G's Blog

May - June

Swamp MW roots after putting the cutting in water (I think it was Memorial day).
With two other cuttings I did the hormone treatment in soil & they're still looking good.

Jun. 20
I put some mealworms out for the Phoebe but so far this is the only interested customer. At least they didn't eat all the worms.

Having just exited my car I heard a bird I couldn't place so I quickly turned on the phone video. This is the first time I've seen an Osprey at my house and the first time ever hearing one! Sorry for the poor quality, don't know why it does that. (link to video with sound)

An 8-year FB memory.
"Is it international find-a-frog-at-work day? This little chap came out from under some lab equipment this morning. I hope he didn't steal any trade secrets."
(Susie told me it's actually a toad.)

I just found out my phone has a macro mode.
I can't tell if their eyes are open yet, don't think so. Also can't tell if there are four or five, there were five eggs.
I'm hoping to get the parents interested in mealworms, having read that they'll eat them live or dried. I got a bunch for the Bluebirds but they left after their first clutch.

Jun. 19
Last night at open mic I made a bit of a mess of this Phoebe Snow song. Fortunately nobody recorded it. I had to see if I couldn't do better today. Still not making it public!
Sorry about the audio/video differences, I recorded it in the very un-photogenic kitchen.
File under songs I have no business attempting.

Phoebes getting bigger
Not a particularly remarkable video clip but it's the first time I saw a hummingbird at that orange Oriole feeder. Trail-cam date is off by one day BTW.
Usually the trail-cam video mode kicks in after the parent has gone, but not in this case.

Jun. 17
Another song, Joey Andrasik with me sitting in.

Here's one song from open mic.
Thanks to Paul Hess for joining me unrehearsed.



Exciting Yellow warbler action.

Jun.16 Had to share this piano virtuoso.

Zooming with my brothers.

Music fun with my friends the Wayback Duo today. Thanks to Nick Shutey for the picture.

Defeating the chipmunks with hanging pots.

Jun. 14
Catbird

Red-headed woodpecker incoming. Similar to a June 7 shot but a bit sharper, not bad for fixed-focus shooting through glass. 

I really don't think this milkweed volunteer was there yesterday, and now it's a foot tall!

Another tenacious Milkweed. Too soon to call this a small victory but it makes me optimistic. This seedling has been dug up more than once and chomped off too (I assume by a chipmunk). Yesterday I noticed something new forming and today there's no doubt!
It looked like this (on the left) two days ago before that leaf totally dried up (and it got dug up again).

Jun. 13

Phoebe babies!

Jun. 11

First female Hummingbird today, yay!

Jun. 10
Open Mic at Kent Lanes with Virginia Lynn King and Jesse Kelley. (video not posted yet)
Yesterday's transplant not looking great today but I know better than to give up on it!

Jun. 9
Zoom call
Less than two weeks after pulling up a plant that was in the way, these appeared in almost the same spot.
June 8 update: relocated this little group to the east side of the ramp.
June 8 update: brightened the head a bit and brought back the watermark.
It's hard to balance the dark head with the bright white feathers.

I don't think I was even looking through the viewfinder. I was trying to balance keeping out of sight with peering around the corner to know when to start shooting.

Jun. 7
My car started stinking about a week ago. I found a mouse nest on the cabin filter. I thought I'd see if slices of peppermint gum would discourage them.

Jun. 6
Possibly a MW I started in 2025?
If so it's the only success of many attempts in the last couple of years. I don't remember how I got my established patch going but I suppose it had to be from a seedling.

Tenacious picture #4: new home and repaired crack. Now we wait.

Tenacious picture #3: I wasn't able to get much root. I dipped the bit I did get in rooting hormone before potting.

Tenacious picture #2: The crack wasn't wide enough to get the rhizome.

Jun. 5

Tenacious picture #1

My *tenacious bandana-for-scale Milkweed is now over 18" tall and I'm thinking of trying to relocate it. My guess is the rhizome is running along the crack in the cement. Maybe I'll pull up the seal in hopes of getting the root out. I'd leave it be if it wasn't sort of in the way. Also, it would be great if it could start a new patch somewhere else. Relocating in-the-way plants has shown promise so far.

*Not sure that's the word I want.

See tomorrow for update pics: one of the few plans I actually implemented, Oslo here we come!

Jun. 4

A garden gnome and his milkweed patch.

The Redheaded Woodpecker talks. (Video link)

Jun. 3

Video links:

It's All Over Baby Blue

Down To Seeds And Stems Again Blues

Kent Lanes Open Mic

Lucky shot of the day. (But I was lying in wait for him to take the leap so I guess it wasn't all luck.)

Jun. 2

Catbird video du jour

Jun. 1

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