Local Observations – Nature Plus

Given the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, we’re grateful that it’s not mid-winter…gray, brown and cold.  Winter is coming soon enough and the pandemic will still be ongoing…but we should be a bit closer to getting the coronavirus under control.  We will be in the first 50% of the population to get the vaccine whenever it is approved and available!

In the meantime…late summer continues to provide some comforting local sightings and some changes too.

The yellow finches continue to feed on the cone flowers in our front yard.  The seeds will run out soon though…and they’ll flock back to our feeder off the back deck.

Young cardinals are much like some pre-teen humans…awkward looking as they transition between childhood and maturity!

These young robins don’t look quite as ‘unfinished’ as the cardinal did.  Here the robins were drinking and bathing in one of our boulder’s little water reservoirs…

It’s getting dark a lot sooner now as the sun heads further south toward the equator.  Fall is not far away.  Laurie caught this bit of sunset just after 8PM the other evening. 

Most azaleas produce their lovely blooms in early to late spring.  The good news is that some types of azaleas not only bloom in the spring but also again in mid to late summer!  Ours are going strong into the first couple weeks of September.

These re-blooming beauties are easy to care for and they don’t grown much over 2 – 3 feet tall.  They do well in USDA zones 6 – 9 in partial sun and they’re available in a variety of colors. 

This is a mystery plant as far as we’re concerned.  It came from a garden where the home owner wanted to plant other varieties so we had it planted in our yard.  We have no idea what the name is of this small delicate flowering bush.  Any ideas?

We have a couple of 'alleged' Little Gem Dwarf Magnolia trees in our front yard.  We were assured that they would grow to a height of 15 feet or so…but no one told the trees that they were that limited.  A little research reveals that they are more likely to reach heights of 20 to 25 feet.  They are both over 15 feet high and they’re only about 11 years old!

In any case, this interesting ‘cone’ shaped object is the ‘fruit’ of our magnolia trees.  It’s really a seed pod that as it dries out will open and release small bright red ‘football’ shaped seeds.    

This young male humming bird hangs out in one of our magnolia trees.  Its ‘lair’ is close to our hummingbird feeder.  Should another hummingbird dare to approach the feeder, this little fellow goes into full attack mode.  It’s his feeder, after all!

Looking out a window at the back of our house, I noticed these colorful fungi staring back at me.  It turns out that this was just one phase in the life of “Amanita jacksonii”, a mushroom that has a symbiotic relationship with pine and oak trees.  These beauties are located under our big oak tree and when you add a lot of moisture, as we’ve had this year, this is the result.  It is reported that this mushroom is edible…but we aren’t about to prove or disprove this claim.

Our neighbors Sherry and Mike are having a large deck built across the back of their home.  Solid footings weren’t found until the builder dug down 4 feet into the ground.  Jack, one of the guys building this deck, helped us out the other day when one of our sprinkler system zones decided to operate despite being turned off…much appreciated!

Things are changing fast in our neighborhood.  A little more than a block away from our house, one of our neighbors had their Labor Day family festivities ruined when a contractor's crew clear-cut the woods and bulldozed the lot right behind their home... Now we have 15 homes in various stages of construction within a quarter or perhaps up a half mile from our house.  

With all these new houses being built so close to our home, it’s always a pleasant surprise when we spot deer casually browsing as we drive by.  This doe and her half grown fawn…still with spots…were grabbing some lunch less than a block from our house...very close to where that newly clear-cut lot is now located.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave