Witch Hazel Flowers

Witch Hazel is our only local shrub that flowers in the fall, and a
lovely sight it is indeed when all the leaves are gone from the trees
and winter is coming to see all those bright sunny flowers. Yes, I
was planning to subsume this blog into another, but I don't have time
right now.

Screech Owl

We were very excited last year to see a screech owl in our neighbor's tree.  Last night, we saw one in our own tree--saw it fly to a hole, go inside, come out and fly away.  It would be very exciting if it would nest there.

Red Maple

Sometimes it seems as if every single autumn leaf is a work of art. Of course, some are prettier than others. The three central leaves here are red maples, Acer rubrum. NOT the cultivar of Norway maple ("Crimson King etc") that many people call red maple, but real red maples. They are pioneer species, often hybridize with silver maples. Their sap can be boiled down for maple syrup, but it takes twice as much as with sugar maple. Red maples flower very early in the spring with tiny red flowers. They often grow in swamps and bogs and turn color very early--brilliant scarlet.

Cricket Time

It's dark and warm and the crickets and singing their sweet summer cadence, rising and falling and jingling like summer jingle bells. I'm out walking. When I was walking earlier, the cicadas were singing, a loud raucous din. It was a diurnal sound to this softer nocturnal one. I wanted to stay outside and listen for the change from one to the other. One would think that since I'm 61 years old, I would have heard that transition, but if I have, I cannot recall it at the moment.

Do they overlap each other? Does one stop and the other begin?

I wanted to listen, but I did not. I had things to do inside, and in the air-conditioned house, the cricket and cicada sounds do not come in.

Sidewalk Saturday: Leaves

Burr Oak, Red Oak, Silver Maple and Sycamore. 

Robins!

Robins don't al always migrate. Some spend the winter. But there are suddenly a lot in evidence that weren't obvious a short while ago. It's February, it's winter, it's cold! They are having to work hard for food and water.

They can't eat worms, so they are eating crab apples, and grabbing a drink from a hole in the ice. I don't want any harm to come to the poalr bears and penguins, the arctic foxes and ptarmigans, but I wouldn't mind a bit of warmth! Think worms for the robins? 

Flower Photo Friday, unseasonal Flowers

In Detroit, where I now live, there is usually snow on the ground in January, everything is frozen, and there are no flowers in evidence. But this year, the temperatures so far have been unseasonably warm and we have flowers in blossom.

Pansies are perrenials and opportunists--they will flower whenever they can. Flowering Kale is cold hardy--but not usually in January. Dandelions are spring flowers--and either they are confused or we're having a very early spring.

see more.

Sidewalk "Fossils:" Squirrel tracks

It could almost be sand, but it's not. It's a sidewalk which contains the footprints of a squirrel. Front feet upper left, back feet lower right.

This is part of an ongoing series I am doing on sidewalk fossils, archeology, anthropology and art. I don't have a title for it, so let me know if you have any good ideas. 

The Skull of a Canada Goose

I found several of these in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on a penninsula of land that jutted into a bay that was used for huge ships loading and unloading cargo. I am sorry the geese died. I'm not sure what was responsible for their demise, but I was happy to find the skulls. They have not been cleaned.

This picture was part of the "first light" series from my new camera, Giovanna. I was using the big flash from my big cameras on her.

Turning to Dirt

Along the dirt road that circles the Lake at Cranbrook, leaves were being crushed into the ground by passing construction vehicles. The almost seemed to disappear--but not quite. 

Invasive species: Black Swallowwort

Black Swallowwort taking over an area. 

Coming up underneath

 

"What's That?"

Keith and I were walking along Moran on our way home from our nightly constitutional when we heard a strange quavering call. "What's that?" I asked. We stopped to listen. "A cat?" Keith asked? "It doesn't sound like a cat to me," I answered, "it sounds like a screech owl. Maybe it's a Halloween recording." Keith stopped and looked up into the closest tree--there was a lump up there. I got my binoculars out of my pocket and sure enough, it was a little screech owl. After we'd watched it a while, I decided to attempt a photo, but it flew just as I got the camera ready. We were pleased. We hadn't expected to have a nature encounter two doors down from our house in the city on a dark rainy night.

Snapping Turtle

Snapping Turtle, by Mary Stebbins, click image to view larger.

Rogers Environmental Education Center, Sherberne

Snapping turtles eat fish, ducklings, and dead animals. They have very powerful jaws. Algae grows on ther shells. 

Grackle

Grackle, in our front yard this morning! photo by Mary Stebbins, click on image to view larger. I love the eye.


Common grackle Quiscalus quiscula
Identification Tips:
Length: 10-12 inches
Very long tail
Long bill
Frequently gathers in large flocks
Adult:
Entirely black plumage
Entirely purple or purple and greenish iridiscence to plumage
Pale eye
Juvenile:
Dark eye
Dark brown plumage
Similar species:
The Common Grackle is similar to blackbirds but is larger with a much longer tail. Male Great-tailed and Boat-tailed Grackles are similar but larger with longer tails.
Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.

Coyote

Coyote 

Redwing on Phragmites, Detroit Metrobeach

Redwing on Phragmites, Detroit Metrobeach, by Mary Stebbins. Click image to view larger.


We had an exciting walk at Detroit Metrobeach yesterday. We saw baby bunnies playing with what could only be called joy. We saw a bald eagle circle over the pond where we were watching swallows skim the surface fo the water and a huge snapper trying to soak up the sun. We saw geese with young geese and red-winded blackbirds and robins and so many other interesting things.

This red-winged black bird male was singing it heart out, marking its territory. 

Wild Geranium

Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum.

• Family: Geranium (Geraniaceae)
• Habitat: woods• Height: 1-2 feet
• Flower size: 1 to 1-1/2 inches across
• Flower color: lavender, pink, white
• Flowering time: April to June
• Origin: native

Marsh Marigolds

Marsh Marigolds, or Caltha palustra, photo by Mary Stebbins. Click on image to view larger. Also called "Cowslips," Marsh marigold are edible--but before they flower. They become very btter once they flower. They brighten up the swamps and wetlads in the early spring.

These are in flower today at Great Bear Farms near Phoenix, NY. 

Wake Robin

The Wake Robin, or Red Trillim is out in force in the spring woods today. Red Trilliums are fertilized, in part, by carrion flies. They have two odors, a sweet pleasant small for bees ad a terrrible rotting meat smell of carrion beetles. When the red trilliums reach peak flowering, the black flies start biting. And the morels are out. Photo by Mary Stebbins, Click on image to view larger.

Phenological notes apply to specific areas; this ake robin is flowering today at Great Bear Farms Natural Area just north of Phoenix NY, off rte 57.

Wake Robins, or Stinking Benjamins, are on the NY State Protected list and should not be picked,

Shadows: excurrent branching, photo y Mary Stebbins. Click on image to view larger.

This s a pin oak, or the shadows thereof. It has "excurrent" branches, like a pine or spruce. Actually, though, only the branches halfway up the trunk come straight out. The ones aove go up and the ones below go down. 

Milkweed Pod

Milkweed Pod, left over from last year. Photo by Mary Stebbins. The eeds releasing now in spring will be growing int new milkweeds and feeding the monarchs soon. Clcik on image to view larger. 

Season/signs of spring: Skunk Cabbage Flowering

Season/signs of spring: Skunk Cabbage Flowering, taken 3-27-06 at Hamlin. In upstate NY, one of the signs of sring is the flowering of the skunk cabbage in the swamps, and here it is, in full flower.Click on image to view larger. Photo by Mary Stebbins 

Protective Coloration

Rabbit Photo by Mary Stebbins. This rabbit was really hard to spot!!! 

Mourning Doves

Mourning Doves, photo by Mary Stebbins. Click on image to view larger.

These doves and another pair took over 2 old robins' nests in the past, but the nests have been ruined by bad weahter over the winter and they are hanging around. I wonder if they will build or find another nest.

Anyone know anyting about dove behavior? Last year and the three previous years, I had one et nesting in my bedroom window and one set in my sudy window. It was great to watch them raise their young.