1st Snowfall Jan 25, 2023 2 inches
Wet Snowfall – Ice on Trees
Light Snow at the Pond
Wet Snowfall – Mom and Pop in Marsh
Sun Beam in the Forest
Black Eyed Susans and Echinacea in Front Garden
Beauty Berry, Frost Aster, Joe Pye, Goldenrod on Path to Barn
Territorial Bear Fight Around Pond and Barn
Monarch Butterflies
Giant Swallowtail
Painted Lady
Racoon Family Relaxing on Hot Summer Day
Virginia Creeper on Tree Trunk
Tulip Poplar Raining Fall Leaves
Variegated Fritillary Chrysalis Forming on Pineapple Sage
Highlights
Birds seen on the farm during 2023: 126 species; Last Hummingbird Oct. 2
July/Aug. had 3 weeks with 4 close encounters with black bears
Lilacs re-bloomed at the end of October
Butterflies seen:
- New:
- Eastern Giant Swallowtail,
- Variegated Fritillary (brought in chrysalis, released after it emerged late Sep. – host plant passionfruit! vs violets preferred by other fritillaries),
- American Lady,
- Painted Lady,
- Mourning Cloak,
- Viceroy
- Monarch: very few early but found caterpillars on some of the milkweed plants, no chrysalis though; more in Sep./ Oct. but still sparse
Canada Geese:
- 7 pairs attempted to nest multiple times but only the New Island Family (NIF) hatched eggs this year. Fox and mink destroyed all the eggs in the other nests, and the NIF nest was hit once but 2 of the eggs survived to hatching. In 2022 none of the geese successfully hatched any of their eggs.
- Waterfall Family (WFF) update – April 2nd was the last day Scooby (3 year old) was seen. Prince Charming (PC = her mate) returned in June, stayed with Mom & Pop (WF2=parents) til molting completed and left with them. Scooby didn’t return in the Fall, so fears confirmed she was lost trying to nest for the 1st time this Spring. WF2 nested in 3 locations and all the eggs were destroyed.
