Although most people are thinking only about Christmas and family in late December, birders are also enthralled by the CBC or Christmas Bird Count. This is a world-wide phenomenon in which birds are identified and counted within circles that […]
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One of the true delights of spending the fall in SW Florida is that you can continue to enjoy seeing a wide variety of plants and creatures actively pursuing their lives. There is of course a considerable […]
We had been thinking a bit recently that as our retirement years tick on, we would some day need to downsize by selling our 107 acre Blueridge Mt. Virginia farm. Thus when a VA neighbor who was looking at an […]
We enjoy beautiful plants and animals, whether in southwestern Florida or the mountains of Virginia. But how often do we think about the evolutionary values of the peculiar characteristics they possess? Look for special features in each of the […]
We have just completed our annual “snowbird migration” from our farm in VA to our home on Manasota Key, FL. Of course the purpose of this trip is to escape the frosty clutches of winter up north and continue to […]
We are leaving shortly for our winter home in SW FL and are reluctantly saying goodbye to our beloved Blue Ridge mountain wildlife farm. As you can see from a photo of the house and immediate surroundings (we own 107 […]
Our weather is showing some cool night time temperatures, but frost is still 2-3 weeks away and there is lots of insect activity and still some late bird migration underway. Fall fruits are much in evidence, offering immediate snacks and […]
As summer draws to a close, there is still a great deal of animal activity and a different group of late blooming flowers. I seem to appreciate the sunrises and sunsets more in part because I am tired of working […]
On a recent bike ride along the New River Trail in VA I was more or less in auto-pilot and was paying less attention to my surroundings than I should have. My biking companion Mason suddenly shouted that he had […]
Late summer is a time in our area of southwest Virginia for flowering of natives such as goldenrod, ironweed, impatiens, virgins bower, wing stem, green headed cone flower, great lobelia, thistles and others. Many of these flowers are an important […]
It is possible to judge the approximate time of year at a certain location by looking at what is flowering and what the animals are doing. Here I show some typical signs of middle to late summer in SW VA […]
So much is happening in nature and in our human constructed world that we tend to ignore some of the most obvious events of the natural world. Plus there are literally thousands of sights and sounds vying for our attention […]
Now in late July on our VA farm the predominant color of the landscape is GREEN, as shown in this panoramic view of one of our hay fields cut six weeks ago, overlooking our farm house next to a pond […]
In general I do not recommend trying to improve on nature beyond the boundaries of the yard since the beauty of natural scenes is often incomparable. However creation of a Pollinator Field from a portion of hay fields or pastures […]
As July starts, the nature lover can continue to enjoy some breeding birds and observe an increasing number of interesting insects. New flowers are blooming, such as day lilies and catalpa trees and we are starting to be bothered […]
Here on our VA Blue Ridge Mountain farm we are still having some cool nights in the 50’s, but many days are sunny and warm and nature is in full growth and reproduction mode. I enjoy re-acquainting myself with the […]
Here on our VA Blue Ridge Mountain farm, June is a time of rebirth and renewal in nature. Creatures seem to be in a rush to breed and of course must consume many resources to raise their young. It is […]
Although I am Georgia born and a creature of eastern N America’s low mountains, piedmont and coastal plain, there is no denying the majesty and amazing natural wonders to be found in the American west. So when we made a […]
Any family trip is an opportunity to explore the natural history of a new area and rejuvenate your powers of observation dulled by residence in one area where you tend to see the same things over and over. Thus when […]
The predominant color of middle May in the Blue Ridge mountains of SW VA is green. There is an explosion in growth of plant life so an overall view of our farm shows a verdant landscape. Of course the re-awakening […]