Archives
(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) Spring. According to the calendar, it will be here next week, arriving precisely at 11:06 p.m. on March 19, 2024. Nature. It adheres to it’s very own schedule, every day of the year. I reckon it may be useful (?) to know that on the date and time above there will be an equal amount of day and night. Equinox. Plan accordingly. So,… Read More
“Are you sure you feel like going out this morning?” I got one of those looks that needed no words. It was a logical question. Gini and I are emerging from over two weeks’ worth of some sort of flu. Not quite back to 100% yet, I was concerned she might still be a bit too weak to go chasing birds. Her common sense self advised that sunshine and fresh air would… Read More
Header Image: Sandhill Cranes Hoo-H-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo. Hoo-H-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo. Softer than one would expect for a relatively large bird. Distant. Distinct. “Great Horned Owl!”, Gini exclaimed in the darkness. It was now about an hour-and-a-half before sunrise and this was our fourth stop in an attempt to hear nocturnal birds. A bit later, a Barred Owl couple called to each other. The highlight of our pre-dawn foray occurred at a boat ramp. “Whip-whip-whip.” Whoosh! An… Read More
Header Image: Tricolored Heron “Ah-choo!” “Bless you.” Gini and I sneezed our way through the first two weeks of December. Intense testing, analyses and expert medical opinions told the sad tale. “Y’all got a cold.” We are seldom sick and one of us, which we shall not name, acts like a big baby when he has the sniffles. Gini is a kitchen magician and she waved her wand over a huge pot… Read More
(Header Image: Sandhill Cranes) One of the interesting things about the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count is that observers are assigned to a specific geographic area within which to conduct a census. In our area, we have urban, suburban and rural spots which include lakes, parks, wetlands, forests and pasture land to explore. This diversity of habitat provides great potential for seeing a good mix of species as well as large numbers… Read More
Our Natural Places 