The Virginia Bluebells may have felt a bit blue today with all the rain that fell which had my pond overflowing. The buds start out pink and turn blue as the blossom opens up.
Pink to Blue Blossoms
Picture of the Day for May 1, 2024
The April showers last night left water sitting on top of the ground and my shoes got a little muddy walking on the trail in my woods, but the April showers did bring the May flowers. Today I saw wildflowers open that weren’t a few days ago. I found Jack-in-the-pulpit, Great White Trilliums, Wood Anemones, Virginia Bluebells, Marsh Marigolds, Wood Violets, Spring Beauties and the Yellow Trout Lily. Although I know the trout lily by one of its other common names, the yellow adder’s tongue. Whatever the name, the bright yellow helps to find the flower.
Yellow Adder’s Tongue
Picture of the Day for April 30, 2024
Until I put camera in the duck house, I never realized how many other visitors came to the boxes besides ducks. Today, a house wren poked its head inside but probably figured it would take a long time to fill the large house with sticks for its nest. I was surprised to see a wren back this early as normally mine arrive after the orioles and grosbeaks, which I haven’t spotted yet this spring.
Wren Back Early
Picture of the Day for April 29, 2024
It is not just the returning birds looking to build a nest, but the year around birds are too, like this chickadee creating a cavity in a dead tree. I watched it bring mouthfuls of wood pieces out before turning around and going back in and when it reached the bottom of the hole, you couldn’t see the chickadee but you could hear it pecking inside the hole.
Down the Hole
Picture of the Day for April 28, 2024
It has been a cold, rainy Sunday and puddles are getting deeper on my lawn. The pond may be far enough downhill from this barn so that the old wooden barn might provide some dry shelter to critters.
Pond and Barn
Picture of the Day for April 27, 2024
The white petals of the bloodroots stand out against the green grass in the ditches and against the fallen oak leaves in the woods. But the sap in the stems and roots is a reddish color and gives the plant its name.
Bloodroot Blossoms
Picture of the Day for April 26, 2024
It was a pink-reddish sky this morning, but the saying “red sky in the morning, sailors take warning” should have been “ducks take warning”. My wood duck left her nest for about an hour like she does each morning, but this time a second pair of wood duck came to the pond and the female was checking out the duck houses, including the ones with the eggs in it. While the new female was exploring the other nest box, my duck returned and shortly after, the new duck entered the same house and a fight occurred as the mother duck drove the newcomer away. So while the sunrise looked tranquil, it was not a peaceful morning at the pond.
Red in the Morning
Picture of the Day for April 25, 2024
Besides finding new spring blossoms, springtime also means new life like kittens. This first time mother cat is showing off her kittens and at least tonight is warmer than the night they were born.
New Mother
Picture of the Day for April 24, 2024
With the lack of snow most of the winter, I expected to see wildflowers blooming very early with mild winter, but instead they were later than normal. Even the other flowers were late as I found some snow glories ten days ago but a lot of years they are blooming in March.
Late Snow Glories
Picture of the Day for April 23, 2024
I have had other visitors at my duck box houses besides ducks, like a bee, mouse, squirrel, chickadee, nuthatch, bluebird and recently a northern flicker. I have had some dead trees blown down in the last storm, so I wonder if the flicker’s prior nesting site has fallen down and is looking for a new home. But the opening on the duck box is much bigger than the size they create in trees.
Northern Flicker
