Tuesday, May 31, 2011

"Who cooks for you?"

I was startled awake this morning by the call of a barred owl with its characteristic "Who cooks for you?" hooting pattern. It took me a few moments to figure out what I was hearing. At first I thought it was someone talking, but then realized that the sound was coming from outside.

Dear Owl, no one cooks for me as I am the cook in my household. And Owl, after you woke me at 4:30am, I definitely would have enjoyed someone else cooking up my breakfast this morning, or for that matter, packing my lunch for work, and fixing dinner when I got home. I guess I'm lucky Owl didn't make me breakfast as I am not a fan of small rodents for my morning meal.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Quiet Morning Noises

This morning is very still with hardly a breath of breeze. On such a morning as this you can really hear everything around you. I could hear the raindrops hitting on the leaves. The maple seed helicopters twirling down to the ground. All types of birds calling. (During the night I could hear the bull frogs out in the swamp behind the house). I could even hear the high school marching band's drum line starting up for the annual Memorial Day Parade that begins at the VFW a mile away as the crow flies. Calming, peaceful, and a chance to be contemplative.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Bridal Bush

Bridal bush or Spirea vanhouttei is one of those plants that invoke a special memory for me. During the 1970s and early 80s my father and a friend of his invested in real estate along the Rhode Island coast in a small town call Misquamicut. The first property they bought was a year round Cape Cod style house situated approximately one mile from the beach. The yard was surrounded by a hedge of Bridal bush that was loaded down with blossoms each May/June. I can still picture it. Even on a foggy morning the hedge radiated its white beauty. I promised myself that I would have such a plant in my yard when I grew up.
A couple of years ago I purchased two one gallon sized plants and put them in the little hollow on the edge of my sun/shade gardens and there they have flourished. The spot is currently filled with white blossoms that are the envy of any bride's bouquet.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Learn something new every day

Male wood duck
Yesterday morning while looking out the bathroom window on the second story, I noticed an unusal bird in a tree at my eye level. I saw that the bird was not alone, further along on the branch was another which I assumed to be its mate. My husband managed to get these shots of the two birds. They aren't the best as they were taken from some distance but it allowed us to make an identification - wood ducks. Ducks up in a tree? Well, it turns out wood ducks often will nest in a tree or man made duck boxes. Their young when ready to leave the nest will hop down to the ground or water below the tree. I did not know that. You can learn something new every day.




Female wood duck

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Bird Songs

Smells evoke memories or so they say, but don't sounds as well? There is an early morning sound that I associate with spring, and I heard it again today and was determined to figure out its source. I am speaking of course of an early bird's song. Being a tad old fashioned I first went to my book shelf for my copy of Judy Pelikan's The Music of Wild Birds: An illustrated, annotated, and opinionated guide to fifty birds and their songs adapted from the work of F. Schuyler Mathews. At first I thought it was the American Robin making the sound based on a line of poetry quoted, "Cheer up, Cheer up." That led me to technology and an on-line search for more information. I started by looking up F. Schyler Mathews and listening to the sound links there for the robin. That's not who I was hearing. Next search took me to eNature field guides and the real culprit the black capped chickadee.

I was confused. I was familiar with the chickadee's name sake call, but not its song. That's when I learned that there is a difference between a bird's song and its call. The call is used for communicating a warning or identifying a location. The song on the other hand is used for finding a mate. With it being spring, and mating season, the chickadee is using his song more than his call. Mystery solved. Now I know who to say good morning to when I'm out the door early and on my way.

Saturday, April 02, 2011

It's April You Fool

Spring in New England is always a surprise. Yes, you can get snow in April. Yesterday, on April Fools Day we received a few inches of heavy wet snow and this morning it is already melting away. In fact in order to get this photo I had to rush outside before all the snow melted away.


Just when I was ready to have a Saturday available to work out in the yard it has to snow and make it too muddy to do anything. Here in New England we classify the seasons by Winter, Summer, Fall, and Mud. By Monday everything should be melted away, but then I will be back to work and too busy to get anything done. Let’s hope next weekend’s weather will be more cooperative.