Gina
@birdbander.bsky.social
🐾 Explorer of nature’s wonders
🪴 Potter & Owner of Glazing Trails - https://www.glazingtrails.com
🪴 Potter & Owner of Glazing Trails - https://www.glazingtrails.com
Hi Friends! I started a separate social feed to share bite-size discoveries, local events, and tips to spark your curiosity about nature. Hope you'll follow me on this new journey. I'll post my other social links on Facebook once they are up!
Fall is nature’s big reveal: chlorophyll fades and the yellows and oranges finally step into the spotlight. 🍂 Then come the divas—reds and purples—born from chemical reactions that create anthocyanins. 🔬🍁
#NatureRabbitHole #FallColors #LeafScience #EasternSierras #DiscoverNature
#NatureRabbitHole #FallColors #LeafScience #EasternSierras #DiscoverNature
October 23, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Hi Friends! I started a separate social feed to share bite-size discoveries, local events, and tips to spark your curiosity about nature. Hope you'll follow me on this new journey. I'll post my other social links on Facebook once they are up!
Hey local peeps! 🎉 Come join us for a pottery sale filled with handmade goodies from students (yes, I’m selling too!) and our awesome teacher. Shop small, support local, and snag some one-of-a-kind holiday gifts!
📍 2384 Rupert Drive, San Jose
#ShopLocal #PotterySale #Handmade #HolidayGifts #SanJose
📍 2384 Rupert Drive, San Jose
#ShopLocal #PotterySale #Handmade #HolidayGifts #SanJose
October 19, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Hey local peeps! 🎉 Come join us for a pottery sale filled with handmade goodies from students (yes, I’m selling too!) and our awesome teacher. Shop small, support local, and snag some one-of-a-kind holiday gifts!
📍 2384 Rupert Drive, San Jose
#ShopLocal #PotterySale #Handmade #HolidayGifts #SanJose
📍 2384 Rupert Drive, San Jose
#ShopLocal #PotterySale #Handmade #HolidayGifts #SanJose
Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) produces berries that persist into winter, providing an important food source for birds and mammals.
#WinterBerries #Berries #Nature #Wildlife #Madrones #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverPlants #NativePlants #WildPlants
#WinterBerries #Berries #Nature #Wildlife #Madrones #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverPlants #NativePlants #WildPlants
September 30, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) produces berries that persist into winter, providing an important food source for birds and mammals.
#WinterBerries #Berries #Nature #Wildlife #Madrones #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverPlants #NativePlants #WildPlants
#WinterBerries #Berries #Nature #Wildlife #Madrones #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverPlants #NativePlants #WildPlants
Reposted by Gina
🎃 Had fun making this pumpkin. It still needs one last touch—any guesses what it might be?
#GlazingTrails #CuriousPotter #MadeWithCuriosity #PumpkinSeason #HandmadeCeramics #HandmadePumpkin
#GlazingTrails #CuriousPotter #MadeWithCuriosity #PumpkinSeason #HandmadeCeramics #HandmadePumpkin
September 30, 2025 at 3:03 AM
🎃 Had fun making this pumpkin. It still needs one last touch—any guesses what it might be?
#GlazingTrails #CuriousPotter #MadeWithCuriosity #PumpkinSeason #HandmadeCeramics #HandmadePumpkin
#GlazingTrails #CuriousPotter #MadeWithCuriosity #PumpkinSeason #HandmadeCeramics #HandmadePumpkin
Rock Wrens (Salpinctes obsoletus) often build walkways leading to their hidden nest cavities. Sometimes these pavements become elaborate, with hundreds of objects—including human-made ones—though their true purpose remains a mystery.
#BirdBehavior #AvianArchitecture #Nature #Wildlife #California
#BirdBehavior #AvianArchitecture #Nature #Wildlife #California
Rock Wren Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The small, industrious Rock Wren blends right into its pale grayish brown landscapes of western North America. Rock Wrens constantly hop around rocks, investigating crannies for insects and spiders, w...
www.allaboutbirds.org
September 30, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Rock Wrens (Salpinctes obsoletus) often build walkways leading to their hidden nest cavities. Sometimes these pavements become elaborate, with hundreds of objects—including human-made ones—though their true purpose remains a mystery.
#BirdBehavior #AvianArchitecture #Nature #Wildlife #California
#BirdBehavior #AvianArchitecture #Nature #Wildlife #California
A young male Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) learns to sing from neighboring adult males while coming of age in his parents’ territory. His song develops with subtle differences—a note changed here, a syllable there.
#Wrens #BirdSongs #CaliforniaBirds #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
#Wrens #BirdSongs #CaliforniaBirds #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
Bewick's Wren Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
If you come across a noisy, hyperactive little bird with bold white eyebrows, flicking its long tail as it hops from branch to branch, you may have spotted a Bewick’s Wren. These master vocalists belt...
www.allaboutbirds.org
September 29, 2025 at 3:24 AM
A young male Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) learns to sing from neighboring adult males while coming of age in his parents’ territory. His song develops with subtle differences—a note changed here, a syllable there.
#Wrens #BirdSongs #CaliforniaBirds #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
#Wrens #BirdSongs #CaliforniaBirds #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
Reposted by Gina
When you follow a leader, consider what would lead you to withdraw your support.
If the answer is nothing, your integrity is in jeopardy. Our highest loyalty belongs to principles, not people.
No leader deserves unconditional love. Commitment is earned through character.
If the answer is nothing, your integrity is in jeopardy. Our highest loyalty belongs to principles, not people.
No leader deserves unconditional love. Commitment is earned through character.
September 28, 2025 at 4:07 PM
When you follow a leader, consider what would lead you to withdraw your support.
If the answer is nothing, your integrity is in jeopardy. Our highest loyalty belongs to principles, not people.
No leader deserves unconditional love. Commitment is earned through character.
If the answer is nothing, your integrity is in jeopardy. Our highest loyalty belongs to principles, not people.
No leader deserves unconditional love. Commitment is earned through character.
When Northern Pygmy-Owls score more food than they can eat, they stash it away—tucking prey into tree cavities or even impaling it on thorns, a trick more often associated with shrikes.
#NorthernPygmyOwl #BirdBehavior #CaliforniaBirds #Owls #Nature #Wildlife #California
#NorthernPygmyOwl #BirdBehavior #CaliforniaBirds #Owls #Nature #Wildlife #California
Northern Pygmy-Owl Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The Northern Pygmy-Owl may be tiny, but it’s a ferocious hunter with a taste for songbirds. These owls are mostly dark brown and white, with long tails, smoothly rounded heads, and piercing yellow eye...
www.allaboutbirds.org
September 27, 2025 at 4:09 PM
When Northern Pygmy-Owls score more food than they can eat, they stash it away—tucking prey into tree cavities or even impaling it on thorns, a trick more often associated with shrikes.
#NorthernPygmyOwl #BirdBehavior #CaliforniaBirds #Owls #Nature #Wildlife #California
#NorthernPygmyOwl #BirdBehavior #CaliforniaBirds #Owls #Nature #Wildlife #California
Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.) flower and fruit when water is plentiful. To gauge upcoming conditions, they form flowering shoots at the tips of spring growth that stay dormant until the next season—like a tiny “big toe” testing for moisture.
#Manzanita #DroughtAdaptation #Nature #Wildlife
#Manzanita #DroughtAdaptation #Nature #Wildlife
September 26, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.) flower and fruit when water is plentiful. To gauge upcoming conditions, they form flowering shoots at the tips of spring growth that stay dormant until the next season—like a tiny “big toe” testing for moisture.
#Manzanita #DroughtAdaptation #Nature #Wildlife
#Manzanita #DroughtAdaptation #Nature #Wildlife
Owls fly almost silently thanks to unique feathers. Serrated leading edges and soft trailing fringes break up airflow, while velvety plumage with tiny hairlike extensions further muffles the sound of each wingbeat.
#Owls #SilentFlight #WildlifeFacts #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #CaliforniaOwls
#Owls #SilentFlight #WildlifeFacts #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #CaliforniaOwls
September 25, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Owls fly almost silently thanks to unique feathers. Serrated leading edges and soft trailing fringes break up airflow, while velvety plumage with tiny hairlike extensions further muffles the sound of each wingbeat.
#Owls #SilentFlight #WildlifeFacts #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #CaliforniaOwls
#Owls #SilentFlight #WildlifeFacts #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #CaliforniaOwls
In late summer, young Elegant Terns (Thalasseus elegans) trail their parents on fishing trips, quietly following until a fish is caught—then breaking into loud begging calls. They often drop to the water’s surface to receive their meal before taking off again.
#Terns #BirdBehavior #Nature #Wildlife
#Terns #BirdBehavior #Nature #Wildlife
Elegant Tern Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The Elegant Tern is a sleek seabird with a stiletto-like orange bill, a shaggy black crest, and a blush of rose-pink to the underside during the breeding season. It nests in just a few colonies in Cal...
www.allaboutbirds.org
September 25, 2025 at 12:32 AM
In late summer, young Elegant Terns (Thalasseus elegans) trail their parents on fishing trips, quietly following until a fish is caught—then breaking into loud begging calls. They often drop to the water’s surface to receive their meal before taking off again.
#Terns #BirdBehavior #Nature #Wildlife
#Terns #BirdBehavior #Nature #Wildlife
Fifth-instar Monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus) stop feeding and often wander away from milkweed in search of a safe pupation site—sometimes traveling up to 10 meters before forming their chrysalis.
#Monarch #Pollinators #ButterflyLifeCycle #Milkweed #WildCalifornia #Nature #Wildlife
#Monarch #Pollinators #ButterflyLifeCycle #Milkweed #WildCalifornia #Nature #Wildlife
September 23, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Fifth-instar Monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus) stop feeding and often wander away from milkweed in search of a safe pupation site—sometimes traveling up to 10 meters before forming their chrysalis.
#Monarch #Pollinators #ButterflyLifeCycle #Milkweed #WildCalifornia #Nature #Wildlife
#Monarch #Pollinators #ButterflyLifeCycle #Milkweed #WildCalifornia #Nature #Wildlife
The Eccentric Sand Dollar (Dendraster excentricus) is a cousin of sea urchins and sea cucumbers. It uses tiny spines to scoot along or burrow into the sand. This shows its exoskeleton — you might find washed up on the beach.
#SandDollar #Echinoids #OceanLife #Nature #Wildlife #CaliforniaCoast
#SandDollar #Echinoids #OceanLife #Nature #Wildlife #CaliforniaCoast
September 22, 2025 at 2:50 PM
The Eccentric Sand Dollar (Dendraster excentricus) is a cousin of sea urchins and sea cucumbers. It uses tiny spines to scoot along or burrow into the sand. This shows its exoskeleton — you might find washed up on the beach.
#SandDollar #Echinoids #OceanLife #Nature #Wildlife #CaliforniaCoast
#SandDollar #Echinoids #OceanLife #Nature #Wildlife #CaliforniaCoast
Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) may be tiny—usually less than 15 mm—but they’re mighty hunters. Instead of spinning webs, they stalk prey in daylight, sneaking close before springing into a spectacular leap.
#JumpingSpiders #Spiders #CaliforniaSpiders #Nature #Wildlife
#JumpingSpiders #Spiders #CaliforniaSpiders #Nature #Wildlife
September 21, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) may be tiny—usually less than 15 mm—but they’re mighty hunters. Instead of spinning webs, they stalk prey in daylight, sneaking close before springing into a spectacular leap.
#JumpingSpiders #Spiders #CaliforniaSpiders #Nature #Wildlife
#JumpingSpiders #Spiders #CaliforniaSpiders #Nature #Wildlife
Pacific Glasswort (Salicornia pacifica) thrives where few plants can—using saltwater as its main source of water. It tucks excess salt into tiny vacuoles at the tips of its stems. When those fill up, the segments turn red and fall off, taking the salt with them.
#SaltMarsh #Nature #Wildlife
#SaltMarsh #Nature #Wildlife
September 20, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Pacific Glasswort (Salicornia pacifica) thrives where few plants can—using saltwater as its main source of water. It tucks excess salt into tiny vacuoles at the tips of its stems. When those fill up, the segments turn red and fall off, taking the salt with them.
#SaltMarsh #Nature #Wildlife
#SaltMarsh #Nature #Wildlife
Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) thrives in wetlands and riparian zones with rich, moist soils. It’s remarkably flood-tolerant—able to withstand water above its root crown for up to seven years.
#RiparianHabitat #FloodTolerant #CaliforniaPlants #Nature #Wildflowers
#RiparianHabitat #FloodTolerant #CaliforniaPlants #Nature #Wildflowers
September 19, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) thrives in wetlands and riparian zones with rich, moist soils. It’s remarkably flood-tolerant—able to withstand water above its root crown for up to seven years.
#RiparianHabitat #FloodTolerant #CaliforniaPlants #Nature #Wildflowers
#RiparianHabitat #FloodTolerant #CaliforniaPlants #Nature #Wildflowers
Just posted a bunch of new pottery I made in the last month!
✨ New pottery just dropped! See what’s fresh: www.glazingtrails.com/shop
#Pottery #HandmadePottery #GlazingTrails #CuriousPotter #FunctionalArt #PotteryShop
#Pottery #HandmadePottery #GlazingTrails #CuriousPotter #FunctionalArt #PotteryShop
September 18, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Just posted a bunch of new pottery I made in the last month!
Brush Rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani) have some clever tricks for staying safe. They can sit motionless for ages, but when danger strikes, they dart away in a zigzag at 20–25 mph.
#Rabbits #CaliforniaWildlife #Wildlife #Nautre #FastAnimals
#Rabbits #CaliforniaWildlife #Wildlife #Nautre #FastAnimals
September 18, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Brush Rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani) have some clever tricks for staying safe. They can sit motionless for ages, but when danger strikes, they dart away in a zigzag at 20–25 mph.
#Rabbits #CaliforniaWildlife #Wildlife #Nautre #FastAnimals
#Rabbits #CaliforniaWildlife #Wildlife #Nautre #FastAnimals
Blochman’s Leafy Daisy (Erigeron blochmaniae) is a California endemic found only along the San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara coasts. It grows in sand dunes and coastal hillsides—habitats that are shrinking due to development.
#CaliforniaEndemic #NativePlants #Wildflowers #Wildlife #Nature
#CaliforniaEndemic #NativePlants #Wildflowers #Wildlife #Nature
September 17, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Blochman’s Leafy Daisy (Erigeron blochmaniae) is a California endemic found only along the San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara coasts. It grows in sand dunes and coastal hillsides—habitats that are shrinking due to development.
#CaliforniaEndemic #NativePlants #Wildflowers #Wildlife #Nature
#CaliforniaEndemic #NativePlants #Wildflowers #Wildlife #Nature
Reposted by Gina
Did you know bobcats play a key role in regulating small prey populations, like rodents and birds? This helps reduce the spread of diseases like Lyme disease. Like pumas, humans threaten bobcats due to habitat fragmentation and rodenticide usage.
September 16, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Did you know bobcats play a key role in regulating small prey populations, like rodents and birds? This helps reduce the spread of diseases like Lyme disease. Like pumas, humans threaten bobcats due to habitat fragmentation and rodenticide usage.
Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) is highly salt-tolerant, excreting excess salts onto its leaves and stems. It often forms dense stands, sometimes spreading clonally.
#Saltgrass #NativePlants #SaltTolerant #Wildlife #Nautre #CaliforniaPlants
#Saltgrass #NativePlants #SaltTolerant #Wildlife #Nautre #CaliforniaPlants
September 16, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) is highly salt-tolerant, excreting excess salts onto its leaves and stems. It often forms dense stands, sometimes spreading clonally.
#Saltgrass #NativePlants #SaltTolerant #Wildlife #Nautre #CaliforniaPlants
#Saltgrass #NativePlants #SaltTolerant #Wildlife #Nautre #CaliforniaPlants
The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) can climb trees like other woodpeckers, but it prefers foraging on the ground. Its main food is ants, which it digs up and collects with its long, barbed tongue.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northe...
#Woodpeckers #BirdBehavior #Nature #Wildlife #California
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northe...
#Woodpeckers #BirdBehavior #Nature #Wildlife #California
Northern Flicker Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Northern Flickers are large, brown woodpeckers with a gentle expression and handsome black-scalloped plumage. On walks, don’t be surprised if you scare one up from the ground. It’s not where you’d exp...
www.allaboutbirds.org
September 15, 2025 at 8:35 PM
The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) can climb trees like other woodpeckers, but it prefers foraging on the ground. Its main food is ants, which it digs up and collects with its long, barbed tongue.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northe...
#Woodpeckers #BirdBehavior #Nature #Wildlife #California
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northe...
#Woodpeckers #BirdBehavior #Nature #Wildlife #California
Most California Thrashers (Toxostoma redivivum) spend their entire lives in chaparral, a fire-adapted habitat. Their populations peak about 20 years after a burn.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/califo...
#Thrashers #Chaparral #BirdWatching #CaliforniaBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/califo...
#Thrashers #Chaparral #BirdWatching #CaliforniaBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
California Thrasher Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
A long-tailed, lanky songbird with a deeply curved bill, the California Thrasher is a key species of California chaparral. This relative of mockingbirds is an exuberant songster, and both males and fe...
www.allaboutbirds.org
September 15, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Most California Thrashers (Toxostoma redivivum) spend their entire lives in chaparral, a fire-adapted habitat. Their populations peak about 20 years after a burn.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/califo...
#Thrashers #Chaparral #BirdWatching #CaliforniaBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/califo...
#Thrashers #Chaparral #BirdWatching #CaliforniaBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
Courting Bewick’s Wrens (Thryomanes bewickii) usually form monogamous pairs. Even after the female begins incubating eggs, the pair often forages together—a behavior that may help the male guard his mate from rivals.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bewick...
#Wrens #Nature #Wildlife #California
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bewick...
#Wrens #Nature #Wildlife #California
Bewick's Wren Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
If you come across a noisy, hyperactive little bird with bold white eyebrows, flicking its long tail as it hops from branch to branch, you may have spotted a Bewick’s Wren. These master vocalists belt...
www.allaboutbirds.org
September 14, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Courting Bewick’s Wrens (Thryomanes bewickii) usually form monogamous pairs. Even after the female begins incubating eggs, the pair often forages together—a behavior that may help the male guard his mate from rivals.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bewick...
#Wrens #Nature #Wildlife #California
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bewick...
#Wrens #Nature #Wildlife #California
Downy Woodpeckers (Dryobates pubescens) often join mixed-species flocks in winter, gaining safety in numbers and better chances of finding food.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_...
#Woodpeckers #BirdBehavior #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_...
#Woodpeckers #BirdBehavior #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
Downy Woodpecker Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The active little Downy Woodpecker is a familiar sight at backyard feeders and in parks and woodlots, where it joins flocks of chickadees and nuthatches, barely outsizing them. An often acrobatic fora...
www.allaboutbirds.org
September 12, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Downy Woodpeckers (Dryobates pubescens) often join mixed-species flocks in winter, gaining safety in numbers and better chances of finding food.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_...
#Woodpeckers #BirdBehavior #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_...
#Woodpeckers #BirdBehavior #DiscoverBirds #Nature #Wildlife #California