The Baltimore Orioles are back and busy nesting already.The male’s song floats over trees and shrubberies filling the spring sky with a glorious clear tone unlike any other songbirds trills or tweets. Both the male and female sing and when they are annoyed they kvetch with a rattling, scratchy cry. First Spring 2012 Sighting of […]
Author: Carol Duke
Carol Duke is an artist and farmer who has worked with the land on a Western Massachusetts hillside for over thirty years. During this time her land has evolved into a diverse wildlife habitat. Carol features the flora and fauna that live and visit her farm on her website and blog http://caroldukeflowers.com As vital wildlife habitats are destroyed daily, Carol hopes to inspire others to garden for wildlife, while becoming activists for wild places the world over. Her nature photography has appeared in magazines, books and newspapers.
Indigo Bunting Sings for His Mate
TheIndigo Bunting Passerina cyanea, has returned to Flower Hill Farm and is singing most hours of the day. Indigo Buntings migrate at night . . . guided by the stars. My first sighting this year was May 7th . . . I have seen another immature male but no female as yet.
Return Of the Common Yellowthroat ‘NOT’
I had thought the warblers below to be a female Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) having returned to Flower Hill Farm. Indeed I was wrong in identifying this nimble Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) that was busy gleaning the Crabapple orchard of tiny insects from within a profusion of blossoms. Nashville Warbler in Crabapple exhibiting gray head […]
Rituals of Spring ~ Returning Seasonal Residents
It is usually trills and twitters floating through the landscape here at Flower Hill Farm that alerts me to returning warblers and other songbirds. The earliest seasonal resident to return is the American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) and the male is still flying high each new dawn and dusk, performing his wing-song mating flight.Considered a shore […]
Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura)
Turkey Vultures Cathartes aura are fascinating and important birds of prey. They purify our world and should be held in high esteem or at least respected by all humans. A keen sense of smell aids these raptors of the dead in finding carrion from miles away. I am in awe of this magnificent Turkey Vulture, […]
North Atlantic Right Whales off of Cape Cod
It was a rare day in March . . . with temperatures in the 60’s . . . and rarer still . . . for experiencing endangered right whales off the tip of Cape Cod . . . just out from Race Point Lighthouse. What a joy to see thirty or more whales feeding, frolicking […]
Wispiness of White ~ Ghostly Robin
I was very excited to see this white (partially albino) robin in the crabapple orchard here at Flower Hill Farm about a month ago. I did see it a few more times over a couple of weeks but have not seen it since. It was a lucky sighting, as only one robin in 30,000 is […]
Monarch Butterflies Magical Metamorphosis Begins Anew
Monarch butterflies are leaving Mexico, flying north, reversing their migration from last fall. Bright orange, mosaic clouds are moving towards Texas with females drifting down to lay eggs along milkweed corridors . . . thus fulfilling their destiny. They along with the males will have lived around eight months, which is a pretty long life […]