Wednesday Lagniappe*: A Juvenile Delinquent?

 [Photo used with permission of Scott Vrana: see his wonderful photos at: http://500px.com/ScottVrana]

I was out picking figs the other day and was startled to see this creature about 2 feet from my nose!  Was he or she eating my figs?  Probably not.  This is a fledgling, most likely a mourning dove (any birders out there to confirm?), and their major diet is seed that they generally eat off the ground.  Doves are not fruit eaters as far as I can tell, so he was just an incidental visitor.  That mockingbird, on the other hand...

Happy gardening and keep an eye out for the wildlife!

*Lagniappe:  "something extra" in Cajun.

Wildlife: Today's Visitor

This might not appear to be a garden entry, but it is. The photo is today's visitor to our yard and gardens, a lovely red-tailed hawk. What does this have to do with gardening? Though we live in the 'burbs, we have plenty of shrubs, evergreens, trees, a variety of plants and a brush pile, all encouraging places for wildlife to roost, hide and live. We have feeders, a water source and native host plants too. I will soon be writing a more detailed entry on encouraging critters in your yard and one on the VA Habitat at Home program.
In the meantime, I have started pod-casting! My pod cast is available thorough itunes, just search for VirginiaOrganicGardener!
Happy gardening!
Enjoy the coming snow!