A nature photographer’s images and stories of birds, butterflies, and other creatures from her backyard near Orlando, FL
February 3, 2007 - I was pleased to get a picture of the female cardinal I saw this afternoon (see below). I know cardinals are fairly common, but in our yard anything that isn’t a blackbird or dove is a welcome change! We also saw two Loggerhead Shrikes. I’ve seen them before but never gotten close enough to identify […]
February 2, 2007 - It’s Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow…I think our early spring has already started, but I’m hoping the groundhog is right and this cold snap we’ve been having will go away soon!
January 31, 2007 - I saw a hawk sitting on my neighbor Ken’s house today. It’s the third time I’ve seen a hawk in our yard in the last couple of months. No wonder there were very few birds singing this evening!
January 29, 2007 - I saw the first gardenia buds this morning! Too bad it’s supposed to freeze tonight… :(
January 27, 2007 - The blackbirds have definitely discovered my new feeder in the front window. I think Goldy, has, too, given the amount of time she spends lying on the living room couch these days. Actually, there are two blackbirds that just hopped to the feeder as I type…so I sound the “bird-bird-bird!” call to the cats…and right […]
January 26, 2007 - We had a visit from a House Finch today! My field guide says these birds live only in the north of Florida, but some have been reported in the Orlando area. The finch appeared first in the oak tree in front of the house, then later at the feeder, and then later in a neighbor’s […]
January 23, 2007 - This monarch surprised me being in the garden at sunset tonight. Usually the butterflies are long gone by that hour. I wondered if he was sick, because he was crawling all over the angelonia very slowly. Then I wondered if he might be laying eggs. The angelonia is not a host plant for him, but […]
January 17, 2007 - Birds-birds-birds! We are getting visits from at least 50 red-wing blackbirds and grackles each morning and evening. Goldy and Squirt like the mourning doves, too (their call as they try to land on the feeder reminds us of a call “watch out below!!!”). It’d be fun to have more songbirds in the yard, but it’s […]
January 17, 2007 - Spring has sprung! Except it’s two months early! The first azalea blooms appeared this week. The weather has been usually warm–highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s–and we’ve had several inches of rain. The whole garden seems to be waking up for spring. The crape myrtles are all putting on new growth; one even […]