The Month of May - Seek the Treasure......

- Get out and hike! The month of May is typically great weather in our area (averages for today...on the plateau....are 75/55...... treasures of the outdoors are where you find them.....and vary with the beholder.....but May is typically a great time of year to view both fauna and flora....photos from bottom to top.....

- Many get the identification of these two species confused and rely too much on the brilliant white blooms.....bottom photo is the Mulitflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)....no berries.... and the next photo up is the Wild Blackberry (genus Rubus.....both are in family Rosacea). The berries will be ripe in early July.

- Two Wild Turkeys....photo taken recently while hiking in the mountain properties...notice the 'beard' on the one on the right (only males have this).....

- The Eastern Cottontail Rabbit....this one, facing away from the camera, was in my front yard recently.....and continued with this pose for an extended period of time.....I wonder what this rabbit was thinking.....rarely does this species stay in the open for very long....too dangerous. Many times I have experienced sympathy for this species....as they are the prey of many predators.....including hawks, foxes, snakes (mostly the younger), and coyotes. On the other hand, to maintain ecological balance, it is not uncommon for the rabbits, in good growing seasons, to have multiple litters, typically ranging from 3-5.

- A local favorite, found along most every roadside and in every field....the Ox-Eye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum).

- A Rose-Breasted Grosbeak on my feeder a few days ago......Priceless!

- On the suet cakes during the month of May.....I have identified the following woodpeckers....Red-Bellied, Hairy, Downy, Common Flicker (only once) and Pileated.