Snow

Backyard Bird list: Jan 31, 2017 Snow all day, Temps from 25-27 degrees f.  Start 11:15am-5:15pm
Northern Cardinal 27
Blue Jay 14
European Starling 8
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
Rusty Blackbird 1
Mourning Dove 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Dark-eyed Junco 13
White-throated Sparrow 12
American Tree Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 1
Tufted Titmouse 6
Chickadee 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 1
Goldfinch 4

Today was a beautiful quiet day.  Monty and I started out up at Cascade Lake for a quick loop, it was already snowing when we left home.  The only ones up there were two other dog walkers, each with 3 dogs.  On the home front I spent most of today just watching the birds outside. Notable was the Rusty-blackbird.  I also did a webinar about Invasive Plants.  I'm still fulfilling more classroom time for my Master Naturalist 2.  

5 Bald Eagles!

 

Today's weather, a high of 34 and a low of 18.  Beautiful sunny day, no wind.  I walked Monty again today.  We walked with 5 other dogs! 4 of them males, and 3 of them used to growl at him, everyone got along great!  After our nice walk.  I headed back out to State School, and then on to Wickham Lake.  Again I had a large white Goose at the farm on SSR, and also a Snow Goose with all the Canadas.  At Wichham Lake I was rewarded with 5 Bald Eagles!  A pair sitting in a tree together, it was perfectly evident that one was a male and the other was a female, as there was a very noticeable size difference.   3 Immatures were on the ice.  The large flock of Common Mergs continues.  Its my understanding that a birder had Evening Grosbeaks at the park today.  I will have to go all week and hope I get lucky!  

Beautiful Sunday.

 

What a gorgeous January day.  High of 41f and a low of 23f.  We had a beautiful hike up at Cascade Lake Park.  I then did a nice birding drive.  State School Road had a few hundred Canada Geese, and a very large white goose.  The goose is not a Snow Goose, it seems to be a mate to one of the Canadas.  I then headed down to Wickham Lake and was rewarded with 2 Bald Eagles!  Awesome as always!  I spent a half hour watching the ring-billed and herring gulls diving and feeding.  So mesmerizing. The perfect meditation for me.  There were also a couple hundred Common Mergs again.  Every time the ice leaves the lake they gather.  

Baby update

All the babies are doing fantastic.  Eating and growing normally.  I am keeping their habitats super clean. Taking them in was a very good decision, because no matter how bad I feel, I must take excellent care of them, their lives depend on it. 

AMAZING DAY!

After spending most of the past week feeling really crappy, I ended up having the most amazing day! Thursday morning I received a text from a birding friend that there were thousands of Snow Geese out in the black dirt region of our county.  I felt pretty good and decided I'm not going to miss seeing that spectacle.  I headed out there, what a glorious drive, a beautiful blue sky, warm sun, lots of hawks along the way including a male Kestrel.  I arrived at the location, and there they were.  Just incredible!  I spent a couple hours out there, watching and talking to other birders.  It was a wonderful soul filling time.  Numbers were estimated to be around 4500 birds.  Really quite something when they all took off and flew over my head! 

Later on I took Monty for a nice walk around the pond at dusk.  My heart and soul renewed and I am ready to carry on.  I'm the lucky one, I've always known where to find my bliss, I need only look out my windows or open my door and go to the forest. 

Cascade Lake

Camel Farm

Snow Geese

Gorgeous birds

Incredible sight

Nicky The Nature Detective.

I love this little doll and book.  They were a gift I bought myself over two decades ago.  I keep them on the top of my dresser to remind me of the child I once was.  As a young girl I was obsessed with all of Nature, now a half a century later nothing has changed in that department.  My thirst for knowledge and seeing all I can in the natural world is what keeps me in the moment and enjoying each one.  Life is never boring when you have nature outside your door, it's free to watch and enjoy. What a gift!

I'm taking a break from all media

  

I've posted my decision on FB and now to stay off of it until the business of the US Government calms down a bit.  I will so miss being in touch with all my friends.  I am sad I can't be there as all this crap goes down, its hurting me.  My priority has to be my heath 1000%.  

Monty and I finally made it back up to Cascade Lake Park for a glorious hike, it was short and I was slow, but hey....I was out there!  It was about 40 degrees and the sun was shinning.  The only birds I saw/heard was a song sparrow and a Pileated Woodpecker.  After we finished our walk around the lake, I decided to do a car birding loop down on State School and Wisner Roads.   I'm so glad that I did.  I had some really nice birds!  1 Snow Goose, 1 Dark Phase Rough-legged Hawk, 1 Harrier, and a nice flock of Horned Lark.  I plan on repeating tomorrow what I did today! 

Spoke too soon

I've spend the better part of the days since my last treatment feeling pretty crappy. I've had to spend more time in bed and laying on the couch.  It is what it is, I have no choice but to listen to my body at this point in time.  It's nearly a year since I had my first dose of chemo, I give myself a lot of credit for doing as well as I am.   Yesterday I had some issues with blurry vision, that scared the crap out of me.  I was outside in the cold playing Frisbee when it started. It was funny because I couldn't think of how to describe what was happening to me, so that Bobby could call my nurse, then it occurred to me that it's called blurry vision.  I'd only had that happen to me one other time in my entire life, that time I was out hiking early in the morning and was dehydrated.   This time it may have been dehydration or low potassium/magnesium levels, just soon as I drank some bone broth and some water mixed with salt and coconut water my normal vision returned. I'm going to take it as a warning that I need to drink the amount of liquids I've been told to.  It's hard to drink that much water, 64-80 ounces a day.  I know it's important to flush the chemo toxins out of your body.  Onward and upward.

The new POTUS and his staff have me feeling beyond sad right now. The nightmare has now become reality.  The earth is going to hell in a hand basket. What we do to the earth we do to ourselves.  I have written my letters, signed petitions, and done all I can do right now.   I've decided to back away from all politics now for the sake of body.  I'm also not going to watch any sad news nor read anything on FB. I am going to only watch NY Rangers, Nature programs, and READ lots of Nature books.   Last night Bobby and I watched the American Experience documentary, a tribute to Rachel Carson and her best selling book, Silent Spring.  It was excellent.  I plan on reading all of her books again and I also plan on going to her cottage in Maine, I'm setting those plans in stone ASAP.   Rachel has been my hero for decades, time to do for me.  I don't have the strength to do for anyone else right now.

Yesterday we had a Northeaster, it was mainly freezing rain and a couple soggy inches of snow.  So many birds visiting the feeders, I am grateful that I have them to take my mind off of everything else.  Today I am going to get my feet under me, dress super warm and get outside for a hike.  I desperately need my nature time, it's been nearly a week since Monty and I've been out there.  It's 9:06am and the sun is peeking out. I best get ready and get going!   

Life

Life has basically been good.  I'm able to get Monty out for his runs and also do some car birding.  I'm eating well and feeling okay most days. All my little charges are continuing their great progress and really helping me stay happy and in the moment.  I love watching them all day long.  Ebird continues to keep me looking at birds out and about, as well as in my home.  I'm constantly looking for another species to add to my 2017 list. I now understand those that do a big year, even if it's just from home.  

The other day I started thinking about all the wildlife experiences I've had over my lifetime.  I haven't had the blessing of doing a lot of  travel outside of the US, but I've seen so much beauty right here in the US, Canada and also in Costa Rica on my two visits there.  I've also been to St. Thomas and Puerto Rico, but there is very little wildlife to see in both those places, except some great birds.  When I think of going to other countries, I have zero desire to see any man made things, I only want to see their native Flora and Fauna.  Oh and eat their food!  LOL, what foodie wouldn't like a trip around the world eating amazing local foods and drinking good wine every step of the way?!  Seeing things that man has made, bores me beyond belief.  Nature is it for me, I don't even like man made gardens, unless its someones yard that had been enhanced for local wildlife.  I've had so many great wildlife experiences all over the USA.  From swimming with Manatees, kayaking with porpoises, seeing so many different species of pinnipeds on both coasts, taking at least a dozen whale watching trips on both coasts, Pelagic bird watching trips, incredible wildlife viewing on multiple trips to Yellowstone, amazing birding in every state I've visited, Mammal watching, Herping, all the way to home, where I am blessed to see incredible wildlife right in my own backyard.  It never gets old to see native animals living wild and free, every sight makes my heart swell with gratitude.  It warms my heart to think of all those trips and experiences.  I'm so glad that I didn't wait for retirement to do what I love.  I've lived what I love for more then 5 decades. I have a silver ring that is inscribed with "do what you love, love what you do".    I'm so grateful that my wonderful hubby has been by my side for all of it.  I love him beyond words.  I don't think my boys suffered too much being dragged all over on our vacations to see birds and mammals. It's all been such a great adventure. 

WTs eating berries

One of the grandkids

I had a bad day, and went to TP Road

There is beauty every step of the way.

County Park

I finally made it up to one of my favorite places on earth.  It's only a mile from home, but an uphill hike which is so hard for me now.  Monty and I had a wonderful time, and we had the entire forest to ourselves.  I checked the Vernal Pool, no sign of Marbled Salamanders.  There weren't many birds, only notables were Ruby-crowned Kinglets. I loved being up there!  Where ever you are.....BE THERE, COMPLETELY, IN THE MOMENT.  Life is great!

Babies and birding!

I continue to care for my rehabs, cleaning, feeding and making sure they are comfortable and growing.  I'm loving every single moment.  They are the first thing I attend to when I wake up each morning and the last at night before I head to bed.  It was a very good decision for me to take on rehabs despite my condition.  

I love doing Ebird!  I never thought I'd get so into listing. It is so much fun to enter checklists for everything you see.  Having the app on my phone makes all the difference in the world.  Yesterday I went out birding with Judy, the head of Mt. Peter Hawk Watch!  We had such a nice time.  We saw a Bald Eagle, 7 Harriers, 3 Rough-legged, a Sharpie, Red-tails, Savannah Sparrow and a White-crowned along with other winter regulars.  It was good to get out!  I love my life. 

Tufted Titmouse

Black Squirrel checking out new feeder

Yum Worms!

I'm getting big

There is nothing cuter then these two

Blood Worms~YUM

We love them too!

Get out there!

Even in the dead of Winter there is always so much to see.  Put your boots on and get out there! It's all free.  Fill your soul, get your exercise and engage your mind!  LIVE.

Happy New Year

I decided to make one New Years Resolution, I'm going to submit at least one birding list each day to Ebird.  It will keep me busy and in the moment.  Yesterday I headed out to do a quick birding loop.  I ended up at Wickham Lake Park, there were 4 Bald Eagles! Best birds EVER on New Years Day!   2 Immature and 2 adult.  The Immature birds were on the ice.  Only about half the lake has ice on it.  There were also Common Mergs and lots of Canada Geese.

I had hands down the best 4 months of my entire life. From my sons wedding; having all my boys, family and friends in one place for a magical celebration, a couple amazing vacations to some of my fav places on earth, a surprise birthday party give by mom and my wonderful hubby for number 57, a couple NY Ranger games, Xmas with all my sons,  all the way to New Years Eve spent with family and friends.  Live for today.  Never stay home if you can go somewhere! I love life, I've had a blessed one.  Ever Grateful for every single moment.