Unwanted Visitor

 Sadly, it was just a matter of time.

I spotted this critter, the both aptly and unaptly named Spotted Lanternfly, while I was putting peanut butter out for the Flying Squirrels. Aptly as it is spotted. Unaptly as it is not a fly.

I was not pleased.

It took a moment, but when I recognized it I immediately tried to smash it. It hopped away. Not surprising as it is a planthopper. (Thus "Spotted Lantern Planthopper" would be a more appropriate moniker.) 

I looked around but could not find it. I was even less pleased. Fortunately, as they are want to do, it hopped. I saw it, and ... I missed it again. By now Patty had come out and joined the chase. She spotted it. This time I did not miss. 

SMASH!

It was not dead. Even less pleased.

Fortunately I had grabbed it, of course to take its picture. And it started moving. So, with Patty's help, I got in in a plastic container. The two images above are while it was still alive in said container. The image below is after thirty minutes in the freezer. It's not moving anymore.

We live in Burlington County, NJ, one of the NJ counties under Spotted Lanternfly quarantine. So as I started this post, it was just a matter of time.

Ironically, I had just yesterday emailed Anne Johnson, as birdsbitingbadbugs@gmail.com, who, as you may have surmised from her email address, is conducting a study on birds, and other critters, that may prey on Spotted Lanternfly, and other invasive insects, that we had not seen any in our yard. 

The email exchange was about whether or not the Lanternflies eat Milkweed, and if it is toxic to them. She wrote that it is unknown, as no studies have been done. I noted that while we have plenty of Milkweed, we've no Lanternflies, so I couldn't do that study either. 

Time to get studying it seems.

I am still not pleased.

🐞  🐞  🐞  🐞  🐞

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here. 

More Like A Siege

Previously in the Battle of the Septic Mound, we saw the initial planting of the Carex pensylvatica, and then the subsequent addition of the Fragaria virginiana, neither of which have New Jersey in the name, which is of course the state where I planted them.

This is what it looks like today.

Each spring and fall the Pinelands Preservation Alliance has a "Deer Food Sale", although for marketing reasons they call it a "Native Plant Sale". And in the Year of the Pandemic, the sales have both been online only. Which is nice because they don't sell out so fast.

And to continue the assault on the septic mound, and thwart the deer, I ordered twenty more Pennsylvania Sedge plugs. And today I planted all twenty-nine that they shipped to me (math is hard*). 

Here you can see the plugs, nicely mulched with pine needles. Expanding the perimeter of the battle zone.

Slowly but surely expanding and replacing the non-natives. And advancing the War on Lawn.

~~~~~~~~~~

* No, it really isn't. 

Winter is Coming

 No social distancing today.

The Pine Siskins are here.

Yet another bird which breeds in Canada and winters in the US. Although this a finch and not a sparrow.

Some years, as this year appears to be, we get these in large numbers, not unlike the Juncos and White-throats. Look closely and you'll see birds on the thistle feeder behind the sunflower feeder.

Other years, like last, nary a single bird. They go where the food is. And some years there's enough elsewhere.

This year, the food is here. As are the birds.

They're all welcome.

Social Distancing at the Feeders

 The Purple Finches showed up in force today here at Piney Place.

Here we have three Purple Finch and a Carolina Chickadee, each maintaining a six inch distance, or so it would seem. It looks like there is an open spot on the right ...

And another male finch surveying the situation, ready to make its move.

Obviously not welcome.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

In the first sentence I write "Purple Finches" and in the second, "Purple Finch". In both cases referring to multiple birds. Of course consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. Or something like that ...

Today's Bubbler Reptile

 An Eastern Garter Snake.

Seen here swimming across the Back Bubbler.

I wonder what the American Goldfinch are thinking? 

Today's Bubbler Bird

Yet another sparrow that spends much of its time in Canada, although this species does reside year round in our area, the Swamp Sparrow.

And while it is not the first time we've had this bird, it is not as numerous as the Juncos or the White-throats.

This year we've had at least two in our gardens. There may be more, but we've only seen two at any one time.

And unlike in prior years, where they were one day wonders, we've seen them for a couple of weeks now. Maybe it is an artifact of us being home weekdays, or maybe it is because of the deer fence, and the resultant plant growth. But as with all the other visiting birds, they are welcome to stay as long as they want.

Office View

I've mentioned that I'm lucky to be working from home. And to have the ability to be out and about in a large yard, and then state forest, any time I want. 

So I thought I'd show what I look at all day long while at my computer. Although this is a bit of a cheat, as I closed my laptop to take this picture.

I hope that wherever you are during these troubling times, that you have a refuge you can retreat to.

Winter is Coming

Another Sparrow which calls our yard home for the winter, the White-throated Sparrow.

Like the Dark-eyed Junco, this bird spends it's summers in Canada and Winters in (most of) the Lower 48. And like the Junco visits our yard in large numbers, usually twenty or so birds at the feeders during the colder months.

There have only been a few 'pioneers' so far. Perhaps passing through to points further south? Maybe. But they're here. And will be until spring 2021. 

Welcome, enjoy your stay.

I Voted

New Jersey has enlightened leadership, and in the time of the Pandemic have been repeatedly demonstrating that which is so sorely lacking in the current clown in the Whitehouse.

And thus statewide vote by mail was initiated. This past Saturday Patty and I delivered our ballots to one of the collection points set up in each county. The opposite of the voter repression sadly occurring in many states.

I voted for Biden and Harris.

I hope you will to. 

Together, we can end this nightmare.

Vote for candidates that want you to vote.

Vote.

The Meadow Project

In my previous post of the same name, we saw the Meadow covered in tarps.

This past Saturday, I removed those tarps.

And as hoped and expected, the Japanese Stiltgrass was dead. That's a good thing. The goal was to kill everything down to the dirt. That is important, as the seeds I'll be sowing need good seed to dirt contact. So to improve that contact I next raked the dead vegetation away.

I had ordered a meadow seed mix, of plants native to our area, from Pinelands Direct, during the Pinelands Preservation Alliance's fall native plant sale.

Not surprisingly I choose the Birding Mix. As the area is approximately 1,100 square feet, a quarter pound bag was (I hope!) sufficient. I mixed the seed with clean sand, to make it easy to throw about. 

And then I walked. Back and forth and forth and back. The idea is to push the seed just into the aforementioned dirt. Professionals use a roller. I stomped about in my front yard. I wonder what my neighbors would think, had they been close enough to see me.

Once sufficiently stomped I covered the seeds, and bare dirt, with salt hay. This will protect the seeds over the winter. Prevent birds from eating them. Prevent other seeds from reaching the dirt (I'm looking at you Stiltgrass!). It, along with the border of downed branches, also serve to make it look intentional. Perhaps more important for folks trying this who have actual neighbors.

I also added some more of those downed branches in the Meadow area, for interest, pollinator habitat, and because they were lying nearby, having been used to hold down the tarps.

I also installed a small pond, using a molded plastic pond liner gifted us by our friend Terry. She was  having some serious problems with another invasive grass, Bambo, much more difficult to deal with than Stiltgrass, and as part of the overall eradication plan, the pond liner, and another larger one, needed a new home. Terry will also be seeding a Meadow this fall.

And then we'll both be waiting for springtime to see what comes up.

So check back in six months or so for an update.

Winter is Coming

As portended by the arrival of yet another bird species that finds our yard the perfect winter getaway.

The Dark-eyed Junco.

A prototypical 'snow-bird' these fliers show up as temperatures drop and leave when things warm up.

I've only seen a couple so far, maybe the same bird multiple times. But soon enough they'll be here in double digits. I think the most I counted was in the low forties. A very common winter visitor.

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Migration

It is fall migration time, with new birds appearing in the yard seemingly every day. Some passing through, heading to warmer climes. Some ending their journey here, finding our place warm enough.

And as we are both working from home we have two sets of eyes here all day long. Nice.

This past Tuesday started with this bird, a Baltimore Oriole.

First spotted on a suet feeder, by the time I got the camera it had moved to this sunflower seed feeder. I managed but five images before it flew off, continuing its journey.

Neither image any more than 'blog worthy' as I like to say. But enough to prove it was here. A rather uncommon occurrence.

Next to arrive was a Golden-crowned Kinglet. A regular but uncommon visitor to the yard. This species winters in New Jersey, so maybe it will stay a while.

Not one but two Palm Warblers were in the gardens this day. This species winters just a bit farther south, the northern edge being in Delaware. With climate change perhaps it will be staying in New Jersey soon as well.

Several Common Yellowthroats, another warbler species, have been hunting for insects in our yard for the past couple of weeks. They'll be heading on south soon.

And then there was this bird, a Coopers Hawk, which no doubt welcomes these migrators as well. A young'n by the looks of it. Year round residents, it no doubt calls our woods home.

I keep a camera on my desk, a Canon SX70 'Super Zoom' for just these photo ops. I also have binoculars on a shelf I installed under my desk just to hold them. I've been getting quite a bit of use of both this year.

Cats!

They also like the back bubbler (but not the front bubbler - curious).

Admiring its reflection? I think this is the same critter as the one below.

The cat that has been appearing on the trail cam images for weeks. If our trap actually worked we would have caught it by now. Grrrr.

This one is new on the camera. It made two appearances this past week.

And then there is this one ...

Max. Off leash and exploring the yard. 

Feeder Birds

 Ok, so it was cute when they were little.

But this is getting ridiculous.

And yet this has been happening pretty much every day.

And they don't leave any food for the other birds.

🦃  🦃  🦃  🦃  🦃

This was the first time I actually got the image. Usually they jump off at the slightest sight of movement through the window.

Today's Bubbler Bird

 A Red-eyed Vireo. 

Another species which breeds in the woods about our place, but one that is more often heard than seen, as they prefer the woods to the forest edge.

Soon, if not already, this bird will head south, to the Amazon Basin in South America. I hope it enjoyed its stop in our yard along the way.

🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here. 

Ipomoea hederacea

 Ivy-leaved Morning Glory 

Growing up our American Holly.

That shouldn't be.

Although it sure is pretty.

And as you can see.

I've pulled it from the tree.

Pond Maintenance

 I've blogged before about our back pond and the Eastern Painted Turtles which call it home.

This is one of them, although I'm not sure which, caught in a net. I did not intend to catch a turtle in a net. Well, at least, not this turtle.

But first, about that net.

When we moved here there was a net, not unlike the one shown above, and it was stored under the deck by the fish pond. And one day when I went to use it, a cold day, it had frozen to the ground. And the net ripped. To the trash it went. And sometime after that we got a new one. But I completely forgot that. 

Having this new(ish?) net made it very easy to scoop the fallen leaves and unwanted plants (is it still "seaweed" if it is in a pond?) out. Which is what I was doing when I caught the turtle. That I didn't want to catch.

I might have wanted to catch Snappy. Patty and I were concerned that Snappy would look to dig into the bottom of the fish pond to spend the winter. The problem is that the bottom of the fish pond is a layer of river pebbles over the pond liner. And we worried that the dedicated efforts of a snapping turtle would rip through he liner.

So Patty kept telling me to use the net and catch Snappy, and then relocate him to a more appropriate winter home. And I kept saying we didn't have a net, I had thrown it away. (One of us was more right than the other.)

But it seems that Snappy decided on her own to go looking for better winter digs. Either that or there is a Snappy sized hole in the the bottom of our fish pond, currently plugged by a Snappy sized Common Snapping Turtle. Time will tell.

Winter is Coming

Like the hands on a clock, the birds in the yard indicate the passage of time. 

Today a pair, a male, shown here, and a female, of  Purple Finches visited our feeders.

Once summer gives way to fall, these birds come south, albeit a short distance in our case, as they are year round residents in the northern part of the state. 

A welcome visitor, even though they portend the cold weather to come.

🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here. 

Winter is Coming

Another winter visitor, and shot distance migrant (this bird also breeds in the northern part of the state) is the Hermit Thrush.

Not as common in the yard as the Purple Finch, it has visited every fall and winter since we've moved here to Piney Place. And while the trail cam robot has seen it, we have yet to do so.

Yet another harbinger of the cold to come.