A-Wren-Dipity!

A-Wren-Dipity!

Our oak titmouse babies fledged yesterday, so when I heard lots of hyper eager chirping outside this afternoon, I assumed it was the little homesick titmice returning to our yard to visit. Unexpectedly, it was a full-fledged family—kids and parents—of the...
Leap Day!

Leap Day!

For years I have always managed to miss the moment when all of the fledglings in our various birdhouses emerged and took flight into the big beautiful world of our Sonoma Valley neighborhood. But this lazy Sunday morning, hearing a noisy cacophony of hungry birds in...
Caterpillar Chic

Caterpillar Chic

An oak titmouse was showing off his new mustache today in our backyard. (Or possibly HER new mustache.) And personally, I thought it looked absolutely . . . larvalous!
Eristalis Tenax

Eristalis Tenax

“A bee, or not a bee? That is the question.” Answer: Not a bee. It’s a drone fly hanging out on our backyard lilac tree. Fun facts: • The drone fly’s scientific name is Eristalis tenax. • Eristalis tenax doesn’t bite, nor does it sting. • Eristalis tenax has shorter...
The Melancholy Sparrow

The Melancholy Sparrow

The Melancholy Sparrow: This golden-crowned sparrow was in our backyard today munching on seeds from miner’s lettuce and other assorted “weeds,” all part of an intense spring of bulking up so it can survive the long migration thousands and thousands miles north...
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