Yep. The “Snows” know all right. Snowbirds, that is, and they know when it’s time to pack their little bags and fly away for the summer. But so far, they haven’t felt the urge. My little flock of 9 snowbirds, Dark-eyed Juncos to be exact, are still picking up the millet seeds that I scatter especially for them. My snowbirds generally arrive in November, chased down from the north by cold … [Read more...]
All Aboard
We were at the Chankanaab National Park in Cozumel on the last stop of our Mexico Cruise. The ship’s bus had delivered us and would pick us up later. The guide told us that if we left early and took our own taxi back to the ship – and we were late – that we better learn Spanish because we would be stuck in Mexico. When you are on a cruise ship, you need to be back when they say to be … [Read more...]
The Blacks are Back
One of the first signs of spring – fishing-wise – is the arrival of the big black drum, and they have arrived. Anglers are starting to find black drum along the Eastern Shore. Long Bay Pointe Bait & Tackle registered their first black drum citation on March 30th. The 52-inch citation (shown above) was caught and released near Fisherman’s Island by Jonathan Hughes. Look for them to show up … [Read more...]
Counting Meal Worms
Having too much time on your hands is not a good thing. For example. I had ordered 5,000 meal worms for my bluebirds and they came in a vented box with a bunch of cardboard to separate the layers. I inspected the contents, and all looked well, except…. How do you know if they really sent you 5,000 mealworms? If they only packed 4,900 that would be a 2 percent shortage and if some fiendish worm … [Read more...]
Sour Cream Cubed Steaks
It just so happened that on the same day I bought a package of cubed steaks, I saw a recipe for Sour Cream Cubed Steaks. I gave it a bit of a whirl even though I came up with my own version. But the Sour Cream Gravy is what caught my eye. Cubed steaks are always asty. How can they miss being round steak pounded into oblivion and round steaks are always flavorful? But they can get dry and tough. … [Read more...]
Signs of Our Times
(Almost) Gold Finches
After being a drab olive for six months, my male goldfinches are beginning to put on the Ritz, molting into a new suit of bright gold feathers. I always thought the birds’ feathers changed colors, but they don’t. Many birds grow new and entirely differently colored feathers. The goldfinch is the only one in its family to undergo a complete, not a partial molt. Even the females get a touch of … [Read more...]
Phlox Beauties
How do spell beauty? P-h-l-o-x. Phlox, not flox. Phlox may be hard to spell, but they sure are pretty, and they are easy to grow. I remember when I first moved to Charlottesville, I made many trips to Sugar Hollow to engage the trout in the Moorman’s River with assorted flies. I also vividly remember that in early April, lawns all along Garth Road and Sugar Hollow Road were teeming with … [Read more...]
Dodging The Grackle Bullet
I am trying to dodge the grackle bullet without starving my regular songbirds and – knock on wood – I think I am succeeding. I have talked with other birders, and most don’t seem to have a big problem with grackles. By big problem, I mean 50 and 60 at a time, decimating the feeders. That’s a genuine problem when they take down a $5 peanut suet bar in one day and empty a tray of sunflower hearts … [Read more...]
It’s Scottsville for Big Catfish
For years, Scottsville has been receiving lots of attention from fishermen, most particularly smallmouth bass fishermen. But another species has popped up on the Scottsville fishing radar screen. Catfish. Big catfish. In years past, serious catfish anglers in Virginia –assuming they didn’t travel down to Santee Cooper in South Carolina – have been prowling the waters of such … [Read more...]
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