Rose-breasted grosbeaks seen from Dad’s kitchen window on his 95th birthday weekend.
Will have to keep trying to get a decent shot of the male.
Top left is from our little hike at Bushy Run Battlefield. Then going crazy with the zoom lens looking from the corn field bench to the top of the neighbor’s pylon. Row two: It’s years since corn grew in the corn field; as we sat on the bench there waiting for the sunset (looking downhill towards the gooseberries), dozens of these unknown bushes were almost blazing, covered in little tiny white flowers. The turkeys and the Baltimore oriole rufous-sided towhee (thanks Nick!), both from inside the kitchen, were not keen to wait for the camera to be ready. That’s the red-bellied woodpecker on the tree near the feeder, and a remarkably tame baby squirrel under the feeder.
3rd of 7 men over 60, holding coupon later spent on a fancy pair of socks. Photo by my long-run marathon training partner Leslie Kash, who also took an age-group prize. On right, actual rails which only extend 100 yards or so into the race course. Over my right shoulder is the insulation I added to help keep my backpack water supply from freezing. Trail map
Elspeth assures us these are alpacas, not llamas, because of their long ears. Photo by my long-run marathon training partner Leslie Kash, taken on Elk Run Church Road (near the Gray Horse Winery) during our 16-mile out-and-back run from Goldvein to Elk Run Church site on February 12th.
After the blizzard, the American sweetgum trees dropped a lot of these seed pods on top of the snow. Owen called my attention to one of them as we walked down the driveway to the mailbox the other day. The holly was the start of his tree identification career, and he shows a keen interest in the other pricklies, as he calls them. These trees are quite common to us, noticeable for their gorgeous autumn colors, but I don’t think they grow in Pennsylvania.