Great Backyard Bird Count 2015

After being reminded of the bird count on WildlifeGardeners, I forgot about it until Sunday.  I ended up being off on Monday as well, and here is the count from then (I saw more species and more individual birds that day)...

...If I recall, I saw more of several species in another list...and within a couple of days I saw several morning doves, at least 5 cardinals (2 males and 3 females), and at one point over 30 goldfinches--why do I never get these numbers when I'm doing a count!?  (comment added over a month later...as well as the gif above--had I waited until I had all of my photos ready, I'd never had posted at all!)

After seeing the photo, there are clearly more than thirty! :)
Well over fifty--if I didn't count some twice, I got up to 65!

10 species total

1	Mourning Dove
1	Red-bellied Woodpecker
4	Blue Jays
2	Black-capped Chickadees
1	Tufted Titmouse
1	American Tree Sparrow
3	Song Sparrows  (I'm not 100% sure of this ID.)
10	Dark-eyed Juncos
2	Northern Cardinals (1 male, 1 female)
14	and American Goldfinch

It's a Start...

This past fall, it seems I spent more time collecting seeds (with the intention of direct sowing a section or two of the field and beginning the process of converting it into a meadow of native grasses and wildflowers) than doing much else on our property (although, I did accomplish some things).  I'm still hoping to direct sow some, but the areas don't seem as prepared as I'd hoped they would be--I'm hoping to remedy that early this spring...and sow then (hopefully having given the seeds exposure to freezing an thawing before then).

Still, my traditional method of winter sowing in plastic "shoe boxes" will be implemented as well.  I don't want to put all of my eggs in one basket...and, with a couple of new species that I'm trying this year, I'd like to get to know them from germination on--and guarantee that I know just what I have.  This year, I'm adding closed (or bottle gentian), Gentiana andrewsi, and blue vervain, Verbena hastata.  These two, especially, I want to plant in pots where I can monitor them and ensure they have a good start.

I have a LOT of seeds to go through this year, and I've been putting it off.  With February right around the corner, I can put it off no longer--having a snow day today, I have no excuse.

It's not pretty, but it will be when they are growing
together and blooming!

Bush clover is another new one for me...I guess I'd better 
get another pot ready.

Close-up of Gentiana andrewsii seeds.

These are the two that I planted so far:

It's a start.

Surprise Visit

I guess the holidays aren't over yet in our house; Jeff and I were making another holiday treat before sitting down to binge watch House or Orange is the New Black--depends on what Jeff picked (either is fine by me).  We still have tonight and tomorrow before we head back to work after Christmas break.  We were toasting Pepperidge Farm thin white bread in the broiler to prepare them for a ham and cream cheese concoction that we make every year with left over ham.  I'd set the time, and was on my way to take out the bread when I spotted a deer just outside the kitchen window (the motion detecting light was on).  After getting Jeff's attention, he spotted another, and then a third, as I got my camera ready--too bad I didn't have the game came set up tonight!  Anyway, after taking some shots, Jeff announced that we'd burned the bread--we both laughed (easier to do since we hadn't spread it with the ham spread yet.   We started the process all over again, and I decided to post this before sitting down to enjoy the show.

Here is one of our surprise visitors:

Now off to enjoy my snack.

Unseasonably Warm Weather

Being off for 12 days for Christmas break is wonderful enough, but this year, I was thrilled to be out working in the yard for 3 of those days--it felt like spring!

We had to be out in Western PA six days before Christmas, so we arranged to visit the family the weekend before Christmas instead of driving back out 3 or 4 days later.  It worked out well for everyone--the visit was enjoyable and relaxed...no one felt rushed to squeeze in two visits in one day--and best of all, that meant we would not lose two days to traveling a a few days to visit, so we have had more time to ourselves here.

With weather between 45-55 over a three day period--and one day I swear it felt like 60 or 65 in the sun.  The ground was not frozen, and that put big dreams in my head to start digging the large pond I've been dreaming of...but, being out of shape and not having a place to transplant the white violets that take up about a third of so of the section, I put that on hold until the spring.  (I'd better get to the gym over the next 3 months and be ready to DIG!)

While walking the paths (can I call them trails if they go through my "woods"?), I would just wander around to see what sparked some action.  Luckily for me, this summer, I'd sickled through two areas that I'd let get overgrown--one of which was a woodland path.  Normally, the woodland paths close up on me (since there are not enough trees to shade out the weeds out), so I don't normally get in there until this time of the year or later.

I was finally able to access the secondary path of the "woodland" area--and that is where I spotted a privet bush (right near the property line) that must've escaped cultivation.  I spotted it early spring, but never did a positive ID on it.  Seeing it loaded with berries was a dead give-away.  Still, I double checked my ID skills by searching online.  Sure enough, it was what I thought, and had to come out.

Privet seedling growing right near the adult I took out.

I even found myself pulling weeds!

Who would've thought that I'd be able to yank something like this out of the ground this time of the year (with the help of a pick)?! The ground was not frozen--or more likely had thawed since we had a stretch of overnight temps in the 20s a couple weeks before.  After, removing it, I spent time cutting off all of the berries, tying them up in a shopping bag and throwing them away so they will not germinate, then I added the bush to my brush pile.  Since I'd made a hole in the ground, I thought it best to replace it with a native shrub.  Luckily for me, my "pot ghetto" still has several red-twig dogwoods that needed to be planted.  This wasn't where I'd planned to put any of them, but it is an appropriate spot, I think.

I was THRILLED to be doing something like this out in the yard this time of the year.  It was a reprieve from winter--and made my time off all the more special.

I'm Still Here...

Countless times since August, I planned to post something...but I always felt I needed to post things from earlier or summarize what I'd been doing lately.  It is now near the end of December, and I'm going to just post about today...hopefully, I can somehow post some highlights from this past year as well in the coming week.

Yesterday, it was unseasonably warm (it may have hit 58 degrees, I'd heard...but it was at least in the low to mid 50s), and, although the temperature is dropping today, I think we had a high of 45.  I decided to take advantage of the warm weather and get in a walk--not enough to counteract the holiday eating marathon I've been engaging, but it sure felt good.

As I've been doing for months, I ended up collecting seeds from the roadside.  Here is a bouquet I gathered today:


Along with the evening primrose, Monarda didyma, and grass-leaf goldenrod, I got a little cattail fuzz (from various plants to ensure genetic diversity) and some winterberry holly (Ilex verticulata).  The holly has rapidly shot to the top of my list--now that I'm encountering it in nature, I'm really enjoying its beauty.  I can't wait until mine are old enough to produce berries--of the 5 bare root seedlings I put in years ago, only one did not succumb to the rabbits, deer, and my neglect.  I hope to grow the rest from seed of the local genotype (the bareroot came from a Pennsylvania nursery).  I've had success with seeds...but have yet to try the seeds of berry-producers.

After arriving home, I took a couple shots of a white pine tree that I put in a couple of years ago...it is actually less full now than when I put it in--the mugwort took over and shaded it out. I call it my Charlie Brown tree--I thought today was a perfect day to post it.

Speaking of Christmas, my husband and I--oh yeah, Jeff and I eloped back in November ~SMILE~--open gifts on Christmas eve at night (when we exchange gifts...which we did this year).  He got me a game cam!  This is something I've wanted for a while...and I'm thrilled to start playing with it.  I really look forward to when I capture shots of wildlife that have been visiting our yard undetected--in the cover of night or when I'm not looking. :):):)

Thank you, Jeff for a most thoughtful gift.  ~hugs~

Walking Stick!

Oh...and I saw a walking stick, Diapheromera femorata, (After a quick internet search, I think that is right).  ~smile~

If it were not on the window screen by the deck, and I didn't happen by, I would probably never spot one of these.  Aside from my dad showing us one when I was a kid, the only other time I saw one was here by the front door standing out against the white of the house--before we bought the place, I think...or shortly thereafter.  I took it as a good sign...not that I believe in omens. :)

I'm thrilled to see one again (although, nothing I did attracted it...since they were around before I improved the habitat--although, I'm thrilled to be surrounded by a countryside that supports enough wildlife that it makes it to our yard).  After some research, it seems they prefer the foliage of oaks and hazelnuts.  We have one oak in the yard that was here when we moved in, I'm guessing it could be 20 years old or so, not sure.  Since then, I've added more oaks...and I added hazelnut shrubs early on (although, at the time, I was just thinking about the nuts providing a food source, not realizing that they would be supporting various insect life as well).
 

Below, is a link to walking sticks in general (world-wide species, not the Northern walking stick that I believe I have.  Still, some interesting facts:

Who knew! http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/invertebrates/walking-sticks.aspx (interesting information about walking stick species)

It's Happening!

Although since I started my restoration project I've had many encounters with wildlife, lately I seem to be saying to myself, "It's happening!"  A couple of weeks ago, I was walking the paths of my field (and future wildflower meadow)...and although I still have mugwort and crownvetch invading areas, while walking the upper section, it seemed that it was predominantly natives--though mostly various goldenrod species that have filled in on their own.  I know I have a long way to go, but being able to walk most paths and not be bored by monocultures of non-natives is a huge step forward.  It is starting to happen.

I know I've been quiet.  I can't quite explain it.  However, I have been doing things to improve the property, and I've witnessed a fair share of wildlife.  Each time, I think I'll post, but never seem to get around to it.   What shocked me the most was that I didn't post yesterday about the "walking stick" insect I spotted (on the screen of a window outside).  I think too many photos are taken on my new smart phone, and I've yet to figure out how to access them on the computer without e-mailing them to myself.

So, what prompted this post?  This morning, I overslept.  Well, I had no obligations/appointments, so I guess I just slept in--until almost 10:00!  I guess I really needed it, as I doubt I got 8 hours of sleep more than a half-dozen times all summer!  (I go back to school--work--in a couple of days.)  I'm glad I did (oversleep).

I'd left the window open all night, and had a fan running, but I could still hear birds outside the window this morning--a resident catbird, but, when I went to shut the window, I saw three unusual looking, gawky birds.  It didn't take me long to figure out that they were fledglings--well, juveniles really.  But, what kind?  My first thought was juvenile Baltimore orioles--since I know they nested here this spring.  The second thought, after seeing the pictures, was rose-breasted grosbeaks.  That is what I think they are, but please correct me if I've misidentified them.

Keep in mind, the photos were taken through two double-paned windows.

(I just have to add, I used a feature of my smart phone that allows me to use its voice-recognition Google search--I said clearly, "Images of juvenile rose breasted--" then got tongue-tied, and made some guttural sounds.  To my surprise, it pulled up "rose breasted grosbeak".  I've had a "dumb phone", as Jeff calls them, for years...so the smart phone is still new and amazing to me.)

Oh...I almost forgot:  just a short distance away, where I'd added another nesting box, I spotted this squirrel!  Normally, I only see them in the winter when they are attracted to the sunflower seed, I put out.

I love the idea that, where ever I look, I spot wildlife, nature in action, and my beloved native plants in their various seasons of beauty.  It really feels like it is happening!