Winter doesn’t technically start until next month, but Mother Nature sure has another plan for Northern New England. In other posts, I have mentioned that we have been in Maine for five years this November. We have never had snow on the ground for Thanksgiving. Maybe some ice, but never any snow. It feels more […]
Nature & Wildlife
This category contains posts that are related to the nature and wildlife found where I live. I write about birds, insects, animals and the beauty in nature that surrounds me.
The Calm Before the Storm
A few days before today, we had some snowfall followed by freezing rain, wind and bitter cold. We are expecting a pretty significant amount of snow and I wanted to get outside to photograph a few spots around the yard before they are covered under a blanket of snow. I always enjoy these times, because […]
Did I See a Hummingbird, Bumblebee or Hummingbird Moth in the Garden?
The hummingbird moth belongs to the genus of sphinx moths (Hemaris), in the family (Sphingidae). While in the garden, individuals can easily mistake the familiar humming sound of these moths in flight for bumblebees or hummingbirds. Hummingbird moths beat their wings rapidly and hover over flowers to collect nectar. This moth looks almost identical to […]
My Favorite Bird Seed Bandit
There are about twenty species of chipmunks found in North America. Here in Maine, we have the eastern chipmunk (Tamius striatus). The other species of chipmunks are smaller, belong to the genus (Eutamias), and live in the West. The eastern chipmunk is a small, striped rodent, belonging to the squirrel family (Sciuridae). Every spring and […]
Rebel’s Return: A Groundhog in Maine
A couple of years ago, we had a family of groundhogs take up residence under our shed in the backyard. You can read all about them here. I haven’t seen any of these family members until now. About a week ago, a groundhog found its way into the pool area. It squeezed under the fence […]
A Snowshoe Hare in Maine
This has been quite an exciting season regarding our wildlife sightings. The pool area has been a hot spot in particular. Our first sighting involved seeing our first porcupine here on the property. On this particular evening, we were cleaning the pool and we heard something out in the woods. It was way too loud […]
Spring is Finally Here in Western Maine
Although spring has technically arrived several weeks ago, it sure hasn’t felt like it until today. We still have some snow on the ground here, but the weather is really starting to warm up. A few of our annual visitors have arrived such as the American woodcock (Scolopax minor) and the eastern phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) […]
A Visit From an Eastern Gray Squirrel During a Snowstorm
When putting out feeders for the birds, you also have to consider other critters showing up for a free meal. I lucked out for a while without anyone showing up other than the birds. We now have the occasional raccoon (Procyon lotor), skunk family (Mephitidae), eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis), American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), […]
After the Freezing Rain
Ice covered maple trees (Acer). An ice covered spirea flower (Rosaceae). A rock wall covered in ice. A frozen beech leaf (Fagaceae). Beech tree leaves (Fagaceae). Ice covered bee balm (Monarda). Maple Trees (Acer) covered in ice. An ice shape on a tree limb. Beech Leaves (Fagaceae) with ice. A fallen black spruce (Picea mariana) […]
Nature’s Very Own Unique Winter Ice Shapes & Patterns
Ice formations in a streambed during the winter. Shoreline ice shapes. A close-Up of an ice formation in a stream. The broken edge of a sheet of ice. Icicles hanging from a branch. A break in the ice. An ice pattern on stream bedrocks. Where the ice and water meet. A dripping ice formation. An […]