A Bird, a Turtle, and the Garden

We've been downright astonished to see a Red-headed Woodpecker at the feeder the past two weeks. Populations are declining and the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them as Near Threatened. They use snags (dead standing trees) for nesting, which are scarce due to the misguided removal of dead trees, clear cutting, and agricultural development.

I'm usually lucky to see one once a year on my drive home from work, along open fields and edges.

RHWs are the most omnivorous of the woodpeckers, eating seeds, berries, nuts, and insects. They've been known to take an egg occasionally, too. Flashes of red, white, and black are striking to see when they fly.

A pancake across the river caught my eye last weekend. S/He was there for 2 days. I saw some disturbed soil the second day and wondered if she was laying eggs. Most likely an Eastern Spiny Softshelled Turtle, various sources list egg-laying time as June or August.

As crazy as the weather's been, I wouldn't be surprised if she left some eggs in the riverbank. Females don't lay until they're 8 to 10 years old, so if that's what was going on, she's been around a while.

The garden grows.

Lettuces

Red and Yellow Onions

Last Summer was so wet, many of the tomatoes turned to mush on the vines. They're all in pots this year, so I'll have more control over the water they receive. It's drought-y this season, so I've been busy with the hose.

Amish Paste Tomatoes

Black Cherry Tomatoes

Juliet Tomatoes

In my next post, I'll tell you about our Summer visitors.