Yesterday Bob pulled out some ugly, scraggly shrubs near our front door, so we could replace them with azaleas. He commented to me that a sparrow in the dogwood tree was scolding him the whole time. Then we saw the nest. One of the ugly shrubs had been home to a nest full of babyContinue reading “Eyes on the Sparrows”
Category Archives: Wildlife in Our Yard
Photo Friday: Cardinal in the Snow
We had a mostly mild winter, and were hit with only a few days of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. There wasn’t even a lot of it — this is Virginia, after all — but the roads were sloppy, briefly, and I didn’t really want to go out. So I mostly stayed in on thoseContinue reading “Photo Friday: Cardinal in the Snow”
Pepino Returns
After dealing with several mice in the house, we were finally convinced that we had succeeded in getting rid of them. We hadn’t seen or heard a mouse in weeks. And then, on Saturday night, I walked into the kitchen to see Pepino scurrying across the floor to disappear under the refrigerator. Damn. Bob saidContinue reading “Pepino Returns”
Photo Friday: Snowbird
Until this week, we hadn’t had measurable snow in Alexandria since February 2019. Now we’ve broken our snowless streak, though I wouldn’t call it a major storm. It started when we were in Harrisonburg to bring our son back to JMU when campus reopened. Snow began falling there about 1 a.m. Sunday. The storm reachedContinue reading “Photo Friday: Snowbird”
Fourteen Birds
A study finds that people are happier if they are exposed to more biodiversity of birds in their environment. Seeing fourteen different species of birds on a regular basis brings as much happiness as making an extra $150 a month would bring. Despite my semi-urban environment, my yard is usually full of birds. But doContinue reading “Fourteen Birds”
Library for Birds … and Bernie
The birds in my neighborhood love the Library 4 Birds that my cousin made for me. But look at this little guy who showed up there. I guess that makes it a Library 4 Bern!
Photo Friday: Cedar Waxwing
Birds love my yard. Among others, we regularly see cardinals, chickadees, robins, grackles, sparrows, blue jays, starlings, wrens, warblers, hummingbirds, two kinds of hawks, and three kinds of woodpeckers. But until last week, I had never seen cedar waxwings. Last Wednesday, I suddenly noticed a pair of them just outside the kitchen window. They seemContinue reading “Photo Friday: Cedar Waxwing”
Photo Friday: Fire Pit
Fall weather has finally come. The evenings are cool, and a few times, we’ve sat on the patio at night, enjoying a fire in our fire pit. With marshmallows. The fire pit is an old one, a cast-off that a neighbor was putting out to the curb for the trash one day, just after we’dContinue reading “Photo Friday: Fire Pit”
Photo Friday: Raccoon Rituals
Here’s a photo I took in my backyard a few nights ago. I know your eye is drawn to the Bird Library that’s lit by the patio lights. But look to the right, at the tree line. Notice the two raccoons standing on their hind legs, front paws in the air. What are they doingContinue reading “Photo Friday: Raccoon Rituals”
Home Sweet Home
Two years ago this week, we closed on our new house. We moved in several months later, after having some painting and repairs done. Since then, friends from distant places have asked to hear more about it. We’ve been here a year and a half now, so I guess it’s time. For nearly 30 years,Continue reading “Home Sweet Home”
