I was not the one to find the first morel of the year. Luckily, I’m very fond of my friend Zaac, who has a wonderful ability to spot an emerging morel in leaves.
I was surprised to see how much time this garter snake spent checking me out:
Pictures say more than words when it comes to winter giving way to spring in the Shawangunks. I hiked the recently saved ridge yesterday, lucky to enjoy the best weather we’ve had in weeks.
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara L) blooms and sends out leaves later.
Yup, that’s snow under the hemlocks. This photo was taken about 90 minutes after the coltsfoot photo was taken on April 10, 2008. (more…)
What began as a lead on one really cool housing idea, led to the discovery of one of the most environmentally-aware websites I have seen in a long time.
A visit to Patti Moreno at GardenGirlTV is time well spent. Patti, a self described, generation xer, “gets it.” Even better, she puts the principles of small scale sustainable agriculture to work in Boston, Massachusetts and documents the results in words and video. (more…)
Tags: Birds, Mammals, Nature Curriculum, Wild Food Recipes
The white-throated sparrow sings at 6:42 AM EST. I heard it for the first time two days ago. I couldn’t believe my ears. It’s warm enough this morning to leave the window open. I believe the sparrow is in my rhododendron. If I move, it will spook him. Cardinal just called. It’s 40-degrees F and cloudy, with rain on the way.
I can hear the mourning dove and see the silhouettes of the breakfast crowd land on pine branches. I usually write with pen and notebook standing at the window.
Here’s what else I see: (more…)
When it gets hot and humid, I try to take sunrise hikes. Right now, sunrise is closer to 7:00 AM. I typically end my sunrise hikes by 7:00 AM in the summer.
I got close enough to these birds to be sure they are not turkey vultures. Black vultures have white legs and white marks on their wings.
Organizer Nicole Carman is a genius. This event brought 182 participants to Mt. Pisgah State Park to participate in events ranging from kayaking and horseback riding to firearms, ATV safety, and wild game cooking.
If you can do it in the outdoors, there was someone to teach you how in a mini-workshop. I learned about WITO from my friend, Bird Lady, who attended as a participant this year, rather than a presenter. (more…)
Tags: Birds, Flowers, Foraging, Gardens, Political, Survival, Wild Food Recipes
My early morning nature hikes make me feel like I am in a holy place. With images like this, what other way is there to see the natural world? (more…)
Tags: Birds, Flowers, Hiking, Journal, Mammals, Reptiles
I’m blessed with mentors this year.
Charlene “Bird Lady” Miller and I first met on Jon Young’s Wilderness Awareness School Forum. This past weekend I finally got to meet her.
I took along my photos and videos for identification. Bird Lady is a retired Wildlife Rehabilitator with expertise in passerines.
Tags: Birds, Hiking, Nature Curriculum, Survival
I’m blessed to wake to the sounds of robins and cardinals chattering.
This morning, I also got a visual treat.
It rained and then the temperature cooled by 20 degrees or more. I hope this encourages morels.
This week I’ve seen the return of the Ovenbird, Catbird, Baltimore Oriole, Rosebreasted Grosbeak, and Pheasant.
What’s really exciting is that I can now identify them by sound as well as sign, thanks to Birding By Ear.
Here is what I was able to see as well as hear on a perfect spring day hike:
Tags: Birds, Hiking, Nature Curriculum