Italian Wall Lizard

 

This is an Italian wall lizard, also called a ruin lizard — the kind you typically see basking on ancient stone ruins around the Mediterranean. This one, however, was sunning itself on the base of a flagpole in front of an office building in Mount Laurel, NJ. I took the photo last October. Click to enlarge. 

It was about 10 inches long, colorful, and resplendent in the sun. And… in New Jersey. I found out later that they were introduced to Burlington County around 2010 and are becoming established. The wall lizard is apparently well‑known for its adaptability. It's using it now to develop cold tolerance to survive our winters. In their native southern European range, they deal with cold temperatures by reducing activity, becoming dormant but waking to drink or if temperatures temporarily warm up. It’s similar to mammalian hibernation, but the reptile version is called brumation. I hope this one has tucked itself into a comfortable spot for the next couple of days at least, because cold is coming. It's time to curl up and dream about summer on the Isle of Capri. 

January

 

This January already seems long to me. But it is pretty at times, like above on the Rancocas Creek in South Jersey. Seems a perfect time for some poetry from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Here is the January stanza from his work The Poet's Calendar. Click to enlarge.

                                                    January

"Janus am I; oldest of potentates; 

Forward I look, and backward, and below 
I count, as god of avenues and gates, 
The years that through my portals come and go. 
I block the roads, and drift the fields with snow; 
I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen; 
My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow, 
My fires light up the hearths and hearts of men."

Creature of the Year Award

 

The competition was stiff for the 2025 Urban Wildlife Guide Creature of the Year Award. From a stellar group of contenders, the judges chose ... tree swallows! Congratulations, and great work this year, swallows! Click here for one of the 2025 tree swallow blogs. Click here for the baby tree swallows of the year. 

In the event that tree swallows are unable to fulfill the duties of Creature of the Year, the first runner-up -- the ever-charming goldfinch -- will step in. Well done, goldfinch, and please continue your excellent service as the official state bird of New Jersey. Click on the photos to enlarge. 

An honorable mention goes to the Indian pipes in recognition of an unprecedented number of write-in votes. (Possibly the result of a coordinated campaign by the plant lobby.) Click here to visit the 2025 Indian pipes blog. 

Winter Bird

 

Dark-eyed juncos are visiting my seed feeders and poking around in the leaves seeking seeds -- their primary winter food. They are northern birds that spend summers in Canada and farther north. You may be cold right now, but the juncos are enjoying our relatively mild temperatures, lighter snow cover, and all the nice bird feeders of suburbia. Click to enlarge.

Welcome to the backyard, winter bird! 

Winter Solstice

Today, on the last day of autumn, the sun set at 4:40:28 in Philadelphia. Tomorrow, it will set at 4:40:59. The days may grow colder as we head into winter, but also pleasantly longer. Click to enlarge the sun going down over the New Jersey Pine Barrens. 

 

Snow Day

 

It snowed all last night, and when the sun came up, the trees had been transformed. 

Some of them looked like giant snowflakes. 

Then the wind started blowing the snow off the trees. It seemed to be snowing all over again, except for being blue and sunny. Click to enlarge. 

Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote, "A few feathery flakes are scattered widely through the air, and hover downward with uncertain flight, now almost alighting on the earth, now whirled again aloft into remote regions of the atmosphere." As if he'd spent the day looking out my windows.

At sunset, some of the treetops were still draped in snow. They lit up wintry pink like this. What a beautiful day! 

Farm Visit

 

I visited the Lots of Love Farm Animal Sanctuary in Williamstown, NJ, today, where I petted, photographed, and fed healthy snacks of seeds and grain to the residents. Here's a pretty pony. And a few of my favorites... 

A handsome cow. Click to enlarge.

Roaming ducks. 

An emu. 

And a rhea, that's a big flightless bird that resembles the emu, but is from South America instead of Australia. Rheas are usually grayish brown. This one has a genetic condition called leucism, which makes its feathers white and eyes blue. He is quite a special bird! 

This camel expertly grabbed my food bucket and challenged me to a tug of war. Clever camel.

And speaking of clever. There are lots and lots of cute little goats wandering the grounds, accepting snacks and taking advantage when opportunities arise.

Like when I put my food bucket on a picnic table for a moment while I bent to take a picture of this lovely pig. While I was doing so... a little goat climbed on the table and from there hopped onto my back! 

While we were distracted, another little goat climbed the table and raided my snacks. The whole thing was loads of fun, and I smiled and laughed the whole time I was there. It was more like visiting a farm (with exceptionally cute animals) than a petting zoo. I'm glad that all the animals there ended up in such a caring home.