NEW IN THE HOOD - A White-throated Sparrow pecks in the leaves off the patio. White-throated Sparrows are winter visitors - down from Canada for the "mild" winters in New Hampshire.

DOGWOOD FRUIT - We have a Wolf Eyes dogwood tree that produces neat looking, edible berries. The large, pinkish-red fruits ripen from late August through October and are known as "Kousa dogwood" or "Japanese dogwood" berries. They have a soft, mealy texture and a sweet, edible flesh inside a slightly bitter skin. We are leaving our dogwood berries for the wildlife. ;-)

OTTERLY COOL - I watched a pair of Northern River Otters fishing in the beaver pond. The River Otter is a semiaquatic mammal, a member of the weasel family, that is equally versatile in water and on land. We seldom see otters on the beaver pond - and assume the low water level has them concentrating their fishing in the deep end of the pond.