No photos

No photos

On the last leg of the Dec. 19th outing, we came across two birds. Both were fast and far away. Thus no photos attempted. First one was the American Woodcock! Its whistling wings are characteristic. Second bird was a Brown Creeper. A small bird that only goes up the tree hunting for insects. Indeed cool…

Common

Common

When do the things we see become common? Are they common because we see them everyday? Hopefully the familiar will continue to awe us all! Common is not a bad thing. Just take the time to be in awe of nature’s “common” beauty. And you sometimes will be surprised. Indeed, I can’t get enough it…

What was it?

What was it?

What a delightful morning with 16 species of birds while drinking my tea. Taking the opportunity to observe them, I watched the Red-breasted Nuthatch take its seed from the feeder head down. However, it drinks its water right side up. A chickadee ate ice crystals in addition to drinking the water. Blue Jays were given…

Japanese watercolor

Japanese watercolor

Sometimes when taking photos of stuff, I see things that will remind me of paintings. Maybe you too? 5 Extreme Times Tardigrades Proved Themselves to Be Incredibly Resilient NASA Satellites Help Scientists Track Staggering Wetlands Loss in Louisiana A study of polar bear paw papillae shows how they maintain traction on ice Keep looking! The…

Red cap

Red cap

Dec 19th was not as cold as today and yesterday. However, we still had to bundle up on that outing. Photos from today below. Of course, I had to sit and watch the birds from inside the warm house today. Climate Change Will Result in More Rainbows Glass Frogs Turn Transparent When They Sleep… By…

Really Brrrr!

Really Brrrr!

Today’s (Dec 22) clouds, flurries and cold blew in like the Polar Express. The Polar bears would love it. I didn’t mind it too much because I had plenty of layers on. Seemed like a good day to do some baking and making a pot of chicken noodle soup. Stay warm! Understanding the Mystifying Function…

Mossy World

Mossy World

Today’s post features a guest author. Jeanne wrote Mossy World for the Elm Fork Master Naturalist’s December newsletter. So I thought that y’all might enjoy it as much as I did. All the great photos are Jeanne’s as well. Imagine a walk in the woods or among rocks and boulders or meandering ravines without their…

Odds and ends

Odds and ends

A few more treasures from the Dec 15th outing. Indeed, a wonderful day! Male Wasps Have Been Seen Using Their Genitals as Weapons Against Predators Keep looking! The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know

Michael, the fun guy

Michael, the fun guy

On the outing Dec. 15th, Michael came along with us. Michael is a Range Specialist for the Forest Service. And he has only been here since August. Michael, I wish you much success in new career with the Forest Service! Why Los Angeles Fell in Love With the Mountain Lion Known as P-22 Keep looking!…

Off my list

Off my list

In yesterday’s post, you saw we were sticking as close as we could to the creek. It certainly was not easy traveling on the north side of the creek. What a nice find, the Woolly Lip Fern! Another one checked off my bucket list for the grasslands. 2-meter-long arthropods dominated the seas 470 million years…