the ducklings will mostly be consumed by large mouth bass…
2012/05/02
2012/04/28
Arbor Day
Charlottesville schoolchildren measure the circumference of Quercus alba at Forest Hills Park.
The Tree Stewards stressed that this tree is a survivor. Its life recently hasn’t been easy. It’s under professional care. Time will tell.
There is a saying about oaks, something to the effect of :
“They spend 100 years growing, 100 years thriving and 100 years dying.”
No telling how old these trees are. They were located on the woodland of the James Fife’s farm “Oak Lawn”. Thanks to the Fife folk for seeing beyond the timber value of these trees.
One of my few regrets in life is that I didn’t start planting trees earlier. Maybe these people will grow up without that regret.
Is there space for trees in Charlottesville? Do “ecosystem services” matter? These issues are under discussion by the Planning Commission and the City Council. Now there is a Tree Commission in the mix.
2012/04/11
2012/04/10
homo sapiens
Humans are uniquely adept at utilizing systems of communication for self-expression, the exchange of ideas, and organization. Humans create complex social structures composed of many cooperating and competing groups, from families and kinship networks, to nations. Social interactions between humans have established an extremely wide variety of values, social norms, and rituals, which together form the basis of human society.–Wikipedia
2012/04/01
dead birds
I have gotten little traction for my proposal to leash the King of suburbia, felis catus.
Had occasion to be reminded of cats’ killing prowess when Gordon hauled in a Cardinalis cardinalis.
Gordo growled to be sure I didn’t mess with the bird while she tried to clear her lips of those pesky bird feathers.
Meanwhile, out on Market Street, two members of Turdus migratorius clan are road kill, extinguished by that other King of suburbia, the automobile.
What kills birds? Consultants to the Wind Power Industry on birds and other wildlife issues, Curry and Kerlinger LLC put together some numbers which hold that glass windows are the largest bird slayer, 100-900 million birds per year. (love that range, factor of nine. Doesn’t inspire confidence).
House cats and motor vehicles each dispatch a 100 million.
I feel like a politician, “don’t believe the numbers”. From my experience, domestic cats rule in the realm of shredded tweet. That 100 million dead for cats, way low.
Leash law for the kitties!
2012/03/30
homo sapiens
The shopping cart is a strong sign that a member of the homo sapiens (knowing man) genus is nearby.
2012/03/09
quercus alba
The Va Department of Forestry’s seedling store is open. Buy a ten pack, share with your neighbors.
2012/02/29
crow talk
Crow with nest materials on the grounds of the Albemarle County office building.
In his book “A Miracle of Catfish”, Larry Brown listens in on some crows watching a dozer dude nap.
A clan of local crows flew in and lit and walked around on some limbs and started saying in
their crow language, “What the hell’s up? Anything to eat?…
You think we ought to sneak in on the ground for them scraps? He ain’t
got no gun. Least I don’t see one.
Naw, man, he may be just playing possum. They do that sometimes. That’s
how my uncle got killed. My mama told me. Fell for one of them owl decoys
and a good mouth caller. Let’s just watch him for a while.
I think he done eat it all anyway. What was it? Fried chicken?
Yeah. Fried chicken. Wing and a leg and a thigh.
That’s another bird, too. I mean if you think about it. Seems kinda cannibalistic
if you know what I mean.
I ain’t related to no chicken, but I can see that other biscuit from here.”
2012/02/05
bones
I am particularly fond on this time of year in Virginia, the bones of the world are visible.
One day I’ll have a telephoto lens on the camera when this big bird does a low altitude fly-over.
2012/01/24
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Walking Sophia in misty Slabtown predawn, saw two bald eagles sitting in a tree. When I fetched my camera they split. Edmond was wondering whether I was seeing turkey vultures but I’ve never seen one of those with white tail feathers.
