Friday, April 30, 2010

Feeding Time

Chickadee feeding at box
The chickadees are working hard feeding the box full. We usually try to get a sneak peek in twice during the feeding. We haven't looked yet, but the tempation is strong. When the young are small and feathered out they sit in two neat rows facing the hole. When they get big and fat they sit facing outward from each other in a circle formation. There is not much cuter than the two rows of perfectly marked babies.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Airship Spotting

Airship over Currituck
Airships have long been built in Elizabeth City, maybe 25 miles by crow from the island. The airships used to be a regular sight, out on trials, but we haven't seen any for awhile. I spotted one yesterday as I hit the causeway headed out. I caught up with it again as it floated over the farm fields on it's way back to E-City. It's a cool thing to see.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Neon Orange Calendula

Calendula Herb
Wow, what a pop of color! This herb, Calendula, has edible flower petals. I love the color. It has overwintered well outside in a large pot.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Watermen working their pots

Watermen working carb pots Currituck Sound
Early morning crabbers work their pots in the north end of Currituck Sound.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Hummingbird on Alert

Hummingbird Currituck
The male hummers are still having a fine battle. They sit within a foot of each other and then attack. Here is one of the males on lookout for the other.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Royal Robin

Robin in Spring
Those of us who see the Robin on a regular basis may forget to really look. The Robin is a gorgeous bird. Just look at the detail around the large eye. The colors in spring are charged and of course the singing is practically non-stop. They are surely nesting nearby and are frequent visitors to hunt for the choice worms in my yard.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Chickadees feeding

Chickadee at box
Our Chickadee Pair just started feeding. Chickadees are always early nesters. Here is a look at one of the pair at the box hole. The box is cut for Bluebirds, but the Chickadees will use it. The hole is so large to them that they can just seemingly float in when building the nest. Now that the eggs have hatched they take a very quick pause at the opening and then disappear.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Baby Doll Iris

Baby Doll Iris
One of my treasures, the Baby Doll Iris bloom is less than half the size of a typical Iris. A gift from a special person, sharing from her garden. I look forward to the blooms every year.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

99 Crabpots to throw off the boat

Watermen on the Currituck Sound
I'm surprised I don't hear the watermen singing as they work down this pile of pots. It is reportedly going to be a good year for crabs. First full moon in May is the traditional start of peeler season but this has been an early spring.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Arugula Seed Pods and Sprouts

Arugula seed pods
Arugula sprouts
Arugula seeds form in pods along the stems of the plant. You can see the little green pods here. They will dry and turn brown and spill out lots of tiny seeds. And with those seeds you will get the sprouts of new plants. This herb does very well in our area. I just noticed the wonderful graphic detail on the underside of the flower petal (near center of top photo). It's very art deco!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Male Finch

Male House Finch
The male House Finch shines in the dusk light of a spring day.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Chickadee

Chickadee
Tucked up into a Crepe Myrtle, a tiny Chickadee is fluffed up during preening.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

His red throat

Male Hummingbird
Another look at the male Hummingbird pausing in a Live Oak, his red throat flashing a warning to the other males on the chase.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Hummingbird

Male Hummingbird
The hummers have been going round and round, chasing and feeding. Three feeders spaced about the yard keep them fueled for the fun.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Chives

Chives with heads
The chives just explode this time of year. They spring out of the ground and go straight to producing a flower/seed head.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Osprey scratching

Osprey Currituck Sound
Back on the stick, the male Osprey was trying to sleep but the female kept up her calls. He got a bit of scratching in and so I caught him mid-way. It's a good look at the claws. Aren't they fine ... and sharp?

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Early Flyers

dragonfly on stucco wall
One of the first spotted dragonflies of the year, this one waits for the sun to warm it after the temps dropped overnight.

I was on the pier this am watching the Kingfishers and was greeted by a single barn swallow flying round and round. Another early summer resident. The first hummingbird made his presence known on Easter Sunday swinging back and forth at my kitchen window. Yet my White-throated sparrows are hanging on, maybe they will stay for the summer! They are busy singing happy harmonies, sounding just like the birds in my childhood Disney cartoons.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Morning Wren

Carolina Wren
A Carolina Wren on a reedy stem in the morning light.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Kingfisher perch

Kingfisher female
Nearly hidden, a female Kingfisher (note the rust colored markings on the belly) on a soundside perch.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Muscari

Muscari
One of my favorites, this bulb gets you low on the ground to enjoy it's urn shaped flowers, the ruffled rims in white.

Osprey nest building, No picnic!

Osprey nest on picnic table
I don't know if this nest is going to hold. The sticks keep falling off the table and a pretty good collection is below. Enough sticks may catch eventually. One of the pair building this nest is the 'third' bird I wrote about hanging around 'our' nest. Suspect it is one of the young of our nest on it's first trip back.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Crab pots

Watermen crab Currituck Sound
It's hard to see the watermen for the crab pots piled on high.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Little green dinghy

Currituck Sound Sailboat
What great weather! I caught a glimpse of two sail boats today. This one is a beauty, no? And complete with a little green dinghy! A great day for a quiet sail on the sound.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

All wing

Osprey Currituck Sound
With his dinner fish, the osprey adjusts his balance on the stick in the wind. This is a good shot of how much wing is in the bird.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

YB Sapsucker

Yellow=bellied Sapsucker
From March of last year here is a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in my pecan tree. You can see the yellow glaze of color on his belly.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Tough job

Osprey Currituck Sound
My male banded Osprey with another fish. This fish looks to be a large sunfish. Shaped like a perch, this is a tropical colored fish. If I can read the numbers on his band the person that banded him can tell me where the bird originated. I have two of the five numbers. So I have a nice job trying to catch that ring in the right spots. It's a tough job, one of persistence and I'm giving it a good try.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Kingfisher

Kingfisher
This is a very hard bird to get close to. A pair has previously nested in a sandy cliff of a nearby property. The nest is a kingfisher-sized hole dug in a horizontal manner deep into the cliff. In the last few mornings two kingfishers have been chasing and rattling off their unique call. Pair or rivals? I need to get a closer look for the burgandy colored band across the belly of the female. Though distant this photo is of a male, his open mouth full of chatter.