Around Home - Nicole

“Siblings” Living where we do, we have a variety of wild neighbors. In spring, one enjoyment is getting to watch the antics of baby raccoons.
“A Perfect View” An Eastern Screech Owl claims a hole in a Sycamore tree. Such a perfect spot to warm its belly on a chilly day and watch over its nest.
“In the Meadow” Eastern Tiger Swallowtail lights upon Queen Anne’s Lace as the meadow is in bloom.
“The Mimic” Viceroys are often confused with Monarch butterflies, but the Viceroy has that extra line along the hind wing. This mimicry is in this case, a form of defense. While monarchs are distasteful (even poisonous) to birds, the Viceroy is not.
“Blending In” A Gray tree frog takes on the colors of pine bark. Such a master of disguise!
”Up to Something” Red Squirrels are a favorite in our yard. Their spunky attitudes and behaviors are always fun to watch. The question is, what will they do next?!
“In Golden Garb” As spring turns on in full color, so too do our American Goldfinches shift from their olive drabs of winter to the sunshine yellow of spring.
“Mama Tag” Named for the nip out of her ear, this was the first raccoon that we got to know when Steve and I moved into our home. She was a great mama of five who she brought to our reflecting pool each afternoon as they grew up.
“Dragonfly dreams” Before the sun warms their wings and dries the dew in the morning, dragonflies rest in the meadow.
“Clouded Sulphur” Resting on vervain, this Clouded Sulphur is an adornment of the garden.
“Special visitor” Every few years, when conditions are right, the habitat around our home becomes accented by Red-breasted nuthatches. I love hearing their call as they hop up around the trees…”yank-yank”.
“Upon a Gall” Black-capped Chickadees are always fun to photograph. This one is sitting upon last year’s goldenrod. The ball shape is a gall, formed by a tiny wasp that laid its eggs inside the stem of the goldenrod. If the chickadee I tenacious enough, the larvae inside could prove a tasty treat.
“Chilly Day” With their soft little calls, the Bluebirds come in! No matter the season, they always warm my heart and stop me in my tracks to watch them.
“Signs of Spring” A favorite spot towards the back side of our property is a place that we call, “Hepatica Hill.” It’s here that we see some of the first signs of spring as this beautiful spring flower makes its showing….just for a few weeks…and then we wait again until next year.
“Contrasting Colors” I absolutely love salamanders and where we live, we are lucky enough to have Blue=spotted Salamanders living around us. Healthy habitat makes for healthy wild neighbors.