National Wildflower Week

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Tina

It’s National Wildflower Week, hug your nearest wildflower!

Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata)

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Well, it’s probably better if you don’t hug a wildflower, just plant one. Or better yet, plant a whole bunch.

Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima)

No matter where you live in this great land, there are resources available to grow stunning North American wildflowers, either by seed or from container plants.

White Autumn sage (Salvia coccinea)

Click the “Garden Resources” tab on the menu bar of this blog for some suggested online resources or check out your County Extension Agent’s office for local sources of regional seeds and/or plants.

Blue curls (Phacelia congesta)

Locally owned nurseries and native plant organizations are ideal places to learn about wildflowers and how to grow them. The “how” is a snap–wildflowers belong here and usually grow easily, without lots of working or fretting.

Wild red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is the premier source of information about North American wildflowers and native plants. It’s the go-to place for those interested in learning about our native plants and wildflower heritage.

Grow native wildflowers for beauty,

Giant spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea) and Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

…for ease,

Yellow columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana)

…for a sense of place.

Golden groundsel (Packera obovata)

Grow native wildflowers because they belong here. Just like you.

Henry Duelberg sage (Salvia farinacea ‘Henry Duelberg’) and Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Fuzzy’s First Foray

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Tina

On Thursday evening, just after sundown, I was privileged to witness Fuzzy the Owlet’s first steps out of the nest box.

Great view from behind: look at those claws!

I didn’t expect that Fuzzy’s first steps into the great outdoors would occur that evening, but I was wrong–I guess little owls know best. I saw Daddy Owl swoop in front of the box, trill while carrying what looked like a dangly and juicy worm, and baby hopped right out of the nest box and onto the branch to greet Dad, the worm, and the outside world.

Dad fed the morsel of worm to Fuzzy prior to this photo.

Fuzzy walked/hopped along the branch for the next hour or so, enjoying visits from both parents and made good owly progress during the night by stretching his wings and legs.

Yikes! It’s a long way to the ground and why is that weird bird with the three eyes making smoochy noises at me?

I didn’t see Fuzzy or Dad at all on Friday, though Mama was in the neighbor’s ash tree, adjacent to my own oak tree which hosts the nest box. Today, I didn’t see the adults until mid-day when I heard the raucous complaints from other birds, alerting everyone to the owls’ presence in my neighbor’s back tree–the same tree where Dad sometimes roosts. With my handy binoculars, I spied Mom and Dad, but no Fuzzy. I’m guessing that Fuzzy is nearby though, considering that the parents are roosting together, which is not typical.

Additionally, one of Fuzzy’s siblings made his/her appearance today.

I think I’ll call this one Frizzy.

Fuzzy-Wuzzy was an Owlet

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Tina

Mama Owl, who has lived in the nest box continually since early March,

…moved out recently, though she’s always nearby and vigilant. I knew that her moving out meant the box has become too crowded with owlets. Daddy Owl keeps watch either in the Mountain Laurel tree or in a neighbor’s tree.

Earlier today, Mama was alert near her nest box,

…keeping her keen eyes on me,

…but also on the shenanigans of squirrels and blue jays.

She’s a beautiful bird, though I wouldn’t want to be at the caught-end of those talons.

Mama laid their first egg on March 6, the other 4 followed on an every-other-day schedule. I assume that all have hatched and today this little cutey made his/her first appearance in the big, wide world. Watching this new chick was smile-inducing and a nice gift to me today.

This owlet is too small yet to be out of the box and in the tree, so I hope its siblings don’t inadvertently push it out–that has happened to other owlets that we’ve hosted in the box(es). This little one was very curious about a new view of the world, but can’t fly, nor would it survive a fall from the box.