December 30, 2022 — After last week’s Arctic freeze it’s warmed up to a normal 60ish, but torrential rain made for some slow Christmas shopping. Today it’s again raining. Fireworks are expected and the dogs simply hate the sound and flashing. They will be in their pen for the next few nights.

December 20, 2022 — Too cold and wet to do anything so far this week. Rain, rain, rain. Right now it’s about 47 degrees and breezy. The Ring-neck ducks have migrated back to the pond and a dozen or so have made themselves at home. Morgan and Rhett are inside their box, inside their pen, covered with windbreak tarps, and a heater is blowing warm air on them. Full bellies and a warm bed make for happy dogs.

December 8, 2022 — Unseasonably warm for almost a week now. Cloudy and muggy, but only traces of rain. If this is global warming or whatever, I’ll take it! The fish are biting. Buck Moths are all over the place. I saw a Cloudless Sulphur and a Black Swallowtail yesterday. Great weather to get some storm debris cut up and burned.

November 30, 2022 — Too warm one day; too cold the next. Lots of rain the last two weeks is keeping the bush hog out of the meadows and preventing any cleanup of storm debris in the wetland. It’s a big mess. On the other hand, the little Dahoon Holly, Ilex cassine, we rescued from a slow death by heavy vines has made a good recovery and is thriving in the sunlight. It’s covered with bright red berries and many new branches since 2019.

November 13, 2022 — Burrrr! Our first cold night–37 degrees but the day was sunny with low humidity. The ’59 Ferguson tractor sprang another leak and is again out of commission. The little blue tractor though is hard at work cutting through tall brambles before the next rain. The little Yellow Rump Warblers are back for the winter. A bunch of them were in the pines at the pond.

November 6, 2022 — Beautiful sun and a warm, breeze today. With the ’59 Ferguson tractor back from the grave, we are looking at the meadows and hoping to get the bush hog in there later this month. Last year the fall and winter were wet and the ground never dried out enough to keep the tractors from sinking into the mud. A flatwood is, after all, flat and boggy where only wetland and acid-tolerant plants grow well in clay soil. After two years woody stuff like wax myrtle, pine and live oak are almost too big to cut without a chain saw. Because our meadows have native plants we don’t have to do much to get ready for winter. But the cutting stirs up and distributes seeds and lets sunlight get down to the ground where new wildflowers will start to grow. Right now goldfinches are enjoying the sunflower seeds.

November 5, 2022 — FINALLY! We have a nice, slow, steady rain today. Lots of wind, too, which came up in the night. The ’59 Ferguson tractor is back from the dead. We’re not sure exactly what its problem was, but after changing nearly everything except the engine, it roared back to life yesterday. Hopefully, we will have another stretch of dry weather so we can get the meadows bushhogged. Otherwise it will be another year and woody stuff like wax myrtle, pine and live oak will be too big to cut. The cutting stirs up and distributes seeds and lets sunlight get down to the ground where new plants will start to grow. Last year, after the hurricane the fall and winter were so wet the machines would simply bog down in the mud. A flatwood is, after all, flat and boggy by nature where only wetland and acid tolerant plants can grow in its clay soil.

November 1, 2022 — Perfect stretch of weather with warm days and cool nights, except that it hasn’t rained in two months. We are desperate for rain. The pond is as low as we have ever seen it. It’s time to bushhog the meadows. The sunflowers are gone to seed and the grass is dry. We have three tractors and there is something wrong with both the large ones. The ’59 Ferguson seems to have finally died.

October 17, 2022 — Sometimes a sight is so incredible you have to slap yourself to make sure you are awake. That happened today when I came to the pond. Once in a long while, an eagle is perched in a pine tree and quickly flies away when the car approaches. This time a young male, swooping around and around over the water appeared to be fishing. There were splashes but he never grabbed his prey, just did acrobatics over the water. I grabbed the binoculars and realized he was after a Whistling Duck! WHAT? Every time he swooped down the ducks would dive under the water. Maybe he was young and inexperienced I thought. After a while he took a time out in a pine tree. Groomed a little and watched the ducks. Then suddenly he took off, climbed high over the water, tucked his wings and like a bolt of lightening struck a Whistling Duck who never saw him coming. So, the duck was a little too heavy for the eagle to simply fly off with, so he SWAM, no, really, holding the duck under water, he used his wings like paddles and swam over the to shoreline where there was a brief struggle and a lot of flying feathers. It was a good, well-planned attack that paid off. The eagle ate all he wanted and left enough for two other rather large unidentified birds.

October 1, 2022 — The Whistling Ducks have hidden their brood in the tall grass where they will be safe while growing up a little. At this point they are a delicious treat for every heron, egret, large-mouth bass, and Osprey in the area. Speaking of herons, a Little Blue heron was spotted on the far side of the pond today–a first sighting in this location. Very exciting! A few stalks of Blue Mist Flower were observed on the path up to the pond. Caught one very small bass on a popper lure at 8:25. Fall has surely arrived. It was cool enough for a jacket this morning.

September 29, 2022 — The Whistling Ducks who made the latest nest in one of the Wood Duck boxes brought out the new family yesterday. They were on the pond showing off a large wad of babies, not 24 hours old, swimming like crazy between both parents. How proud they looked! Although they never came close enough, and it was too late in the day for a photo, I was back there early this morning hoping for a better opportunity. No, these are very good parents and with a large white egret not far away the babies were safely hidden in the grass along the shoreline on the far side of the pond.

September 26, 2022 — Our friend the Diamondback Watersnake came out from under the boat dock this afternoon while I was fishing. He’s getting to be quite large, I guess from eating all the bream he can catch. He’s non-venomous that goodness with beautiful marking. Not sure what is up with the white head though.

September 24, 2022 — Ahhh! It’s finally fall and that means sunflower season. Narrowleafs are just opening along with beeblossoms, Purple False Foxgloves and a patch of tall Musky Mint. Observed a number of Buckeye butterflies in the meadow and their host of choice is the foxgloves.

September 14, 2022 — Clear sunny days after a week of downpours every afternoon. Beautiful cooler weather. After months of watching a little turtle dart out from under a pile of debris near the edge of the pond where we feed the fish, he finally stopped long enough for me to net him. According to the experts on iNaturalist, he’s an Eastern Musk Turtle. Dark on the top of his shell, very orange underneath, with a pointed face and yellow markings. He’s back now under the debris where he belongs.

September 7, 2022 — Where are the Swallowtails? The meadows are full of blooming Water Cowbane, the swallowtail’s host, but there is a definite lack of activity. Not a single cocoon and only a few caterpillars early in the bloom. No adults flitting about laying eggs. Where did they all go?

September 2, 2022 — Summer will be over before you know it and, frankly, we look forward to a bit cooler weather. At least the tropics have been quiet. A little female Muscovy duck we call “Pretty Girl” because she’s gray and white and is, well, pretty came swimming from the far side of the pond yesterday with four teenage babies. What a surprise that was. As quickly as they appeared they disappeared into the tall grass along the shore. It was as if she just wanted to show them off, then return to where she has kept them safe so far. The Whistling Ducks have built a new nest in one of the duck boxes. She flies out to eat some corn when we show up, but otherwise seems to be intent on nesting. The young male Wood Duck is still hanging around.

August 25, 2022 — Rain, rain, and more rain for days even though August is usually our driest month. Temps have been comfortable, but the humidity is a killer. Last evening at the pond a funny looking, almost orangy-colored duck appeared. It swam around the shoreline for a while and finally came close enough to the launch where we feed the duck to get a good look. At first we thought it was some kind of Muscovy/Whistling Duck mix, but, no, it was a young male Wood Duck and probably one of the offspring of those seen nesting in one of the boxes earlier in the season. It never came close enough to get a photo, but through the binoculars it was unmistakable as a Wood Duck before it molts into the usual bright colors. What a treat! Hope he stays around.

August 23, 2022 — Rain, rain, rain for days. The meadows are doing their savanna thing and holding fresh water in every little rut and depression. Without an inch of elevation between north to south, east to west, it will sink very slowly into the ground. Hopefully it will be dry enough by late October or November to cut the tall grass and help distribute seeds for next season. August is usually a dry month so all the vegetation is a rich, dark green. Life in a wet savanna is a good place for ducks and other birds, too, which have an abundance of mud holes teeming with bug larvae.

August 13, 2022 — The rain appears to be moving towards south Texas and the normal August heat and humidity has returned. Did you know that Louisiana now has a state butterfly? It’s the Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae, and according to biologists it’s the only butterfly indigenous to the state, meaning that it is native to the region rather than having been introduced by some artificial means. Fritillary’s host for its eggs is passionflower, a vine which grows wild, but is often cultivated. Monroe senator Stewart Cathey, Jr. promoted the act which was passed recently by state legislators.

August 12, 2022 — Early this morning I found this little Eastern Mud Turtle crossing the driveway. Apparently they are common in the area, but this is the first one I’ve seen. Wish I could have waited until he came out of his shell, but there was much to do before the rain sets in again. What a wet, soggy week it’s been. The rain was much needed, though, and it was a lot cooler last night.

August 9, 2022 — The Captain was winding rope onto a spool when he spied this little Dekay’s Brown Snake hiding at the bottom of the barrel. Dekay’s are non-poisonous so he took the liberty of having a little one-on-one with the critter before setting him free.

August 5, 2022 — It’s hurricane month around here. Hurricanes Katrina in 2005, Isaac in 2012, and Ida in 2021 all hit on August 29. So while we are hoping to get through the year without a major hurricane we have enjoyed a couple of days watching a pair of Black-bellied Whistling ducks coaching their babies who are learning the finer techniques of flying together as a flock. One parent sits perched in a tall pine tree at the edge of the pond, while the other leads the flock of seven young birds around and around, up and down, banking this way and that until both parents perch in the tree and watch. Then the little ones are gone on their own for an hour or so while the parents wait patiently for them to return, which they do just before dark. Nature is a beautiful thing!

July 25, 2022 — The 3rd week of July means the Water Cowbane (Oxypolis filiformis) is starting to bloom and the first eggs of those extraordinary Swallowtail butterflies are hatching. Little caterpillars are munching away on their favorite food. They aren’t waiting for a blossom, but are eating the whole green delicious tops.

July 17, 2022 — Still very hot with a few afternoon showers that produce enough steam to run a locomotive. Must be July in south Louisiana! The Water Cowbane is getting tall and three Swallowtail butterflies were observed flitting around the meadow in search of a perfect stalk on which to lay their eggs. Plants in the fennel family are their primary host and there is plenty for them at Vista Farm.

July 9, 2022 — It’s been very hot with a few afternoon showers that produce enough steam to run a locomotive. The dogs have plenty of fresh water and have found shady spots where they can lie in the dirt. They follow us to the pond every morning and afternoon for a dip. The squirrels drive Rhett crazy no matter the heat.

June 24, 2022 — There were five Wood Ducks at the feeding station yesterday, three Whistling Ducks and the gray Muscovey in addition to the four domestic ducks. As usual the Muscovey kept the domestics busy chasing her from one side to the other. She seems to see it as a game. The corn has a bunch of worms in it which they all love. It’s gross, but it’s a treat to a duck.

May 29, 2022 — While paddling around the pond I observed a cocoon 15 or more feet over the water hanging by fibers in an oak tree. At first I thought it was a gall, but some rather poor photos and some emails to the experts determined it is in fact a cocoon and most likely that of Telea polyphemus according to Vernon Brou who wrote that every cocoon he has seen on an oak tree in his 60 years of collecting moths has been Telea polyphemus. Dr. Scott Egan, Rice University wrote that he found a similar large cocoon in the panhandle of Florida and suggested also it was a polyphemus. This is a very large moth with two spots on its wings that look like eyes.

May 28, 2022 — Now I know already that no one is going to believe this, BUT I am positive this Diamondback Watersnake waits until it sees either myself or the Captain and slithers up out of the pond waiting to be fed. We know it is living under the boat dock and we know it will eat the bony skeleton of a bass we filleted, but is it also eating the dog food we put out for the fish? It’s not poisonous so the only problem is that it might scare someone to death when it comes up out of the water heading straight for us. It stops about three-quarters of its length on the shore and appears to be waiting for the food.

May 14, 2022 — We had some much needed rain a couple of nights ago and continued high humidity. The pond is warm. The domestic ducks and our little Muscovy, Pretty Girl, are still squabbling. It seems she is taunting the four bad domestics. She lands at the feeding station and without grabbing a single kernel of corn she waits for the black and white duck to run at her full speed before flying up in a pine tree. Sometimes for kicks she flies over to a log we sunk in the pond and taunts them just out of reach. This goes on for an hour in the afternoon. While paddling the canoe around the pond, I observed six Barn Swallows swarming in an area with a lot of bugs in the air.

May 7, 2022 — A week of sunny weather with some humidity. Despite predators in the air and on the prowl we seem to have an abundance of rabbits. They are all over the place and apparently smarter than the average bunny. Our two wiley hunting dogs haven’t caught a single one even working together. Don’t know what’s up with all the rabbits, but we do have a lot of brush piles and thickets where they can get to safety in a hurry.

April 28, 2022 — Another day of beautiful weather! We launched the canoe today and went for a long paddle around the pond. A pair of Whistling Ducks are nesting in the north wood duck box. In the meadow the milkweed is blooming and I spotted the first Monarch caterpillar of the season happily munching away. A few Ladies Tresses orchids also in the meadow.

April 12, 2022 — Drama at the pond. The four domestic ducks hate the two Muscovy’s and chase them away sometimes even ambushing them at the feeding station. The Wood Ducks must have hatched their eggs. One pair of Black-bellied Whistling ducks have taken over the box in the south corner of the pond and another pair seem to be trying to claim the northeast box. They sit on top of it but have not entered it. Perhaps there are unhatched eggs inside. We are going out in the flatboat to investigate as soon as the weather clears. An Osprey flew into a pine tree at the edge of the pond, but was chased away by two crows and a blue jay.

April 2, 2022 — YES! Wood Ducks are nesting in the boxes. There are two pair and they flew in from whereever they spend the day about 6:30 p.m. Each came to the feeding station and ate some corn then swam around for a while. At 7:24p.m. one of the females entered a box. It happened very quickly and only the tail was actually seen disappearing through the door. Immediately the male swam to the other end of the pond and disappeared into the brush at the water’s edge. It is presumed the other female went into her box about the same time as she nor the male were seen after about 7:00pm. If you blink you miss it. The binoculars have a narrow focal range so only the box and a bit of the pole it is attached to are visible through the lens. You have to be focused on the box at the exact time.

April 2, 2022 — We launched the flatboat yesterday and went out to check the Wood Duck boxes. There are eggs in each one and two pair of Wood Ducks have been observed in the last week. There Grebes have disappeared.

March 24, 2022 — Cool and beautiful today after tornados and high wind Tuesday and Wednesday. The native blue Louisiana iris are blooming in the wetland.

March 21, 2022 — Yesterday was the first day of Spring. Yea! Perfect weather today. Warm, sunny, low humidity. I saw Chickadees checking out the bug condo where some large bamboo is just about the right size for a nest. Maybe they were just eating bugs.

March 9, 2022 — Yesterday it was 80; today it is 60! The Yellow Jessamine and Pineland Daisies are blooming in the meadow. White violets, too.

March 2, 2022 — This morning a Bald Eagle flew out of the top of a tall pine tree on the southeast corner of the pond and began circling overhead. In a second there were two crows chasing him. Wisely they kept their distance!

February 28, 2022 — Cool the last few days. On the pond this morning were a pair of Grebes, two Double-Crested Cormorants, a Belted Kingfisher, a pair of Wood Ducks, and four domestic ducks.

February 24, 2022 — Mild but cloudy the last few days. A squirrel has built a nest in one of the Wood Duck boxes. She runs out to the end of a limb and leaps onto the box. She hasn’t figured out that the babies won’t be able to jump that far and will end up in the water.

February 1, 2022 — Warm and partly cloudy. Rain in the evening and overnight. On the pond late in the afternoon a pair of Northern Shovelers were observed. The huge bill and ruddy sides confirmed it. Although they are supposed to be common here in winter this was the first sighting on our pond and they were too far out in the middle to get a photo. Very exciting!

January 30, 2022 — STILL COLD! But the sky is clear and blue–just beautiful. Another male Grebe appeared on the pond yesterday, but didn’t see him today. The little female seems to be happy with her mate and they were observed diving together among the Muscovys in the shallow water near the shore.

January 25, 2022 — A week of bitter cold with freezing temps at night and more to come. It rained yesterday and this morning, but it’s just gloomy now. In the upper 40s so at least it’s bearable. The Muscovys have all gone to the neighbor’s pond. There was a dominance fight last week and the loser was found dead in a tree. The domestics are fine. The big news is the lonely little Grebe has a boyfriend! They were seen together swimming and diving for food about 10:00 this morning. We put out some corn, but they are very shy. I’m hoping that if we get a couple of days of warmer, dry weather I can get a photo of the new fellow.

January 10, 2022 — Is it really January 10th already? Brrr, some nice cold days mixed in with some unseasonably warm days, too. I like the warm ones better. A small flock of about 8 or so cormorants on the pond yesterday. The lonely little Grebe is still hanging around the domestic ducks. No new sightings.