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Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Nature Notes: May 2 through May 8

I don't think I can remember a greener spring.
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Although we had some very hot days before cooling off again, the amount of rain we've been having has kept everything looking good.
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The photos are going backwards starting with today (May 8) and ending with May 2. Below the male cardinal is flamboyant against the trees.
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I'm starting with a wooded trail in my neighborhood where I walked before voting today.
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My voting place is at the Optimist Community Center a short distance from my house and there is a park, swimming pool and trail.
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I'm glad the machine took my ballot because I dripped sweat on it.
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It was a cool pleasant morning, even so, by the time I finished my walk I was sweating and know I looked rather red faced and scary when I went into the building to vote.
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I guess that would qualify as too much information, but sweat is a tool nature provides us with so heat can escape our body.
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It's nice seeing water in this creek as it is often the first to dry up.
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I heard ducks quacking but didn't spot them.
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The rest of the shots are at my house starting with the money plant (Lunaria annua). For more information about this plant you can click here. When I found the link I thought it was interesting that wikipedia said it's called money plant in Asia but called honesty in English and in the U.S. they say it's called silver dollars or Chinese money or coins. I've never heard it called anything but money plant and I've always lived in the U.S.
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I posted shots of its purple flowers but now the part that will dry and turn white is maturing as you can see in the shot above, although it's still green. Below are the leaves of the money plant (the large ones) since the shot above has it mixed with other plants so its hard to see its leaves.
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Below you can see my blueberries in the early stages.
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The Queen Anne's Lace is getting closer to full blooms.
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The red-bellied woodpecker is beating on my drain pipes.
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It is amazing how much noise they can make.
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My bathing beauties continue to delight me. Below is an American Robin all puffed out.
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The bluejay is showing off it's checked tail.
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Next the bluejay is splashing up a storm.
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The female cardinal seems to be giving me a warning look.
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The catbird is taking its turn.
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The mockingbird chased off the catbird.
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The female cardinal below looks rather dashing in profile.
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Next is a full face shot of the mockingbird.
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Below is a house finch in profile.
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Click for the home of nature notes.

9 comments:

Sallie (FullTime-Life.com said...

Oh gosh -- living in Florida has really re-adjusted my attitude toward sweat -- I've just decided not to let it bother me (don't know about the people around me though ;>)!
Love your pictures as always and I am thrilled to see your woodpecker because now I know I ID'd mine correctly! I wish I had even a small fraction of your backyard birds in mine.

Rambling Woods said...

It is green my way too and a couple of very humid days had me sweating.. I love the birds bathing..I have 3 birdbaths in my yard and caught a robin bathing in a puddle anyway..LOL...

eileeninmd said...

I love all your beautiful green. All the birds are all lovely too. Wonderful photos, thanks for sharing.

Cezar and Léia said...

Brilliant pictures dear Carver, the green is adorable in your shots!
I also love all birds, they are beautiful!
Léia

Libby said...

Great post!! It is very green and nice along the trail - great shot of the cardinal...for some reason it reminds me of a Christmas card, I guess cause of the pine tree.

I always get a kick out of your bird bath photos! The birds' faces seem so expressive!

I have never seen the money plant for some reason, but I really like it :)

Dianne said...

your place attracts the cutest birds!!

we're getting green now, it was dry for months and hot one day, cold the next
now the temps are stable and it's raining

BlueShell said...

Yes-...so green! Love the yellow flowers...and the female cardinal. Great , fantastic shots!
have a lovely day!
BShell

Anonymous said...

It certainly is looking lush and green your way with the birds making the most of the water as well.
Have to chuckle about the sweat - living in the far northern region of Western Australia for most of my life I only noticed when I wasn't sweating! Everyone else was pretty much the same so it was just a fact of life.

EG CameraGirl said...

Lush! I can't believe you already have plants going to seed!