New England Backyard Wildlife

My parents' yard on Cape Cod attracts tons of awesome creatures and while I'm visiting I spend a lot of time wandering their property looking at things.  I'll break it down for you.

Mammals.

Their most famous mammal this summer has been an albino chipmunk they first noticed in June.


How this critter has managed to stay alive I have no idea. 

Regular flavor chipmunk for comparison

Birds.

It's always nice to hang out with common eastern birds that do not, for the most part, exist in Oregon.  Here's a sampler platter:


 Common Grackle


Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 Carolina Wren


Coffee with turkeys (okay, we have lots of turkeys in Oregon)

There are no good-looking cardinals in late August


Baltimore Orioles are suckers for jelly



 Gray Catbirds are also suckers for jelly

Black-and-white Warbler


Red-bellied Woodpecker

My last morning in New England I heard a lifer sound while I was still in bed:




Insects.

Eastern tiger swallowtail

These two sulphurs (?) were flying around stuck together

The best insect of the trip, and maybe even my favorite creature from the trip, was the Hummingbird clearwing moth!



There are other non-living creatures to be on the lookout for at my parents' house...




This is always a fun place to hang out, plus the company is pretty good when I'm not getting annihilated at Scrabble.  Good times!!!

Comments

  1. I want that mug. And also a Beetlejuice snake for my yard.

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  2. "How to Play Scrabble Like a Champion" by Joel Wapnick was helpful in improving my game. Thanks for sharing another fun filled post.

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    1. Maybe I should check that out before my next visit. Thanks for the tip!

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  3. Did your dad make all those awesome yard creatures? Love them! Uh and Ah at the clear wing, and a marvelous line up of birds in the yard....the Albino is amazing!! Your parents are in a great place! I can't seem to get past 3 letter words in scrabble.

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    1. Yeah, my dad made them all. There are tons more I didn't show, but these are all newer ones.

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  4. Sorry to see that you are mothballing the blog. I have really enjoyed reading it, and you pretty much turned me into a bicycling birder. May your times always be good!

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    1. Thanks, Greg! Glad some good came out of this thing.

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  5. I discovered your blog a year ago when it popped up in a google search. A coworker had just told me she hated birds when I mentioned I was getting into birding. “You should check this blog out” I said humorously. Since then, your blog has been an inspiration, a source for finding birding spots, like Broughton Beach where I got the Am. Pipit and Horned Lark (this before I figured out ebird) and a pleasant diversion when I needed a break at work. I will miss your posts. I imagine they took much effort, and have marveled that you were able to keep producing them week after week. Thank you for sharing all of that work.

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