Pileated Woodpeckers

 2 males in a territorial dispute.

They hopped around a lot, posing.

Hopped and posed some more.

Still hopping and posing.

Finally a FedEx truck barreled down our street startling the birds.  

Flying to a tree, they had a brief skirmish before flying off.

Katydid

  Fork Tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia fucata) --

 basking in the late afternoon sunlight on our kitchen window.

Large Maple Spanworm Moth

A ragged Prochoerodes lineola on the wall by our backdoor last night.

Cicada

 Cicada resting at the Lily Garden.

Poults

 Hen with 5 poults.

Painted Turtle

Today,  when I checked why the Catbird and the Robin were avoiding our ground birdbath (garbage can lid),  I discovered a Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta).  

After he climbed out, I put him in a cage briefly to get some close-up shots.

He was not amused...

Female Baltimore Oriole

Wish I could have gotten closer --

 Female Oriole picking apart weed-block fabric threads for her nest.

Rabbit

 First rabbit of the season caught on the security camera around dusk this evening.

Fox

This morning around 6:45 AM, a wee fox came hunting through our yard as I was in the kitchen making chocolate zucchini muffins for Mom.

(The video is a bit shaky as I had to be on tiptoe reaching over the sink to see out the window.)

Tulip Time

 Time for Tulips, Daffodils, and Sunsets

Groundhog Time Again

 Our neighbors across the street as well as the neighbors on both sides of us have groundhog holes either against their houses or against their fence.  I haven't found one on our property ... yet.  Daily a sturdy looking groundhog has been visiting our yard -- if only he'd eat only the weeds.

Standing and gazing towards the golf-course.

Nibbling our lawn until I move my arm to get him to move.  He runs off towards our neighbor's yard.

Staring me down.

Partial Solar Eclipse

My sad little attempt photographing a pinhole projection of eclipse near its maximum.

 

Fox bark

A fox has been running around the neighborhood tonight barking a lot -- saw him run by the house. Unfortunately I was only able to get a brief bark at the 13 second mark on this recording, with a lot of noise from the recorder.

Earthquake

Between 10:20 AM and 10:30 AM I heard a loud thick rumbling like a very large very low flying helicopter -- but without the sound of the rotors.  The whole house shook, and I could feel it through my entire body.  At first I wasn't going to bother to try to see what aircraft it was, but the shaking continued so strong I went quickly outside --  I looked up but it had passed so I saw nothing but blue sky, sun, and some clouds.  Only later did I learn that Poughkeepsie had felt an earthquake that originated in NJ.

Just about 6 PM I was in the kitchen when I felt what seemed to be the rumble of a large truck driving down the street.  I jokingly wondered, "Was that an aftershock?"

Yep.  It was!

Snow

 Got a light dusting of snow last night -- pretty.

Rainy Day

Lodged

“The rain to the wind said,

You push and I'll pelt.'

They so smote the garden bed

That the flowers actually knelt,

And lay lodged--though not dead.

I know how the flowers felt.” 

― Robert Frost

Ice Formation

 When water froze in a bucket over-night it formed a neat little hollow triangle tower.  The pictures don't really show it, so I did a wee video.

WINDY!

March Winds don't know about Leap Day.....

Robin Hatchlings, Groundhog

 Two to the Robin's eggs have hatched so far:

Groundhog ready for gardens to be planted:

Nests -- Robin, Cardinal

Both on the North side of the house --

3 Robin eggs in the Holly Bush

At least 2 baby Cardinals in the Juniper Bush