13-DEC-2017
Christmas greetings!
joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas to all.
13-DEC-2017
Sumac (Rhus typhina)
A splash of colour against the grey of winter. These seedheads will feed birds and squirrels over the winter.
13-DEC-2017
Grey squirrel, black phase
Not a lot of activity at the garden, at least while I was there, either birdlife or mammal life (including humans). A few squirrels, and few birds as noted earlier in this blog. The strong winds and cold temperatures kept most critters hunkered down. However, this squirrel was rooting through the snow for some seeds.
13-DEC-2017
Grey squirrel
This was taken in the Arboretum, just down the slope from the Fletcher garden. About 4 greys, mostly the black phase ones, were in a big crabapple,hungrily eating all the fruit.
13-DEC-2017
Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)
Backlit by the sun in the butterfly meadow.
13-DEC-2017
Pond
The pond is a sheet of snow and some very thin ice. It hasn't been cold enough for long enough to allow the water to freeze, but it won't be long.
13-DEC-2017
Black-capped chickadees
Chickadees were swooping in and away from the feeder constantly, hardly pausing and when they did, it was with backs to the camera.
13-DEC-2017
On the edge of the new woods area
The sun made all the difference today, sparkling on the snow, and making everything bright and pretty. It helped make up for the intense cold of today. This is looking west down the edge of the new woods to the red barn.
13-DEC-2017
White-breasted nuthatch
I saw three white-breasted nuthatches at the garden, one in the BYG, and two at the feeder by the old woods. It was so cold that there were few birds around: dark-eyed junco (1), black-capped chickadees (the most numerous birds, no surprise), downy woodpeckers (2), northern cardinal (1), and crows (3).
13-DEC-2017
White-breasted nuthatch
Another of the nuthatches, this one in the old woods probing for seeds in the trees, as well as visiting the feeder.
13-DEC-2017
Seedhead (Bidens)
Snow covered seedheads abound in the garden now.
13-DEC-2017
Red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
Two reds feasting on the remaining crabapples at the garden. Not all crabapples are edible and you'll see that a few trees retain their fruit all winter, while others are stripped bare.
