Wordless Wednesday

Hooded Merganser Babies

While photographing waterlilies in the tea brown waters of the swamp, the leaves riffling gentling in the breeze, the silence broken only by the the song of Red-winged Blackbirds; an agitated jerking of distant leaves and the hint of ripples in the water revealed a duckling, then 2. Looking ahead of the stragglers, I saw a mama Hooded Merganser push through the hidden passages with a flotilla of 10 babies following in her wake.

Hooded Mergansers are cavity nesters in swampy areas. Given how many Wood Duck boxes are scattered around the Great Swamp, I am sure she appropriated one.

Highbush Blueberry

I was meandering down the elevated boardwalk through the Great Swamp struck by all the tiny twinkling wildflowers just emerging from their long winter's nap; when I came across a tall woody shrub with pendulous urns. The shrub was at least 6 feet tall. Remembering that Teaberry had flowers similar to this, I happily hummed the old Teaberry gum jingle all the way back to the car.

Imagine my surprise when I got home to see that Teaberry is low and in the wintergreen family. Definitely not a 6 foot shrub. It turns out this is a Highbush Blueberry and can grow up to 15 feet. That is a lot of blueberries! Our cultivated blueberries are derived from this shrub.

I have wild Blueberries up here on the mountain, but they are at best knee high. I wonder if they will grow up to be this?

Wordless Wednesday

Bear Hunt in New Jersey

New Jersey has approved a black bear hunt for December west of 287 and north of Route 80. That is my backyard. I flipped open the paper to finish reading the article. Having a bear hunt has been a controversial subject since the last hunt in 2005. There are many people for and against. It has turned into one of those taboo topics like a politics and religion. I worry about the cubs and fear the horror stories I heard back in '05. We'll see, I suppose.

Wordless Wednesday

Bears Do Know What's in the Can

While I was chatting with Sissy this morning on the phone, a black bear sauntered into the backyard heading straight to where I hang the bird feeders in winter. It must be the same one that has chewed on my feeders in the past. By the time I grabbed my camera, it had moved on. The odd thing was that it was 9 am, late for bears to be about.

Then on my way home from the market this afternoon, I saw one making a beeline to a bear can on the side of the road a few block from the house. The bear reared up and pushed it over and was rolling it around. I inched up in the car and took this picture through the open passenger side window. What you can't see is that the bear was panting, it was noon on a hot summer day, why is this guy not holed up somewhere out of the heat?

Wordless Wednesday

Chipmunks

I have the biggest, fattest, cheekiest chipmunks on the planet living in my stone walls. If I leave the garage door open while I work in the yard, I often find one dashing out as I come in. They are not stupid. They know where the seeds are, well were (I am out of seeds and will not buy any more until winter.) I have no one but myself to blame. When we had that 4 feet of snow; I scooped the snow away and poured sunflower seeds down their hole. Now they think I am the local market.

A Single Tulip Blossoms

I love tulips but so do the deer, groundhogs, squirrels, and, oh yes, the chipmunks. Years ago, I planted a few knowing it was futile. Although they struggle to come up every year, this year I actually have one bloom. Since there is only one; I enjoy it all the more.

New Jersey Porcupine

I have seen plenty of dead porcupines, after all they are nocturnal and slow, not a good combination for our fast paced world. But the only live ones I have seen were in Alaska. Imagine my surprise when I spotted one on Clinton Road early one evening.

I was creeping along with the windows down listening for birdsong from any early migrants when I drove past this porcupine along the side of the road. "Huh, porcupine, that's interesting," I thought to myself. I was less than a mile up the road when it suddenly hit me. "Porcupine! A live NJ porcupine!" I turned the car around and drove slowly back searching the roadside for it. I drove up and down several more times and was about to give up, when I finally saw it again. I got out of the car without closing the door, so as to not alarm it. As I approached, it raised it quills, then as I didn't come any nearer, lowered them again and continued munching on the tender shoots of wildflowers. It ambled around often aiming its prickly backside in my direction.

I often use Clinton Road because it cuts through the Newark watershed. It's great for birds and now porcupine viewing.

Eggs and Rocks

One of the best things about Easter on the mountain is the rocks. I know you are scratching your head thinking, "Um, Ok." But when it comes time for the annual egg hunt having three rock walls in which to tuck the hidden treasures makes the game for exciting.

Now that the youngest guests are older, the egg hunt can be a little harder.

But even with three rock walls, there were still eggs cowering in flower beds, floating in the bird bath, trying to squeeze into the bird house, hoping to blend in with the daffodil leaves and one hiding in plain sight under the table.

I love the kids running around the yard; peering into the shrubbery, poking into the emergent foliage, delving into the crevices.

Happily all but one egg was found. Luckily I noticed a glint of yellow as the last car pulled away. . I hope your Easter was as lovely.

Bear in the Backyard

I keep telling everyone that I live in bear country and that they stroll through the backyard often. Well for all you non-believers out there, here ya go. I actually had the camera handy this time.

Teensiest Frog I Have Ever Seen

I flipped on the outside light while I was writing last night hoping for some interesting moths. Truth be told I was really hoping for a Luna Moth, they have been reported south of me. When I went out to check what was happening in the darkness, I found a weensy green frog on the deck railing. It was maybe 1/2 inch long, and that may be too generous. That is a begonia leaf in the background. I have no idea what it is. Do you know?

Come take a Walk with Me

It has been raining on and off (mostly on) for 2 weeks. Today the sun is peeking out, so I dashed out to get some weeding done since it is going to rain again for the next 3 days at least. sigh. C'mon. Let's take a walk around the house to see what we can find.

You know I live on a mountain in the woods, right. This is a photo of the back yard, looking up the mountain. All of the tall shrubby stuff at the top of the yard, is native Mountain Laurel.

And the short shrubby stuff is low bush Blueberry. These are the tiny native variety. Alas, native things eat them too, I have never seen any ripe.


Listen, can you hear the lilting song of the House Wren, the chatter of the Robins and the burr of the Chipping Sparrow? Sounds like everyone is happy to see the sun. This year a pair of Wrens have take residence in the Wren House that Uncle Mel built. They flit around too much for me to get a photo of them, but I'll keep trying.

When I was stalking the Wren, a flash of orange caught my eye. I don't know what they are, but they look kinda of snacky to me.

Let's check the fern bed since we are up here. Japanese Painted Ferns are one of my favorites. I'll do a post on all of the ferns later. I started collecting them since the deer won't touch them.

And speaking of collecting and the deer not eating; I also LOVE Allium. But it's in the front of the house out by the street. Let me show you.

There are lots and lots of flower beds at my house, I promise I won't make you look at them all or at least save some for another time. One last shot of a perennial Foxglove. Hardy to zone 4 and the deer won't touch it. Digitalis, don't ya know.

What's happening in your yard?

Tulip Tree

Years ago, I met a man who did not believe there were Tulip Trees; snorted at the very idea. I remember staring at him in disbelief. It was like saying he did not believe in Maples or Oaks or trees even. I could not get my head around it. If he had never seen one, then I was making them up. He huffed through his whiskers, muttering about tulips on trees. We had been having a spirited conversation about morels. I merely mentioned that I had heard that morels loved Tulip Trees and to make sure to look around their base. He wandered off shaking his head. I did not realize what a narrow range the trees had.

Years later, I had a house guest that had never heard of Tulip Trees either. But as luck would have it, he was visiting at a time when they were blooming. On a walk in the woods, we came across a perfect tulip blossom lying on the path where it had fallen in the night. The smile of delight on his face as he turned the flower in his hands; then looked up at the towering tree was truly a sight to behold.

I will always remember both of these fellows when I see the flowers of a Tulip Tree.

Tulip Trees are in the magnolia family. They can grow to staggering heights, have beautiful straight trunks, and look like Greek columns standing in an emerald glade. It is the tallest and one of the largest trees in the woods. I love the "gentleman of the forest". They usually produce their first flowers when they are 15 to 20 years old and may continue blooming for 200 years. 200 years! The flowers bloom from April to June and last from 2 to 6 weeks at a time. They are blooming now. So when you are out, make sure to look up.

Make sure to check out Festival of the Trees, Edition 36 is up at Roundrock Journal.

Furnace in the Forest

Hiking in Wawayanda State Park, you cannot miss the massive remains of the iron furnace and the little village the surrounds it. It is a landmark and people often use it when giving directions. Built in 1846, it operated for 10 years and the ore was of such high quality it was used for train wheels. But cheaper Pennsylvania coal drew the smelting business away and now the stone furnace sits in the woods a testiment to history. North Jersey is full of rocks and you can often see the rust stains on them from the iron.

Pyromaniac on the loose

I hereby declare that things have gotten out of hand. I am tired of hearing fire sirens in the night. Someone is setting fire to empty summer homes on the lake and it has to stop. This house is only about 1.5 miles from mine. Too close. It is one of about 5, that I know of, that has burned. I remember that someone (I think they said kids in the paper) had set fire to the woods last Spring. Or at last everyone assumed it was kids. Now though, I am not so sure.

This week there has been lots of trucks, and backhoes at another house that burned and was starting to fall in on itself. They had to pull it down. Which is a good thing. It was dangerous, an eyesore and a blight on the community. While I sorta of thought that that one might have been torched for the insurance money (it has been empty for 9 years that I know of) that cannot be true of all of them. Or is it? Has the economy gotten that bad?

Red Fox in Winter

I was on my way to have dinner with friends down in Hunterdon county when I happened to see movement out of the corner of my eye. There trotting across a field was a Red Fox. I slammed on the brakes; luckily there was no one behind me and my camera was on the passenger seat. I haven't seen a fox since last winter (also in the general vicinity). On the way back from dinner, we saw another Red Fox cross the road in front of the car. Wow. 2 in one day. Howard, also said they had seen hit on the side of the road in the morning on the way to church. This handsome guy looks like he is in great shape.

Winter walk on Clinton Road

I went looking for the White-winged Crossbills that were sighted on Clinton Road but did not find them. Instead I reveled in the beauty of winter. The snow lay draped on the green boughs and the ice coating glittered like a fairy land. It is how I would imagine Narnia to look.

Clinton Reservoir was completely frozen, but Mossman's Brook danced and sang as merrily as ever.

White-winged Crossbills eat the seeds from small cones like Hemlocks. Here...Crossy, Crossy, Crossy...Don't these look snacky?


Well at least something had been sampling the bittersweet.


I love the way ice looks on twigs and branches but I am concerned for the trees now that we have had ice for over a week and a deep freeze is coming from an Arctic blast.