Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Out and About: Winter's Not Letting Go

It's April 19th and there's snow on the ground. My daffodils are flat on the garden floor. I should not have written "Finally: Happy Spring!!!" on my gardenshed door. Two days ago, on Easter Sunday, it hailed four times between outbreaks of sun. I bought Johnny Jump-ups at the garden store yesterday but thankfully didn't have time to plant them. The snow this morning reminded me that I didn't post some winter photos. This seems like the perfect time to do so.
Stream Snake Shenantaha Park
Galls Galore on this Tree
Made in America. Incorporated into Nest!
Munchies



At Hudson Crossing Park

Finches Feasting

Cadman Creek at Levine Preserve

April 19th and SNOW

Wrote this Too Soon!


I hope these beautiful Hepaticas weathered the storm

Unhappy Daffodils in my garden

Saturday, January 15, 2022

Out and About: A Few Mushroom Photos from Fall 2021

 I overlooked including a few mushroom photos in my last post so I'm adding them here. I wanted to share them because I think they're pretty cool. The Chicken of the Woods were glowing on a fallen tree  as we hiked by. Even if you weren't a mushroom lover I think you would have gone off  trail to take a closer look. They were on the way to Treadway Mountain. The other three photos are of Scaly Vase Chanterelles which I had never seen before. They were stunning to find right off the trail by Clear Pond in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness. Imagine them holding some wildflowers. Or a critter or two.

Scaly Vase Chanterelle

A Vase Indeed!

A Large Mushroom!

Chicken of the Woods


Out and About: Around the Village and Beyond. Finds and Photos from Fall 2021

Although I never got to the computer this fall to update my blog, I was still out and about camping, hiking, gardening, and walking every chance I could. Finally, on this frigid cold January day, I made my way to the computer to upload some photos from the fall. Check out some of the things I've come across on my outings and in my garden. I'm looking forward to some snow this winter. So far we have had rain, freezing rain, a bit of snow and lots of ice. Happy New Year!!!
When a Tree Frog Matches Your House Color
Tree Frog Resting on a Milkweed Leaf
Northern Water Snake at Moreau Lake
Drink Up! Long Journey Ahead. Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird

On Top of Treadway Mountain in Dense Fog and Rain. Fun!
A Variety of Mushrooms. Wonderful Meals.
Shrooms with a View at Berry Pond Preserve
Monarch Caterpillar going into J Shape before Becoming a Chrysalis
Chrysalis Forming
Done. But late start. It was October sixth.
It was too late and too cold
Chrysalis on December Nineteenth
Moreau Lake Back Bay late October
Mud Pond. Early November.  Moreau Lake State Park
Lake Bonita
Bluebirds at my feeder in early December
Along the Hudson River at Hudson Pointe Preserve
Early Ice at Big Bay on the Hudson
White Birch Trail Moreau Lake State Park
Slip Sliding Away! Spier Falls Dam from Western Ridge Trail

Friday, August 13, 2021

Out and About: In My Garden

One of my favorite summer pastimes is hanging out in my garden, binoculars and camera in hand, seeing what birds, butterflies, and critters are visiting or making the garden their home. There has been a record number of bird families this season using the garden to feed their young, splash and drink in the bird baths and fountain, and nest in the porch rafters, pine tree and nestbox. Mourning Doves chose to make a nest in the porch rafters for the second summer in a row. Last year their flimsy nest fell off the rafters with an egg inside. This year they were successful and had one baby. After about two weeks the juvenile stepped out of the nest. A photo is included of parent and child. However, a day or so later the parents were not right near the nest. A Blue Jay flew in at high speed screaming and went right at the juvenile. I jumped up from my porch chair to see birds flying, the nest falling, and no sight of the young dove. I searched the ground and vegetation but no bird. The parents came back to the rafters where the nest had been for three days in a row cooing and looking. It was heartbreaking. After a couple of weeks they made a nest in the pine tree. High winds and torrential rain destroyed the nest. These dove parents have had such a difficult time.

House Wrens have been much more successful in their nesting efforts. They raised one brood in my neighbor's nestbox and soon started another nest inside my nestbox. They currently have a second brood born which should fledge next week. Currently, both wren parents are busy feeding the babies insects throughout the day. They are not afraid to scold and go after birds, squirrels, and cats that get too close to the nest.

Rabbits have been around on a regular basis and one is very fond of violet leaves so I call her Violet. My young friends Colin and Keegan brought me a tree frog to live in the garden. They said it looked like a rock so we named it Rocky. It disappeared up the maple tree. Monarchs have been in the garden daily, sometimes three at a time. They have laid lots of eggs on the milkweed and take nectar from the flowers. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been zipping around sipping at the sugar water feeders, trumpet vine, New York Ironweed and Phlox.I am always sad to see the hummers leave. The males go before the females by the end of August.

Hoping everyone is enjoying their gardens, summer activities, and getting out and about to see some cool things. My latest fascination is bog plants. I've added a photo of a small bog island at an Adirondack pond. Sundews and Pitchers, and Sphagnum... Oh My!!!

Stepping Out.  Mourning Dove Juvenile


Parent and Child




Note the Flimsy Nest of the Mourning Dove



An Angry Look from this Juvenile Robin


That's Better


Violet

Father and Daughter Cardinals

Grackles

Monarch Butterfly on Common Milkweed

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth in Hosta Flower

Moth Just Backed Out of Flower

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth at Phlox

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Sitting to Dine

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Dart the Dragonfly. It darts off this perch for insect

House Wren Bringing Insect Meal for Babies

Bringing Out Fecal Sac

Out on Round Lake. Bald Eagle

Bog Island on Adirondack Pond