Sunday Safari - Deer

My Dearly Beloved and I went out for awhile this morning. We drove to an area that is being converted back to wetlands.  We were lucky enough to see two more Whooping Cranes. They were tagged so I am sure they are being monitored. They looked quite happy to be in this renewed wetland. We also saw a small herd of White-tailed Deer. They took off running when we stopped to look at them. I asked my DB to try to catch those tails upright. He did a good job for the few seconds he had to capture them. If you click on the picture you can see them a little better.

The Red-winged Blackbirds are on territory. This is a sure sign of spring. 

For more Sunday Safari experiences go to Sherry's at Q's Corner. Were any of you out taking a Safari this Sunday? What did you see??

Diminutive Darlings

I can't tell you how exciting it is to walk out into the garden and see the first of the early spring plants popping up.  I don't know if it is my imagination or are they always so short?? I think not. I really think they usually coaxed out into the world with a slow warm-up rather than the Nascar-like warming we had just a few days ago.

It didn't take long and the plants that need just a little warmth to emerge started peeking out. 

Even some Hellebores are showing their pretty little faces on short stems.  I don't mind that I will take a bloom any way it wants to present itself at this time of year. 

You can go to Gail's blog, Clay and Limestone, to see all that is written about native plants and get a lot of inspiration as she encourages us to post regarding these beauties. Of course these plants aren't natives here but as Frances says they are someplace. 

I hope you are beginning to see some life in your garden.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - February 2011

You can tell it has been a long cold winter. My poor Snowdrops seem to have been stunted. They are barely 2 inches tall. I don't mind becasue it was so much fun to go out there and see them actually blooming today.

The pussy willow is also beginning to fuzzz up. It is fun seeing them too. I had to cut a few of them and bring them inside.  

That is all that is blooming here now. There is some anticipation for next months stars that will be honored for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by Carol at May Dreams Garden. If you have some blooms to share or just want to see blooms from all over the world pop over to Carols Blog for more. 

Hyacinth Blooms

I was so pleased when the first of the bulbs started to bloom. They are pink not the apricot that the photo on the package suggested. I don't mind because they smell good and look beautiful.

Look beautiful that is until... Like Tim Conway on Laugh In... it started to tip over. 

Timber!  Obviously the shape of this vase is not such to keep the heavy head upright. It still smells good. What is a person to do??  I will just have to prop it onto the window I guess. 

Are your bulbs blooming? Do you have such trouble?

The Wild Side

We had such a good time this weekend.  We birded every day and we weren't disappointed. The photo below show just a few of the Snow Geese that were coming into the lake where we bird. It is an amazing sight and sound. 

If you look right in the center of this photo you can see the Barred Owl that flew across the road in front of us and landed in a tree. We stopped and watched it for a few minutes. All the while it watched us. When we tried to get closer it flew back across the road where it came from.  

I must stay that the most fun was watching this skunk foraging at the side of the road. The road we were on was down a grade from where the skunk was foraging so we were almost eye level with it.  It trundled along  so I drove ahead of it and stopped the truck so Gary could get a good picture of it.

All went well until it heard the clicking of the camera.  Huh? What was that??

It turned face on, lifted that tail and stomped its paws into the ground. Fare warning to any human crazy enough to cross that line. Needless to say it didn't have to go any further. We sat quietly.

It turned and strolled away from us. 

 

Did you notice that this skunk didn't have a stripe down the middle of its back?  Most skunks around here do. They are Striped Skunks after all.  It looked quite interesting with a white top knot and a white tip to its tail. Did you have an interesting encounter this weekend? 

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - January 2011

Today is January 15th and we all know that the 15th of each month is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day as brought to us by Carol at May Dreams Garden.

Sitting in my kitchen window I have a trio of Hyacinths that are sitting on regular little vases and a small jar. I can't tell you what color they will be because my neighbor gave them to me. She thinks they will be an apricot color. We will see. 

I am most happy to report that there are buds on one of them. That counts doesn't Carol?? For us that live in the Zone 6 or colder I think that buds should count for today.

Another bud going here only outside is on a pachysandra. I checked the Hellebores but they haven't been fooled by the meltdown occuring today. They haven't set any buds as yet. Just as well. This way I hope to have something to show you next month.

Do you have any blooms in your garden today?  If you do won't you post them for all to see? For more blooms around the world go to May Dreams Garden.

Snow, Luna and The Birds

This morning we had a heat wave for a few minutes before the cold front came in. So Luna and I decided it was time to get out into the neighborhood and test out the new fallen snow. I guess we had 4".

She loves to be the first dog on the block to break snow. There wasn't another critter track in the driveway before we went out.

 Several people have asked me if I can see her in the snow. It is difficult but you can see her. That is why I have to keep her teathered. Besides I am afraid that someone driving by wouldn't see her and there would be trouble.

 By the time we got home she had snowcicles on her whiskers.  She loves this kind of weather.

When we got back to the house I made a hot cup of tea and did a bit of bird watching. We had quite the influx of field birds. Brown headed Cowbirds and a few Starling joined the masses of House Sparrows at the feeders. They have a game they play. First you see them... 

Whoops... 

Now you don't. Ever vigilant for the Cooper's Hawk that patrols the garden. One can't blame them for being so skittish. 

The temperature dropped all afternoon. Quickly getting into the twenties and upper teens. This will be the high tomorrow what with the wind whipping through here. 

I am glad the snow is insulating the garden. I hope you are all warm and safe inside.