Friday, December 12, 2025
Snow overnight! Looks like we got about 1.5″. It stopped falling sometime after 7 am. Somehow its already begun to melt, even though its below freezing (30°F). Maybe it’s the copious amount of salt on the road? Still, it’s enough to coat everything in a blanket of white. The air is a bit misty, but only when looking at things in the distance.
I love it when the snow sticks to the bare branches and makes them look as though they’ve been decorated with icing! Already this month we’ve had nearly as much snow as all of last winter. Plus, there is another 4″ or so expected tomorrow. I am feeling like just maybe there is a chance for a white Christmas!
Mistletoe & Holly
“Oh, by gosh, by golly. It’s time for mistletoe and holly“, we all know the song lyrics but do you know which one is which? Bear with me here, the plant nerd in me is sprouting up. This time of year, I see SO much confusion over this topic and feel the need to clarify.
Holly – Holly is an flowering tree or shrub of the genus Ilex. They have shiny, leathery leaves that often have spines (although sometimes the leaves have smooth edges) and the flower produces a bright red or black drupe (berry). These plants are a vital food source for birds and other wildlife, but are toxic to humans.1 Common Holly (Ilex aquifolium), also known as English Holly, is the species most often associated with Christmas. Although, generally seen as a large ornamental evergreen shrub, it has the potential to grow to tree size under the right conditions. Native to Europe and North Africa, it has naturalized in many parts of the U.S. and is considered an invasive species in several states.2
Mistletoe – This is an odd one. Mistletoe (Viscum album), or European Mistletoe, is a parasitic plant that uses specialized roots to absorb water and nutrients from it’s host (over two hundred different species of trees and shrubs can be infected). It produces white waxy berries and has smooth oval-shaped, evergreen leaves that grow in pairs. Native to Europe and the British Isles, but was later introduced in northern California. Interestingly, it’s also toxic to humans. Apparently, there is a native North American species called American Mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) that I had never heard of before. Native to Mexico and the continental U.S., it is similar in appearance but has a more rounded leaf shape.3
Long story short; holly = red, mistletoe = white.
Saturday, December 13, 2025
Awake early after going to bed late. The night sky is gradually growing pale as dawn slowly creeps over the horizon. I can hear a single bird singing, bless their little heart, out there in the cold. After several listening sessions in conjunction with using the Merlin Bird ID app, I am fairly certain it is an American Robin. However, I must admit, I could be mistaken. I am not very practiced at identifying birds via their song only.
So many questions come to mind. Why do birds sing all by themselves in the winter time? Do they just enjoy singing? Does it somehow help them keep warm? Maybe they just need to fill the pre-dawn darkness with a little cheer? Anthropomorphizing, I know, but its fun to think about.
I did some investigating, but could not find any solid information. One brief but interesting article from Cornell Lab ‘All About Birds’, stated that American Robin behavior has been changing over the past 30 years, with more birds sticking around during the winter months (I guess it was more common for them to migrate in the past?).4 Some internet sources claim winter songs are about declaring territory, while still others state that Robins are nonterritorial in the winter.5 After skimming an article from NPR, I have accepted the possibility that we just don’t know why birds sing before the sun rises.6
– Oliver Herford
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.
“We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,”
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
- Britannica – https://www.britannica.com/plant/holly
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly ↩︎ - Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_aquifolium
NC State – https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ilex-aquifolium/ ↩︎ - University of Wisconsin – https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/mistletoe/
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistletoe
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoradendron_leucarpum ↩︎ - All About Birds – https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/more-robins-are-sticking-around-in-winter/ ↩︎
- All About Birds – https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/is-it-unusual-to-see-american-robins-in-the-middle-of-winter/ ↩︎
- NPR – https://www.npr.org/2025/06/20/nx-s1-5436078/why-birds-sing-dawn-chorus-research-study ↩︎