Woods Hole Birding and Nature Walk

On May 13, I went birding with a small group of local birders at Woods Hole, a hostel/bed and breakfast for Appalachian hikers (I know I am way behind on posting!).

Woods Hole is above 3000 feet elevation so you don't see cardinals or goldfinches I was told. We did see and hear plenty of birds including wood thrushes, rose-breasted grosbeaks, red-eyed vireos and others.


Amercian Redstart female on nest

I wasn't good at identifying the birds from their songs like others were but I did spot this little tiny nest in a tree only a few feet from us. That's exciting.


Wood-Betony Pedicularis canadensis

I have seen this flower before at Mountain Lake where it's typically reddish. Of course, I couldn't remember the name at the time. I figured it was in the snapdragon family and so it was easy to look up.


Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

I had been seeing this butterfly for a few days at my house before I snapped this picture at Woods Hole. It will probably be flying around all summer according to my field guide.




After we birded for awhile, we enjoyed a good breakfast (home-made biscuits and sausage with country eggs from down the road). From the front porch, I admired the great garden--this area was just one part of it. In the background is the log cabin that the owner's grandfather built for the hikers. We saw several wirey-legged hikers enjoying the owner's coffee which she roasts and grinds there.



Looking toward the front porch where I stood before, you can see the house itself which is a log cabin dating back to the 1880s. The new addition (on the right) was completed last year. It has two bedrooms with shared bath they rent out, breakfast included.

I thought the builders did a great job of integrating the old and new structures. Also, from this view, you see the stone wall and fence which keeps the deer out of the raised beds. I wish I had photographed the great rock wall behind the house. They needed it to protect the house from run-off. The water flows into a pond which is to the right of this photo. The pond, which was flooded out in March, was built again and is now surrounded by blueberry bushes. I admire (and envy) the tremendous energy and hard work of the owners of Woods Hole.

House Hunting Wren and Migrations

Every winter, Carolina Wrens sleep on my front porch. This wren seemed to be checking out the clay birdhouse. Not sure she will like it since bumble bees nested there this summer although they are gone now. The last few nights have been very warm so maybe the wrens don't need the cozy shelter.

Migrations

Birds are migrating through here. The American Redstart has been seen in our little pond/waterfall this week. I have seen this bird before but not so close to the house. Also very close was a Brown Thrasher in a thicket of blackberries and multi-flora roses.


Monarch Butterflies are flying south to Mexico, passing through Virginia right now. It's amazing that they fly that far on such fragile wings.

I saw one earlier this week in my yard and then this one yesterday. They seem to stay for several hours feeding on the nectar and then leaving. I thought I saw one flying high in the sky, above the trees.

With the sunlight shining through, the wings look like stained glass windows.

I saw two Monarchs this morning at two different stoplights in town. Both butterflies seemed to know to fly well above the traffic. I wondered if anyone else noticed.

Good Migrations!