FOY asparagus

 It's coming on slowly.  Paul has 3 beds. This is the first year of good size.

FOY Hummingbirds and a turkey visitor

 Saw 2 males at the feeder swtting each other.  They were reported in Julian and Park Forest a week ago but today's bright late afternoon sun brought them out for us.

We've had a single turkey visit 2 mornings.  It looks like a female because we can't see a beard. She just pecks intently by the fire pit for about 30 minutes then moseys on her way.

FOY Whippoorwill

8:30 tonight

Dayton: end

 I dropped Paul at the airport then raced him home. I had to stop at the Cracker Barrel to meet Huck's
foster since I'd neglected to give her his e-collar.  OOPS. She is pleased at how well he is integrating into her household.  She wants him to learn to hunt.

Then another 3 hours home. I drove up the driveway behind Paul.

FOY Hummingbird tonight at the feeder.

FOY: Eastern Black Snake

 While Sylvester and I were exploring the western garden when 2 lines streaked across our path. He was curious. When he wouldn't leave that areas I took him inside.  Cloudy but warm day was perfect for snakes getting it on in the garden. Ground hog hasn't opened his rock pile hide yet. Hummingbirds are reported in State College so I put the bird bath and 1 feeder out. Tonight, after the rain, I'll hang the nesting material balls SADP gave me.  

FOY: Bear

Just one at the lower DreiEcke on the 7 pm walk. It was small but shiny, and we didn't want to know if it was a cub with Momma hanging around or just a small singleton. We’d come thru the Walnut Grove, passed the shed, and were headed down to the Camping Platz. We turned around and headed home after that encounter. 

FOY: Fawn

First fawn of the year in the walnut grove hollering for his mother as the dogs approached. 

FOY: 2 Eastern Box Turtles today

Gambol's was about 5" front to back (f-b) and almost all black with a few yellow finger-like designs, at the top of the Walnut Grove. No camera.
Mine was near the fire pit/camping platz and was only about 3.5" f-b.  She (perhaps) had bright red markings.

FOY: Eastern Black Rat Snake

at the top of the basement entry.  Maybe 4 feet long.

FOY: Hummer

They've been in the area for a week or more but just today made it up our hill.

FOY: Turkey

Heard a gobbler today.

FOY: Frost

Grass was white and a bit crunchy this morning. Elk are bugling next door and the hummers are long gone. 

FOY: Ruby Throated Hummingbird and black rat snakes

We saw our first of the year at the feeder tonight.
Snakes have been out in force this week.

FOY: Morel

FOY

Eastern Black Snake by chicken coop

FOY: Whippoorwill

8:40 pm but no hummingbirds yet.

Winter weather

We were out walking the dogs yesterday and the weather was light snow and mild (28 F) temperatures, about 10 kts breeze.  We had just exited our walnut grove section of the meadow and when we looked back at the neighboring mountain ridge to the north the visibility was dropping and the skies were dark, with snow swirling in the wind.  As we continued walking toward home, we watched the northerly winds hit the trees around our neighbor's house and could see smoke-like wisps of snow being blown off the trees.  In just a few more minutes the winds started coming through our forest and out into our meadow and at the same time heavy snow started falling.  The wind gusts were in the 30 kts range and blew the falling snow and 3.0 inches of fluffy new snow that was sitting over a crust of ice on top of the 7.0 inches of snow already on the ground, dropping the visibility from over 3 miles to less than 0.1 mile.  As the cold frontal winds ripped through the forest we heard several loud reports, almost like a crack of thunder or a rifle shot.  We think those reports were the sounds of trees or tree limbs snapping in the wind.  Almost immediately after the winds reached us the dogs were covered in snow and Leslie and I looked like we had just walked out of a blizzard in the polar regions.  The winds dropped, the snow stopped, and the clouds cleared by 2200 last night and the temperatures dropped quickly.  By dawn today the low temperature was -4 F.  Most of our driveway was blown clear of the snow, right down to the rock.  But some places are 2-3 ft high across the road, so we'll be doing some plowing later today when it warms up to +3 F .

FOY: house finch at feeder

FOY:Snow

November 25 2014. 1000 Scattered clouds, calm, 40F

November 26 2014. 0900 Overcast with light snow falling (began 0815), calm, 32F

November 27 2014. 0900 Overcast with light snow grains falling, calm, 30F 3 inches of new snow

Brittanys are built for this weather. They would all stay on the hunt all day if we would. When they burrow into a snow-folded goldenrod patch, if it weren't for their waggy tails, we would lose them in plain sight.  They are just the right colors to blend perfectly with the snow and dead plants.  Even at 20 yards on our dawn walks, all we can see are spots of dark on the snow, or spots of white on an open trail.  Ghosts cross the path at 30 yards.  And that is why off-leash dogs wear lights and bells on their collars.  Of course, Buddy's bell gets clogged with snow about 10 yards into a run. 

FOY: Snow geese

As I drove down the hill this morning, I could see 3 white birds flying down the valley below me.  By the time I approached the last culvert, they had turned up hill and were directly in my path. I could hear their wings whistle in the wind and see the (blacks) of their eyes. No pictures but very exciting. 

FOY: Eastern Box Turtle

We took our morning walk down to the fire pit and over to the shed, reroute to the walnut grove when I saw Gambol coming from the locust trees towards the driveway with something in his mouth. Right away I could see it was a small turtle so I called him over and praised him as he trotted over with the turtle held gently in his mouth. This is a small female turtle with brilliant orange upper shell. I guess Gambol's capture was too exciting for her as she had her shell tightly closed all the way back to the house. I put her in a bucket and took the dogs on a short upper forest walk, hoping the turtle would come out of her shell. When we returned she had only cracked it enough to peek out and when I lifted her out of the bucket, so her pictures do not include any of her head. After the picture session, I took her in the bucket back to the locust trees and put her down in the line of trees in the shade.