Four pictures for the price of one today. The berries on the Amelanchier canadensis tree have started to ripen and are being eagerly devoured by the garden residents. Cedar Waxwings have been occasional visitors, American Robins have been almost constantly seen and then we have a tree-climbing Eastern Chipmunk and a juvenile male Northern Cardinal. Lots of nutrition for the natives.
Have we taken our invitation to wildlife to come into the garden a little too far?
Henceforth, as a general editorial rule, the Sunday image will be something I particularly like from times past. Memory Sunday.
These lovely cows lived in a Berkshire field and wandered over to chew the cud with me one sunny afternoon on May 2019 when we last visited England.
Lots of rabbits in the garden this year – this one was spooked by me but stayed outside of shelter to watch what I was doing
Post-processed to Pancromatic-style monochrome in Capture One Pro
American Robin and eastern cottontail rabbit
The rabbit(s) have been around the garden most of the winter, mostly making use of the brush piles etc we provide for them to shelter in. So far they have not nibbled on the bark of our younger trees and shrubs so as far as we know we have not lost anything yet. These Eastern Cottontail Rabbits don’t burrow but make scrapes in the ground to rest in – rather like the European hares do. This pose very much reminds of the famous painting of a hare by Dürer.
The 21 January each year is Squirrel Appreciation Day … a couple of days later this black form gray squirrel came to appreciate the handily accessible berries on a high-bush cranberry tree.
Snowing today and this should stay until Christmas – meanwhile this little guy came to the heated bird bath for a good drink.
For our Euro friends, this black squirrel is actually a gray squirrel. They also come in cream.
The Viburnum berries are usually amongst the last fruits eaten by wildlife in the winter months, but this chap had a good session already and it hasn’t even snowed yet.
