Home Wrecker

That would be me.

For this guy. A Northern Gray Tree Frog.

We had a weeping cherry tree, a non-native, that we decided to replace with a native elderberry tree. So I spent part of Saturday morning chopping it down. And in the process displaced this fine fellow. (Bigafy the image to check out the suction pads on his feet.)

We've seen, and more often heard, many of these in our yard. They like to cling to the siding of our house, right outside our back door. They also like this evergreen tree, Which is where I released my unwitting landscaping companion. I'm sure he'll do fine.

Pure Evil

No, this is not a poorly drawn map of North America.

It's pollen. Evil pollen. Billions and billions of grains of that yellow powder from hell.

It is the stuff of headaches and congestion and coughs and sneezes and dizziness and drowsiness that have been plaguing me for the last month or so.

Why did I move to house surrounded by trees?

Sun Beams

This time in the form of a solar pillar.

Taken at sunrise at Lakehurst Naval Air Station.

Where I was much too early Saturday morning, doing grassland bird surveys.

Sadly, the grasslands had been destroyed by excessive mowing. And I saw or heard very few birds of the survey target species. Very sad and unnecessary. There is no need to waste time or money mowing these fields and destroying prime habitat. It makes no sense at all.

Sun Beams

Over the back pond

Taken by the trail cam one evening.

Migration Time

The "Bad Bird Photo of the Week" was taken at Palmyra Cove Nature Park.

We went there last Sunday. We saw sixty-one different species of birds.

I managed to photograph four of them.

For those keeping score at home that's 6.6%.

It was one of those days.

This is the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher just before it took flight.

There were plenty of Canada Geese, new and old.

We found a nesting pair of Indigo Buntings. Always nice to see. And hear.

This Black and White was one of the ten species of warblers we saw.

Non-avian wildlife included this Eastern Box Turtle.

No rescue required.

And way too many White-tailed Deer.

It was a very pleasant way to spend a morning.

Bad Bird Photo of the Week

Most of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

I hate when this happens.

Sunset

On our first evening in the Mara.

The Masai Mara, Kenya.