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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Nature Notes: March Winding Down


The rufous-sided towhee was singing its little heart out in my pecan tree.
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The second shot was in the middle of a song. The first shot was during a pause.
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We had a frost warning last night but fortunately it stayed a few degrees above freezing.
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It will be a miracle if we don't have a hard freeze before we make it past the risk, or that's what it will seem like. I think our average lost frost is mid April but sometimes we have a hard freeze in later April.
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Although I will be sorry to see the azaleas hit by a freeze, I'm almost more worried about the trees which are leafing out so early this year.
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I remember one year when the pecan tree was leafing out and the leaves were all killed by low temperatures in April. The tree did end up starting new leaves later but the pecans didn't do well that year.
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In the shot above my dogwood is pictured overlapping with the oak tree branches. The shot below is my pecan tree.
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The squirrels spend a lot of time in the pecan and oak trees at my house.
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I know some people think of squirrels as pests but I like them.
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My dogwood tree below is one of my favorites.
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The male cardinal started chowing down on seeds I put out on my deck wall while I was still on my deck.
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He stayed put while I snapped some shots. It made me think giving the birds treats to offset the cold morning was a good idea. Usually they fly off if I'm putting out food or changing water but I think the cold after all the warmth made the birds braver of eating with me near by.
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This time of the year (although usually a little later) the way I let my bushes climb towards the trees pays off in a splashy show.
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I don't know what the insect below is. The center green part of its body is 1/2 inch long so it's fairly small. UPDATE- Thanks to Michelle for identifying this as a young lacewing for me.
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On a warmer day the sparrow below was taking a leisurely bath.
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At the same time the towhee below was bathing in the other bath.
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Although I see some American Robins year round, during warmer weather they come out of the trees and I see more of them.
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The male cardinal was doing a pirouette in the cherry tree below.
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The female cardinal below was splashing up a storm.
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The sparrow below looked like it was posing all fluffed out.
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The American Robin took a turn in the bath.
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All of the shots for this week's nature notes were taken in my wild and crazy yard or on my deck. Click for the home of nature notes.

13 comments:

Libby said...

You have the BEST bird shots here! So much personality. And I LOVED how you caught the little guy in the second picture with his head thrown back singing :) Your yard is blooming all over - it just looks great!

eileeninmd said...

Great post, Carver. I love you azaleas and the birds are lovely. The First Towhee is my favorite. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day!

Cezar and Léia said...

I LOVE that picture with the cute cat and the sweet bird!AWESOME capture!
Your pictures are adorable!
Léia

Leora said...

Your singing towhee is quite something. It certainly looks like spring where you are - our azaleas are only beginning to show a bud of color.

Linda said...

Wonderful series of photos. The blooms are gorgeous and I loved seeing the birds taking a bath.

Maude Lynn said...

Fantastic pictures! That second shot cracked me up!

Rambling Woods said...

Loved this post..so much going on..I did some research and I think that insect is a young lacewing..check this out and see what you think.
http://mint.ippc.orst.edu/laceid.htm

There are beneficial to have in the garden...Michelle

jewaicious said...

What a plethora of beautiful captures, from birdies to flora, I want to see more. Loveliness.

Tina´s PicStory said...

pretty pics! i hope the cat didn´t catch the bird :)

Pat said...

What a great post, so full of spring color and activity! I love the shot of the cat hiding in the lovely pink flowers.

Nature Rambles said...

Your blossoming trees and shrubs are gorgeous! Great capture of the birds as always. I love to see squirrel photos as we never get to see them in our area. Of course they are pests in my parents' garden in another town.

Sallie (FullTime-Life.com said...

Your birds are so personable! It almost feels like they're talking to us. And your yard, flowers and trees, are just beautiful. A little piece of Paradise.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful place you have. My favourite photo though would have to be the towhee singing.