Carol Duke Photography Has a New Home

Thank you for visiting here. You can see hundreds of Carol's photographs over at her new website ~ caroldukeflowers.com  I hope you can come and visit. Best Wishes.

Treasures of a Wildlife Garden

Wishing Everyone A Happy New Year! 

A compilation of some of the wildlife captured in the gardens and fields of Flower Hill Farm in 2013.

A Bestiary: Songbirds ~ Black-and-white Warbler

The latest installment of my 'A Bestiary . . . Tales from a Wildlife Garden' is just out and you can see it over at Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. The Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia, is the featured warbler for the month of December.

The B&W warbler is a strikingly striped songbird of a rather energetic nature. Surprising antics along with certain physical attributes make for more than just a black-and-white tale. To learn more . . . click the link above.

A Bestiary: Songbirds ~ Black-throated Blue Warbler

For two years now I have been writing about the beasts that share our wildlife habitat here in Western Massachusetts. One installment a month published over at Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. This month, while most of these birds would be nearing their overwinter sites, I offer the twenty-fourth installment of 'A Bestiary . . . Tales from A Wildlife Garden' featuring a small songbird . . . the stocky and striking Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens.

You can learn a bit more about this industrious warbler by clicking on the link above. If you live on the southern most tip of Florida you may have them overwintering in your garden. The Black-throated Blue Warbler dons its slate-blue and black markings all year round which greatly helps in identifying it correctly. The female may confuse the observer, however, as she is quite different and once experts thought the two to be different species. The white patch on the wings of both female and male warblers is one telltale sign. These two do not necessarily choose the same winter site habitat making it even more difficult to pair them up. The male chooses a lower forest elevation where the female is more lofty in her choice of higher shrubby microclimates.

A Bestiary: Songbirds ~ Magnolia Warbler

'A Bestiary' continues . . .  this month featuring the medium sized and strikingly marked Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia. I first sighted this little songbird kicking up detritus from within pots on the terrace garden. It was May 2009 and proved to be, so far, my only close-up encounter with this beautiful warbler.

A rather bold breeding male sits with eyes focused on mine. Magnolia Warblers breed within young stands of conifers. You can learn a bit more by visiting my recent installment over at Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. 

A Bestiary: Songbirds ~ Common Yellowthroat Warbler

Common Yellowthroat Warbler Geothlypis trichas, is featured in a new installment of my 'A Bestiary: Part Twenty ~ Songbirds: Warblers' and it is up over at Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens .

Female and Male Yellowthroat Warbler 

A Bestiary ~ Songbirds : Warblers

For months I have been working on 'A Bestiary . . . Tales from a Wildlife Garden' writing and sharing photos of the wildlife that live here on our land . . .  from mammals to birds and now featuring the songbirds. Starting with the wonder of warblers. 

The Chestnut Sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica, returns to Flower Hill Farm every spring as the trees begin to leaf out delighting all who listen and observe. The warblers name is inspired by the chestnut line going down both sides of the little chirpy bird's breast. 

You can see more photographs and learn a bit about this beautiful warbler over at Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. 

'A Bestiary' ~ Northern Flicker

The Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus, has been back since the buds began to swell. You can see and learn more about this industrious woodpecker by visiting Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. This was my last installment on Woodpeckers. 

Flying into another season to pick berries with a Cedar Waxwing . . . or not!  

 Hopefully the Viburnum will give a great bounty of berries again this summer.