More vernal indicators

This is the 30th post beginning with “More” – just so you can keep track. You never should have lost count in the first place.

But as I said in the previous post, there are more signs that spring has arrived, and I present a few. Plus some extras – that’s called a “loss leader,” to rope you in.


We must start off with the first open blossom read more

Let no one tell you otherwise

Yesterday was officially the first day of spring – I could have let you know yesterday, but it would have been very late yesterday (like an hour ago,) and only if I’d scrambled, which I wasn’t inclined to do. But regardless of equinoxes and calendars and whatever silly flower someone might prefer, we have the only dependable guide to the start of this season, to wit:


Yep, read more

Some leftovers

Just a few images from the last outing to Jordan Lake – the post regarding that was overrun with sequences from the eagles, so we’ll just squeeze in a couple here.


While it’s easy enough to find double-crested cormorants (Nannopterum auritum) flying individually, they tend towards flocking in gooselike V-formations, but never seem to climb too high. So read more

You’ve overstayed your welcome, February

Despite purchasing the extended plan like an idiot, February has now come to the end of its warranty period, and so as it starts to suddenly make a terrible noise and leave an ominously-stained puddle beneath, we turn to see what abstract image will play it off stage. Why, it’s… this:


I did no alterations to this one other than cropping it tighter – otherwise it’s read more

Just once, part 9


This is one that I find a little surprising, in that it’s only appeared once here, and probably not a whole lot more often in my stock either. This is a six-spotted tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata,) and they’re not only fairly common, they’re obviously quite easy to spot – chances are, if you live in most of the eastern US and spot something bright read more

Enough with the eagles


Mr Bugg and I had another outing to Jordan Lake yesterday, because we’re both intrigued about what might be happening with the eagle pair. The above image is not one of the pair, but a 2nd-year juvenile that nonetheless came much closer than any of the others, and thus provided a better image to open with. What follows will be from much greater distances.

Immediately upon arriving, we could read more

And a crayfish, briefly

National Wildlife Day, which was yesterday, was actually a pretty nice day for February, nicer than February actually deserves because it’s in winter and also spelled stupidly. And since I had a photo outing scheduled, I succeeded in getting plenty of photos of wildlife, if by ‘wildlife’ you mean ‘birds,’ with one exception. A moderate variety of birds too, at least read more

Rehab6

This is actually the sixth time I’ve posted this particular writeup – it’s now become a yearly thing right around the time that wildlife starts becoming most active, and fits in nicely with National Wildlife Day, which is today. Plus look at all this content that I only have to cut-n-paste! So without further fanfare, we delve back into injured and orphaned wildlife.

I used to work read more

Just once, part 8


So not only has this species only appeared once before here, I’ve only seen them once in my entire life (in the wild anyway,) despite the fact that they’re supposed to be quite common. So I was delighted to spot this eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula) just snoozing out in the open in a heavily wooded spot alongside Jordan Lake, but it also was amazingly read more

These might work

Just so you know, Thursday (February 22nd) is National Wildlife Day, so call in sick that day and go find wildlife, even if it’s captive wildlife in a zoo or nature park or something, but preferably really and for true in the wild, which means outdoors. Now, c’mon – how many of your coworkers failed to show up the day after Super Bowl or some such rot? read more

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