The chives have bloomed!
Thought the peony was gone, but no!
Hummingbird silhouette looks on
Another rose on the way
Rose has an unknown loiterer, it seems
Some views captured in the yard today
Nature
Turkey vultures get a bad rap
Some people are afraid of them, most state how ugly they are, many shudder when they think of what turkey vultures eat. Turkey vultures are, regardless of their reputation, wonderful birds that play a very important role in the ecosystem. They consume any dead animal carcasses they find, thus removing any rotting carcasses.
Warming up or drying out
What some think about the Turkey Vulture
Turkey vultures tend to roost at night in large groups. Their body temperatures lower overnight, and the next morning these large birds often spread their wings wide and hold them spread out. This behavior allows them to raise their temperatures. This behavior also is thought to dry wings.
Some more fun facts about Turkey Vultures
- They can soar for hours at a time, rarely flapping wings
- They clean up the carcasses of dead animals, keeping diseases down
- Wing spans reach up to six feet
- They stick their heads in carcasses, so no head feathers
- Buzzard is not the correct name for turkey vultures
- They DO NOT kill dogs, cats, or children
And finally, a group of Turkey Vultures roosting is called a “committee”. When they are soaring in the air on thermals they are a “kettle” and when eating they are a “wake”.
The bold, brash and beautiful Blue Jay
This common, large songbird is familiar to many, as it is a common resident in both forests and suburbs. Blue Jays are easy to spot with their blue, white, and black plumage, and have very noisy calls. Some of these calls mimic predators like hawks and eagles, scaring other birds into dropping their foods, which the Blue Jays gladly take for themselves.
The Blue Jay is an omnivore. Its diet varies according to the time of year and available supply. It is well known that acorns are their favorite food, and are gathered and stored for winter consumption. Forgotten acorns have reseeded forests for millenniums.
Blue Jays mate for life. A mated couple split the work of building their bulky stick nests. The male brings the female food as she sits on the eggs. He continues to feed the chicks for the first few days after they hatch. Blue Jays are fun to watch and exciting to hear. You’re lucky if you have them in your yard.
Large, wonderous and impressive Pileated Woodpeckers
Here are a couple of videos we took and some facts about these eye catching forest birds. Pileated Woodpeckers are crow-sized birds (16 – 19 inches long) with a flame-red crest on top of their head. Their wingspan can be up to 30 inches.
The Pileated Woodpecker’s primary food is carpenter ants, along with other ants, woodboring beetle larvae, termites, and other insects such as flies, spruce budworm, caterpillars, cockroaches, and grasshoppers.
Pileated Woodpeckers stay with the same mate for life. Pairs claim forest territories up to 150 acres or larger. They loudly drum on trees with their beaks all year long to announce the boundaries of their territories.
A mean looking bird’s sinister gaze
This grackle is upset about something. It looks like he is walking towards the camera.
Indianapolis Southwestway Park offers mountain bike and horse trails
Southwestway Park is a 587-acre park in the southwest part of Indy, outside the I-465 loop on Mann Road. There is a long trail system that includes hiking, mountain biking, running and horseback riding. There are baseball diamonds, soccer fields and other recreational sports available here, along with the Winding River Golf Course.
Yes, horses allowed
Beautiful trails
Trail Head information board with trail maps
Discover White River Rewards Pass is a delightful program that allows you to explore 37 different parks along White River in central Indiana. Southwestway Park is one of 37 Indy parks belonging to the Rewards Pass. The Discover White River Pass offers exclusive real-world rewards like stickers, shirts, and on-water experiences by visiting dozens of parks and attractions.
An angry squirrel sounds off
Angry Squirrel Noise
April’s full moon is “The Pink Moon”
April’s full moon namesake in our garden
The Old Farmer’s Almanac calls the April 24th full moon “The Pink Moon”. This name has nothing to do with the color of the moon. It won’t be pink, but instead it will appear as the usual normal bright white moon. The name instead comes from the bloom of the ground phlox, a pink flower common in North America that blooms in mid to late April.
Maple tree helicopters – whirligigs
It’s the time of year for Maple trees to put on their wonderful flying seeds: helicopters, whirligigs or other fun names!
March 28th
It is now two weeks later, April 11th
Soon there will be thousands of whirligigs on the ground, and, yes, filling the gutters and downspouts. Spring is here in Indiana.
New York and New Jersey hit with 4.8 magnitude earthquake
New York and New Jersey felt the earth shake less than an hour ago at 10:30 AM. The quake registered 4.8 on the Richter Scale. Reports of shaking have already been reported from Maine to Maryland.
Location of the 4.8 magnitude quake, map courtesy USGS
Early reports have not mentioned any severe damage. Several agencies in the area have ordered stops to services until inspections can be performed on infrastructure. Earthquakes are rare in the U.S. Northeast.
Roadtirement 