I would say she is a young adult. ❧
Anyone who has ever played “Angry Birds” knows that look! Northern Cardinals are endlessly enchanting. I seem to be over-run with them these days. I counted seven at the feeder today– 3 males and 4 females. So stay tuned for more Cardinal pictures. ❧
Any one who has ever owned a dog knows what this picture is about. It’s Tango’s happy dance…those moments when dogs throw themselves on the ground and, well, they twist and sometimes shout. It is a moment of unbridled joy. The joy of dogs is infectious. Every morning I awake and there he is, his chin resting on the bed, his tail wagging, eager to greet the day. He is joyful EVERY morning. There’s a lesson there. ❧
Squirrels are the bane of those who love to feed the birds. If you aren’t careful about the type of feeder you purchase you could be hanging a “Free Eats” sign that every squirrel in the neighborhood will see. My feeders are a mixture of squirrel-proof and non-squirrel-proof so its no wonder that these varmints are hanging out at Alice’s. When things get too bad I take down the easy-access models and the squirrels eventually stop coming.
But here in Western North Carolina things are different. If you are over-run with squirrels here you simply get your 22 rifle and start ridding the world of squirrels one-by-one. That’s what my neighbor has been doing and the neighborhood has six fewer squirrels as a result. Maybe that’s why this fellow has his back to the post.
A part of me — the urban part — is a little squeamish about this practice. But no one is making me take up a rifle and shoot them. And I have to admit that the squirrel traffic has been considerably lighter at my feeders. ❧
Back home in North Carolina after three weeks in Florida. It was a whirlwind of activity and people. I loved it all but it is good to return to the quiet of the mountains. To all whom I saw – I love you all and enjoyed every minute. To those whom I missed – forgive me. I swear someone is stealing minutes, nay, hours from my day. So I have chosen this image because it reminds me of my life: aging with deep lines and swirls but lots of color and plenty of life. Happy New Year everyone. ❧
Alice's WanderLand 