Song Sparrows Melospiza melodia live year around in the area around this pond, hiding their nests in grasses, weeds, or small trees.
Song Sparrows flit through dense, vegetation or low branches, staying low and forage secretively. They eat insects in the summer; in winter they switch to seeds and fruit they glean from standing plants.
They will also visit bird feeders. I notice them especially on 'count days' for FeederWatch.
The pond is surrounded by grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs that provide food for birds. And we also put out seed and suet in feeders to bring the birds a little closer.
Overnight, we had the first snow of this season. On the pond, the water is high and the log was frosted with a little coat of white 'frosting'. The reeds are still green, but weakening and leaning sideways with the weight of moisture. The turtles who sun themselves on the log in summer are hibernating now. (see Surviving Below Freezing, 10/31/2020)
This fallen leaf has galls all over it, lumps or complicated structures that look like capsules containing something mysterious. Galls are made by one of 1500 species of gall producers -- mostly insects and mites. Some galls form on leaves where insects feed on the plant matter, or lay eggs. Galls may also develop as a response to infections by fungi, bacteria, or viruses. Dissecting the gall is the only sure way to tell what caused it. That's a whole different adventure!
I can't resist looking closely at leaves. Sometimes, I take the interesting ones with me for later study. This maple tree next to the pond always has some message or lesson for me.
The leaf is a main component in the plant's hydraulic system to move water and nutrients from the ground throughout the tree.
The larger veins provide immense leaf structure support, and the various smaller veins provide photosynthetic gas exchange and enable the plant's growth.
