Autumnal Surprises

These just popped up today. They are right out front, where we walk, and they come up every year and get stepped on. They are one of the Autumn Crocuses - which are not really crocuses at all. They could be the type that are native to the UK/Ireland - Colchicum Autumnale, or they could be another variety that's native to Turkey - Colchicum Speciosum. I'm leaning toward the latter. What I learned from reading the descriptions though is that the leaves are up in the spring and then die back near the end of summer - and then the flowers appear in the fall. I can't say that I've ever noticed the leaves, but I suspect that they masquerade as just another of the green things that form what we call our "lawn." I suppose the odds of my remembering to look for them next spring probably aren't very good.

Meanwhile, yesterday in the late afternoon I glanced out the window in our laundry room - which looks out back behind the house/garage - and saw a lump that looked like a large bird. But not a large bird that ought to be one of my yard birds. It turned out to be a double-crested cormorant, with its head tucked under its wing. I figured it probably needed to be checked out by The Wildlife Center, so I went out and walked slowly up to it with a towel. It looked at me, flapped its wings, but just stayed put as I flopped the towel over it. The Husband brought me a dog/cat crate that we happen to have and I inserted the bird in the crate and after a phone call giving me the okay (it was just after hours at The Wildlife Center) I drove it over there. Cormorants are only in this area in migration - and this one looked to me like it might be a juvenile - but in any case it was very likely hungry, perhaps exhausted, and maybe lost. I will email them later and find out what they learned and what's going on with it. It didn't seem to be actually injured in any way, but when I left they were getting ready to do radiographs and an exam to be sure of that. I hope it can be back on its way to the beach for the winter soon. As far as that goes, someone could drive it to Chincoteague, or Norfolk, or somewhere else on the coast not all that far from here. Photos in extras.