Scenes of Summer.....

A Red-Winged Blackbird perched in a willow along the banks of Lake George in Greenfields......

Look closely....enlarge by a click...an Indigo Bunting can be seen on the left side of this photo, on the boomerang shaped limb....

Yes, same tree as above...this time a Red-Headed Woodpecker....striking against a clear blue summer sky...

A female Ruby Throated Hummingbird....taking an infrequent break on a feeder. With a heartbeat known to be 900+ beats/minute, is it any wonder they do not live very long?

Recent photo of a masked bandit. This Raccoon has manipulated a bird feeder in such a way (photo below....Is this a look of mischief or getting caught in the act of piracy?) as to cause the sunflower seeds to fall to the ground. Raccoons are survivors......ominvorous, and seem to adapt to a variety of habitats. Native only to North America, the 'coon is a solitary animal, except for breeding and caring for the young, which are born in the spring. Female prefers a leaf nest in a hollow tree, but may also use woodchuck burrows, rock outcroppings, and even culverts. Female only accepts one male per season. The male typically stays around for about a week before moving on.

A Nature Photo is Worth...Priceless....

The Eastern Kingbird resting on the banks of a quiet mountain lake. These flycatchers are common in most of Tennessee, and abundant within our properties. Often seen harrassing hawks and crows. They winter in South America, and fly back to us each spring. They often hover, seemingly on the tips of their wings, searching for food...mostly flying insects. The white horizontal bar on the end of the tail is distinctive and a good ID field mark. The red spot on top of the head is rarely seen.

Though it has been months, just had to do it...another look at the mysterious "Black Fox". It has been seen again just recently.

This male (golden color) and female Common Goldfinch (perched on the sunflowers) seem to be enjoying the pose from the back deck of Mike and Mo Fuller's beautiful home in Greenfields West. And yes, they love sunflower seeds.

A good look at a young whitetail buck with antlers in velvet. This one is most likely about one year old...having been born early last summer. Male whitetails are not sexually mature during their first late autumn breeding season, being only about 5-6 months old at the time, but by their second autumn they are ready for action....if they can win the favor of a female from older, more mature bucks. This is also when they are most likely to lose their life to another predator of the fields and forest...man. Contrary to some opinions, the 18+/- month old deer may have 4-8 points on the antlers, or it may be a spike (single vertical antlers on each side)....depends on heredity and nutrition. If the young buck survives its second autumn, it becomes much more wary and secretive...a much different animal than during the first year. No more being naive and hanging out with the crowd. Despite this, it is rare for a male deer to live past four and a half years.