7/05/2022
7/04/2022
7/03/2022
mallard families
Female Mallard came out of the grasses with her 3 young ducks (upper right). Then, another Mallard appeared with her 8 younger ducklings. They were all intent on eating duckweed and other aquatic plants growing in the pond.
6/28/2022
On 5/20/2022 we peeked into the nest box, and found several eggs. Not countable, because of the feathers in the box meant to hide the eggs from predators. Since then I have peeked several times more.
6/19/2022
6/17/2022
6/12/2022
smooth penstemon
Foxglove Beardtongue, Penstemon digitalis (also called Smooth Penstemon) has white flowers that bloom for a month or longer.
The tubular flowers attract long-tongued bees such as bumblebees and mason bees, as well as hummingbirds. This is one of the plants we are trying to encourage in the riparian area around the pond.
Good for pollinators!
6/11/2022
iris
6/08/2022
blackbird nest
The Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus gave away the secret location of their nest by screeching at us as we walked around the pond. As I came near the spot, he warned me vocally and hit my hat with his feet as he flew by.
6/06/2022
sora chicks
6/05/2022
6/03/2022
6/01/2022
pussytoes 6-1
5/21/2022
early purple ivy blooms
creeping charlie, gill-over-the-ground, alehoof,
tunhoof, catsfoot, field balm, or run-away-robin.
I admire the shape and texture of the leaves, and
used them in a botanical design project.
5/20/2022
nest box peek
Tree Swallows lay eggs and
disguise them by sticking feathers
barb-down so the fluffy vanes curl over the contents of the nest.
5/18/2022
5/12/2022
nectar and pollen
sora, master of disguise
My new favorite bird! I just discovered the Sora Porzana carolina (a very secretive wetland bird) this Spring. I watch a pair every day, hunting at the edge of the pond. They think the mottled-pattern camouflage feathers makes them hard to spot. But the bright yellow bill gives them away. (see post on 4/24/2022)
5/11/2022
strutting blackbird
The blackbird was foraging among the short grasses near the pond. A female, recently arrived after migrating, landed on a branch of swamp willow. The male saw her and started displaying his handsome epaulets. He walked toward her with his feathers fluffed out and tail partly spread. As he proceeded, he lifted the leading edge of each wing so that the red shoulder patches were puffed up, appearing bigger. She flew to another small tree; he followed among the willow sprouts, displaying his male beauty to impress her.
(Red-winged Blackbird males have colorful upperwing coverts of red bordered with yellow on the bend of each wing. He will use the colorful display to threaten other birds, defend his territory, or attract a mate.)
5/08/2022
muskrat claws
Often we can see a muskrat swimming back and forth in the pond, harvesting plants and taking food home to the family. Muskrats Ondatra zibethica eat the roots, stems, leaves, and fruits of many water plants such as cattail, rushes, smartweed, duck potato, horsetail, sedges, and willow sprouts. They are strong swimmers due to their two long back feet and five webbed toes. For grasping and harvesting food, they have developed smaller front feet with four fingers with claws and a small thumb. By living near the pond, muskrats control plant growth, provide open spaces for new plants to grow, and make space for other animals to build their nests.