THE WILD SIDE
By Maria de Bruyn
Correspondent
As you are likely aware, over the past couple of months our local climate has bounced back and forth between winter cold and spring-stime warmth, which made me glad I had both cold- and warm-weather apparel at hand. We’ve been seeing the wild critters both emerging from their winter abodes and seeking warm sheltering spots. The changeable weather may have affected the emergence of some insects, depriving some birds of their usual diet. That may help explain why my bird feeders and the ground below them have been such wildlife hotspots.
Not very many butterflies, moths and insects have appeared yet, but I’ve enjoyed those I’ve seen. My favorite so far is shown above — an Eastern pine elfin butterfly, which I saw for the first time. The other butterflies with which I’m familiar have also been a joy to see. It’s always interesting to see how different some butterflies look when the top and bottom sides of their wings differ in pattern.
Top left: Eastern tailed-blue butterfly with underside of wing showing. Top right: Eastern tailed-blue butterfly with top side of wings showing. Bottom left: summer azure butterfly. Bottom right: Eastern tiger swallowtails “puddling” — a process whereby they obtain minerals and salts from moist areas. All photos by ©Maria de Bruyn
On sunny days, I began keeping an eye out for emerging amphibians and reptiles. A beautiful green anole appeared on one walk (they can change color). A Cope’s gray tree frog surprised me when it took up residence inside one of my watering cans. I moved it to a rainwater container, but a couple days ago, it was back in the watering can.
Top left: green anole. Top center: Cope’s gray tree frog. Top right: snapping turtles mating. Bottom: Black rat snake. All photos by ©Maria de Bruyn
In early March, I spied a pair of enormous snapping turtles engaged in a vigorous mating session. They kept up their amorous relations for another 30-40 minutes at the edge of a pond right next to a path. Other walkers didn’t notice them until I explained what I was watching. Black rat snakes have been active and I’m always happy to see them in my yard as they keep the copperhead snakes at bay.
Top left and right: Eastern gray squirrels. Bottom left: Eastern chipmunk. Bottom right: Eastern cottontail rabbit. All photos by ©Maria de Bruyn
The mammals are now also more often out in the open. Eastern chipmunks have emerged from their underground burrows and love to eat fallen birdseed in addition to their usual diets. The Eastern gray squirrels also look for fallen seed and make many attempts to ascend my bird feeder poles, but so far the baffles have kept them at bay. They are, however, eating buds on my serviceberry tree and I fear there may not be many berries this year. The Eastern cottontail rabbits stop by under feeders but tend to forage much more near wood piles.
The most obvious visitors to my yard are the numerous birds. Four feeder poles in the front yard and one in the back offer the 20-30 species that come by a choice of seeds, home-made suet and mealworms (an immensely popular food source, especially as they are now beginning to feed babies). A couple days ago, one pair of Eastern bluebirds saw their first brood of five babies leave the nest box. A pair of chipping sparrows is busy feeding one demanding offspring.
Top left: recently fledged chipping sparrow. Top right: Eastern bluebird baby getting ready to leave the nest. Bottom left: male rose-breasted grosbeak. Bottom center: female rose-breasted grosbeak. Bottom right: yellow-rumped warbler in breeding plumage. All photos by ©Maria de Bruyn
Some of the avian visitors are very colorful beauties, like the rose-breasted grosbeaks. The differences in appearance between males and females can be very confusing for someone just getting into birding. Some birds are changing their appearance by getting much brighter colors to attract mates. This is the case for the yellow-rumped warbler. In the winter, their yellow and black colors are muted but now those feathers are very vibrant.
A couple of weeks ago, my first summer resident ruby-throated hummingbirds arrived. Other birds are still courting, nesting and raising young, so it will continue to be quite an active avian scene for a few months. I hope to keep learning something new about the birds’ behaviors as the weeks progress as well as more details about the lives of the other wildlife we get to see around us. Enjoy the coming spring-time weeks!
Maria de Bruyn participates in nature-oriented citizen science projects and volunteers for the Orange County Senior Center. More of her photos are on Blue Sky (@mdb2024.bsky.social), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bruynmariade) and in blogs (https://mybeautifulworldblog.com).This contributor can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press.
A few years ago, I was the victim of an online scam. Someone impersonating General William Garrett contacted me and claimed he was working with the United Nations on a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. He built a relationship with me and promised that we would get married once his mission was completed.
As a widowed woman who was hoping to find companionship, I trusted him. Unfortunately, the person was an imposter, and during the course of the deception I lost a significant amount of money.
I am sharing my experience to warn others to be very careful of scammers who impersonate military officers or public figures online. These individuals often use emotional manipulation and false promises to gain trust and exploit their victims.
Please stay vigilant when communicating with people online, especially those who request money or claim to be working in sensitive positions overseas. Always verify identities through official channels and never send money to someone you have not met in person.
My hope in sharing this story is to raise awareness so that others do not fall victim to similar scams. If you believe you are communicating with someone who may be impersonating a public official or military officer, If you have been scammed in a similar situation, I encourage you to contact the united nation secretary general through the email below for assistance with a possible refund:
Official Email: worldpeace.unsg@gmail.com
Telegram link: t.me/Antoniogutteries_unsg
Stay safe and protect yourself from online fraud.