Cute Hummingbird in Hemlock Tree

Video: Hummingbird Relaxing and Being Mellow

Cute Ruby Throat-ed Hummingbird in western North Carolina

It's rare to see a Ruby Throated Hummingbird relaxing and looking cute. But Hummers can be cute - if they sit still long enough to see them! This female is relaxing and having a bit of fun in her favorite Hemlock Tree.

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Amazing Insect Camouflage - Moth Seeks Out Dark Wood Knots To Hide On!

Video of Clever Moth in Action

Moth Seeks out large dark wood knot to sit over 

Amazing Insect Camouflage - This Moth - probably one of the 100's of varieties of "fungus moths" has adapted to live around wood decks near artificial nighttime light sources in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. It clearly "chooses" the best spot over a dark knot where there is an overhang to blend in and avoid predators and the daytime sun. Their camouflage efforts would be more effective on a tree, but since these moths have adapted to life on or near wood decks they choose the best "spots". Amazing!

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Jack in the Pulpit - One of My Favorite Late Spring Wildflowers!

Jack in the Pulpit - wild flower Great Smoky Mountains

Jack in the Pulpit - wild flower Great Smoky Mountains

One of my favorite late spring wildflowers. This one is in a very wet shaded environment of a small mountain stream. Once the flower falls off the three big leaves can look like Poison Ivy. These flowers are not easy to find in the wild environment.

American Pygmy Shrew - The Smallest Mammal in the Backyard Is also the fastest!

A Speedy Vole, Unique Mouse or the elusive Pygmy Shrew?

Fast little mammal likes bird seed and is about 3" long total from nose to tail

Visiting the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina I was feeding birds by laying some seed on a flat rock. While watching the birds from a distance I caught a glimpse of this diminutive critter as a blur picking up exactly one piece of bird seed at a time from the rock and jumping back into a hole. It was too fast to note any details so I set up a camera trap and let it run for 15 minutes and caught the little thing going back and forth 4 times.  Even with the video slowed to 1/8 normal speed it's a blur.  I though mole at first and still don't know for sure what it is. There is a great information sheet on the three species of moles east of the Rockies from NC State.  
A screen grab shows it is definitely not mole-like - no big webbed front feet, in fact the feet are kind of dainty - it's apparently omnivorous  and too small - about 3" form nose to tail. It is closer to a mouse in size , but doesn't exactly look like any mouse I know and is pretty small for a Vole. Its hole was about the size of a quarter and it does not tunnel extensively, rather there is a lair under very heavy leaf litter on the edge of landscape fabric held by the large stone at 3,600 feet elevation. Probably a odd coincidence that I put bird seed right next to its house.  You would think it would be easy to ID - What is it? Have any thoughts pass them on. Cute little thing though - and incredibly fast and athletic - I love the way it dives into the hole as a blur even in slow motion. 

Late breaking thought - I didn't consider shrew as it seemed way too small for a shrew without an extremely pronounced snout, but I just found out there is a thing called an "American Pygmy Shrew" known to live in these parts and this little thing shares some of the characteristics - notably the size and feet and a less pronounced pointed nose compared to the typical shrew. The thing is just to darn fast - I'll have to go through the video frame by frame.

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