Fences plus Birdie Survey

My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #112.


I'm also contributing to Michelle's Nature Notes (#362).

Survey SAYS! Suet #1, Seeds #2, Beer #3. (Probably true even if I had opened the Yuengling.)

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Redbuds and Green Tiger Beetle

My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (#356). B^4 asked me if I'd seen any redbuds. I'm planting them, bud! (But I don't think the low temperatures at night are friendly, at least when they're still above ground.)


Plenty of birds are visiting the porch for suet:

Here's my first Six-spotted Green Tiger Beetle of the season. So shiny! So green!

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Hairy, Red-Bellied, Downy

Michelle's Nature Notes (#347)~Rambling Woods is Nine Years Old…. Happy B-Day, Rambling Woods! These three woodpeckers all showed up at the suet feeder within six minutes yesterday.



Carmi's Thematic Photographic 364 is Tires.
Here's the right rear tire of the Thundermobile right after someone scraped it and zoomed off without stopping:

All in all, not so bad for the only vehicle vs. vehicle violence I've had with the car (a 2006 Honda Civic I bought in March of 2008).
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A January Bee In D.C.

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #109. I can't remember ever seeing a bee buzzing around in D.C. in January:

Bold Nutkin takes a long look at Theda:

The birds in West Virginia are happy to see me:


UPDATE: I'm also contributing to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'. Most of the usual suspects showed up shortly after I put up the suet feeder...Chickadees, White-breasted Nutchatches, and Downy Woodpeckers. Missing in action so far are their feathered fellow travelers, the Tufted Titmice.

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Orange Orb Weaver

Carmi's Thematic Photographic 357 is Celebration. Here's a Christmas Cactus my sister gave me.

For TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #89, I have this morning glory fence from Columbus just over a month ago:

I'm also contributing to Michelle's Nature Notes (#340). I did not get a great macro of this Marbled Orb Weaver, but I'm putting it up anyways. I've seen them in vanilla and yellow, but this is the orangest one ever! (My sister, for some reason, did not find this spider nearly as spectacular as I did.)

And here are some of the suet feeder fans:



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Invisible Bikes and Mountain Laurels

My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #88. I was going to count the suet cage as a 'fence...'



But I can go with a mountain laurel roundup instead. The front two look great.


Next over is a recent transplant from the side of the house, where it languished a couple years. All things considered, it's doing well.

And here's mountain laurel #4. In May, this one was doing the best of all of them. But then it developed this brown spot leaf disease over the summer, and it still has it. Does anyone know what it is, and what to do about it?

P.S. I'm also linking to N.F.'s Trees n Bushes 35.
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Fire on the Mountain and Geese on Lake Siri

Carmi's Thematic Photographic 356 is Electricity.
I saw this when walking up one of the mountain roads on Sunday.

I also heard lots of sirens. Tuesday, I took a look at the source of that smoke. I heard an electrical problem is a suspect.

I'm also linking to Michelle's Nature Notes (#339).
These Blacknose Dace live in Warm Spring Run along with the guppies. (I tried to get a better picture of them, but they are quite wary.)

I was wondering how close the geese by Lake Siri would let me get...



Update: I'm also linking to Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday 174. Here's Mrs. Downy Woodpecker at the suet feeder, and a Carolina Wren through the basement sliding doors.


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A Dog's Life

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #99.

Here's another couple of shots of a Tufted Titmouse who wasn't interested in waiting for the suet feeder to be put up in the branches:


Many mornings in W.V., a chipmunk will come around looking for moths left over from fluttering at the sliding glass doors the night before. (They compete for those moths with the wrens.)

Finally, here are my sister's wolfhounds. It's ruff out there for a dog...

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Birds, Butterflies, and Dragonflies

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #86. I hiked up to the top of Cacapon Mountain. The turkey vultures love hanging out on the power line poles up there, they can see down the clear cuts on each side of the mountain.

There are many different dragonflies zipping around Lake Siri lately, but most are not ready for their closeup. This little Halloween Pennant was willing to pose.


Butterflies love thistles!

And the Downy Woodpeckers appreciate someone putting out the suet feeder in the morning and taking it in at night so the raccoon doesn't get it.

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Bold Chipmunk

My contribution to EileeninMd's Saturday's Critters #83:

Usually chipmunks head for a hole in the ground when frightened, but this one tried to brazen it out on the tree while I was walking Theda. Eventually he/she/chipmunk ran for it...until then Theda had her nose to the ground and didn't even notice.


Here are a couple of butterflies for Weekend Butterfly #06 at Andyslens:


A few birds who visited the suet feeder this week:



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