Hi! I'm Maria!
Mother, grandmother, passionate about native gardens, birds, wildlife and collies, writer, author, believer in fairies ...
On “day 4” of … on Flickr.
Sure enough, I found my turtle near the pond at 8 a.m. - yesterday, it was 8:30 a.m. - so he or she is, it seems, a creature of habit. Turtles, sadly, are in decline on the East End of Long Island so to have one in my garden is thrilling!
“Flat Luke” befriending … on Flickr.
The turtle didn’t seem too frightened when I placed “Flat Luke” next to him. My new friend seems to take life in stride!
This morning … on day three … on Flickr.
An excerpt from my upcoming column, “From Fourth Neck,” that will appear on Thursday in the Western Edition of The Southampton Press:
“The newest delight in my garden is an Eastern box turtle that can be found in the afternoon quietly resting in the shade of my Kousa dogwood, nestled underneath day lilies and hydrangeas. And, in the early morning, he or she hangs out by the pond with my stone turtle!”
A surprise visitor … on Flickr.
My wildlife garden was full of activity today. As I walked over to the pond, I frightened a garter snake who almost leaped out of the ajuga and native geraniums. He quickly scurried under some rocks by the pond. An Eastern box turtle was enjoying the shade from my Kousa dogwood. Nearby were a couple of half-eaten strawberries so I think Mr. Turtle was quite full! The orioles are devouring the fresh oranges that I put out for them. My cardinals are thrilling me with their loud early morning songs. Oh, yes, and Emmett, the “wild” wild cat, was trying to catch moths last night. He was leaping and jumping and twisting in the moonlight to no avail.
Just in time … on Flickr.
… for “National Save the Frog Day” … this little guy appears to be sunning himself on the rocks overhanging my pond!
Great Egret fishing … on Flickr.
… for goldfish in my pond. Apparently, my fish are pretty “wise” ~ hiding in the roots of the reeds ~ because most of the goldfish ~ especially my big black one ~ are still around!
Great Egret perusing … on Flickr.
the pond for his Easter Sunday brunch. He is a true “Hamptonite” ~ he has spent the last few weekends at my pond and then, apparently, goes back to the “city” for the rest of the week!
A September Weekend …
This weekend was absolutely glorious … in the low 70’s, sunny and dry … a weekend that I just don’t want to end.
I guess my wild-friends felt that way too since they all made an appearance. The twin fawns and the turkey babies have really grown … almost as big as their moms!
Millie, the bunny, is also getting big … but, thankfully, not as quickly as the fawns and the turkeys.
My pond was covered today with a flock of bluejays … a lot prettier and more colorful than the grackles … and just as rambunctious!
I saw Rose, the hummingbird, earlier in the week. I wonder when she’ll migrate. It is truly amazing that when ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate to Costa Rica they cross the Gulf … some 500 miles … non-stop!
My weekend was extra special because my son Michael came to visit. He cooked me an absolutely delicious dinner: pork chops in a brown sugar sauce, smashed red potatoes and green beans with a fresh-from-my-garden tomato and onion glaze. Yummy ….
It’s 5 p.m. and bitter cold … cold enough for beautiful ice formations to form on the waterfall by the pond. I surprised the turkeys when I went out to fill up the corn feeders. They didn’t seem particularly bothered though … they just moved further back into the woods. Misty was with me but they didn’t seem to mind her either … although she was the one who alerted me that they were in the woods.
My feeders have been busy all day with chickadees, tufted titmice, doves, juncos, bluejays, crows, wrens and sparrows and what is this year’s favorite … the red-breasted nuthatches. The woodpeckers enjoyed the suet and a lone robin gobbled up my holly berries.
I was enjoying watching a cardinal eating the safflower seeds I had just put out … his red feathers so bright and beautiful on this late and cold winter afternoon … when out of the corner of my eye I saw something move … it was my doe who pretty much comes at this time each day … almost always alone … but today two of her friends have joined her. Food must be scarce. I’m glad they know there is always corn for them here.
Yesterday was so different. It was almost 40 degrees warmer. In the morning, a magical mist enveloped the pond, and, with the morning sun rising behinds the pines and oaks, it was a most mystical morning. Just exquisite!
Around 10 a.m., I was visited by a flock of migrating grackles. In all my years of watching the birds, I have never ever seen a flock so large … 500 or more. They were all over the pond, the feeders, the trees, the grass. Everything was black. There wasn’t a patch of green anywhere. They have been visiting all week. They stay perhaps 10 to 15 minutes and then they all fly up in a gigantic swirling black mass. Truly amazing … like something out of Alfred Hitchcocks’ “The Birds”.
Life is sweet …
