Today's photo looks like something I'd publish around the winter holidays, but this post is not about that. I was walking around one of the ponds at Roundtop last evening and suddenly realized how dense this year's cone crop is. Once I started looking around, I saw green pine cones everywhere, tons of them. Every fir tree, native or planted, is heavy with cones. Presumably the spring weather conditions and perhaps the milder winter combined to produce this bumper crop.I haven't yet heard how the cone crop is doing further to the north. Its success or failure will determine if many or any of the winter finches that thrilled us last winter will return in the upcoming winter. But if the northern cone crop isn't a good one this year, it sure looks as though the northern visitors will have plenty to eat whenever they get here.
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5 comments:
I noticed the same heavy cone crop up at Hasty.
Super heavy tick crop too. And it seems the deer tick outnumber the wood tick by about 3 to 1.
Whoa that's a bumper crop, it would be interesting to see how will make it to winter. After all to some creature that does look like a good snack?
We are getting lots of rain this season so far and while the trees were very stressed from last year's drought, they are making a comeback. I am noticing more cones too.
Lynne: I had bad ticks last week, but they seem to have eased this week. I hope that's the case! I've pulled both kinds of ticks off me and the dogs.
Cathy: I wondered too if this huge number of cones will last long enough to mature.
Ruth: It wouldn't be surprising to me if I didn't get winter finches again. They are about a once every 10 year event down here. And everyone who's noticed and commented on the blog is reporting a good cone crop. So the little ones should be able to stay home and eat well this winter, I hope. (though I do love to see them)
Carolyn H.
suoer gorgeous!
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