Interesting article about how robins decide whether or not a foreign object in their nest is an egg. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/science/robin-eggs-nest.html
The beauty of winter
Even if I don't enjoy cold weather and definitely don't want to spend time outside in it, I can enjoy the crisp beauty of blue skies and white snow.
Calm
Another day, another sunset
Danger, Will Robinson
Although it's only a light dusting on the grass, the snow has completely covered the surface of the pond. A little more snow, enough to cover the grass and blur the edges of the pond, and it's easy to see how someone could not notice they were moving from land to water.
Blue ice
That's not snow on the surface of the ice, it's the ice itself.
Traffic patterns
Underneath the bird feeders, after the snowfall.
Of course, not every bird likes the same food
Feeding the birds
I love feeding the birds. I have the feeders situated on the deck so that I can see them from my living room, dining room, and kitchen. This is a pretty small crowd - often there are birds covering every one of the feeders, all perches, and scouring the ground below. In addition to these … Continue reading Feeding the birds
Yesterday’s sunset
One of the less spectacular sunsets, snapped quickly with my phone. It doesn't do justice to the real beauty.
Not quite a sunset but still beautiful
Late afternoon the sun glows in the west, illuminating the tree and gently reflecting on the refrozen surface of the pond. My living room windows face west, and any day that's not overcast and hiding the sun, the sunsets are beautiful.
Open water
Yes, it's mid-January and there's open water on the pond. It's been an unusually mild winter for here. Despite that, a friend was telling me the other day that some people were already out ice fishing. I'm from Virginia. I don't trust any ice thinner than a glacier for walking on, let alone driving on, … Continue reading Open water