Dodge Hilltop Harvest

02/07/2026

Breathtaking photos of the first Barred Owl we’ve spotted on The Hill in years! 🦉 (Swipe to see the enhanced shots and a comparison guide! 👀)

Is it a Barred Owl or a Barn Owl? Unlike the heart-faced Barn Owl, this Barred Owl loves our deep woods and is famous for the hoot: "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?"

🌙 4 Fun Facts for the Family 🌾:

• 🚜 Eco-Friendly Helper: One owl family eats thousands of rodents a year—better than any trap!

• 🤫 Silent Hunter: Their feathers are designed for "stealth mode," making their flight 100% silent.

• 🤸 Neck Acrobatics: They can’t move their eyes, so they turn their heads almost all the way around (270°!).

• 💖 Pink Feathers? If they eat enough crayfish, the feathers under their wings can actually turn pink—just like a flamingo!

We’re so glad this neighbor decided to move in. 🏠🦉♥️

[Photo Credits: Tyler & Ashley Dodge]



In partnership with nature! 🌲
Big thanks to our local and for the resources to help us identify our new neighbor!

02/07/2026

02/05/2026

🌈 Look closely... it’s a "Sun Dog!" 🐾

Check out that rainbow-colored spot to the right of the sun! This isn't a regular rainbow—it’s a Sun Dog (or parhelion).

How to spot it with the kids:

1. Find the sun (carefully!). ☀️

2. Look about two "fist-widths" to the right. ✊✊

3. See that splash of color? That’s sunlight bending through tiny ice crystals in the air, just like a glass prism!

It’s like nature’s own science experiment happening right over Norwich this morning! ❄️✨

[Original Photos taken by Tyler & Ashley Dodge; Photo enhanced to assist in Parent/Teacher-Child Learning ♥️ !]

02/05/2026

🌅 Atmospheric Jackpot this Morning! 🌅

We spotted this incredible 4-in-1 phenomena from Oxford Road in Norwich! What looks like a scene from a sci-fi movie is actually a rare Halo Complex caused by "Diamond Dust" (tiny ice crystals) in the air. ❄️✨

Learning about these Natural Wonders:
• Sun Pillar: That vertical beam of light shooting up from the sun. It’s caused by sunlight reflecting off flat ice crystals like a mirror. 🪞
• Sun Dogs: The "rainbow" spots to the side of the sun. These happen when light bends (refracts) through ice crystals like a prism. 🌈
• 22° Halo: Look closely for the faint, ghostly ring connecting the sun dogs! ⭕
• Tangent Arc: See the little "V" flare at the very top of the pillar? That’s the cherry on top of this light show! 🍒

Nature sure put on a show for us today! Did anyone else catch it?

[Original Photographs by Tyler & Ashley Dodge]

11/18/2025

Bird Army General Consensus?:
“Let’s go, Girls. This Chick is being weird…”.

10/28/2025

Hello from Dodge Hilltop Harvest! We are busy preparing for winter—renovating coops and dreaming up new folk art and craft designs! While the garden takes a rest, we are open for commissions for your country/folk art projects. We still have a steady supply of farm-fresh eggs available. Let's create something beautiful together!