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| First crocuses! They popped up on Thursday. Click to enlarge. |
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| As the famous horticulturalist Gertrude S. Wister once said: "The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size." I agree. I love finding the first flowers. |
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| They are proof that spring is beginning to waken. Only 19 days until it officially begins. I think that it will be extra nice this year. |
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| So this crow lands on my lawn. Then two more. But then they all flew away. |
It was an attempted murder.
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| Although, technically, it's only a murder if you have probable caws. |
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| But seriously folks, what's this about Botox being good for crow's feet? |
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| Click on the photos to enlarge. |
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| Brought to you by the American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos, or as friends call him, Vel. Vel Crow. |
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| Happy Lunar New Year! We're having an unusually holiday-rich week. |
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| We're also celebrating Lincoln's Birthday. |
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| And Washington's Birthday. |
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| ...which makes me think of cherry trees. Click to enlarge. |
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| And today is Valentine's Day. Here's a wreath I made to celebrate. Happy Valentine's Day! |
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| All helping us get through this cold gray month. This mourning dove looks ready for spring. |
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| We had a great snowstorm this week. Click to enlarge. |
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| I took a walk a few days later. Most of the ground was still covered with snow, except for spots like this shielded area under an evergreen shrub. A white-throated sparrow was foraging for food there. It was scratching with both feet while taking little hops backwards to turn over leaves and stir up insects or seeds. |
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| Can you see the sparrow? I was attracted by the activity and might not have seen the brown bird in the dark shadows. |
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| There. It's a pretty little sparrow with a white throat and stripe over its eye and a patch of yellow between the eye and beak. Even when the ground is totally snow covered, it can find seeds and dry fruit that are still on plants. They visit bird feeders, too. |
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| Although white-throated sparrows seem inconspicuous right now, just look at this male from a few years ago in his bright spring breeding plumage. It won't be long. |
