What is happening here and elsewhere
It has been bitter cold here in central Illinois. When I went out to check my small greenhouse this morning at 8AM, it was 7°F with a wind chill of -11. Wow. A typical January day out here in the Midwest. But the sun is shining, the sky is a brilliant blue and cloudless, so it is a beautiful day – especially standing inside at the window and looking out!
Our good friend and neighbor Miles spent some time in Florida in late December and sent this excellent photo of a male Anhinga either drying its feathers or warming up. Regardless of what it is doing, you can see the gorgeous white and black pattern on its back and outstretched wings, and also that the narrow brown band at the tip of the tail matches the brown of the head and neck. A very nice fashion statement! If you have been following my blog, you know I saw one when we were in Charleston, SC, late this fall and that I was surprised to see one that far north that late in the year. I did include photos and a video but none as sharp and clear as this one! Thank you, Miles!
And Susan from southeastern Pennsylvania sent this great photo of a Red-bellied Woodpecker on the suet feeder that is in her front yard. Feeders are not just for back yards! She wrote that she can look out her living room window and enjoy all the activity. What I like about this photo is you can see how this woodpecker – and all woodpeckers – use their tails for balance and support as they cling. Such a good photo – thank you, Susan!
And picture me at 6:45AM a few mornings ago with the temperature in single digits, sitting in front of the window I just opened in our work room/office, wearing my heaviest full-length robe, and my hand – with my cell phone in it – thrust outside. And what was I doing? Recording the Greater White-fronted Geese who had been chatting away all night! We always have a flock – but for a few days only – normally in each January and sometimes again in February. But these geese have been with us since about January 1st. This is a change. Here are two videos. The first is the one I took just before dawn. You can just make out the geese in the pre-dawn light. Turn your volume up so you can hear them – they are the higher pitched calls. The lower pitched calls are the Canada Geese who are with them. The second one I took this morning is of the same flock in the same place, but with much better light so you can see them more clearly. Greater White-fronted Geese just before dawn….. and Greater White-fronted Geese And in the second video, they are not making a sound. You will see that many of them are asleep on the ice of the lake. And every time I look at them, I get cold! Cannot even imagine sleeping directly on ice!
From now on I will slowly add more plants to the Landscaping and Gardening for Birds and Wildlife section of this website – you will find this in the website menu. Yesterday, I added Salvia – under Annuals. This is a perfect time to dream about your yard and garden and how you would like it to look this spring and summer. This is the time to dog-ear all your favorite pages in your gardening catalogues for ordering. Mine sure are!