Spring has sprung

If there were a couple of weeks that I could magically slow down time to a slow crawl right now would be that time.  As the earth begins to awaken again after a long snowy Winter, each and every moment contains something precious that it makes me want to get out there and see it all.  I could spend all day outside exporing.  The days are just not long enough. Every Spring I become ten years old all over again.  I heard my first Phoebe while up on a hike in the County Park!  The skunk cabbage are blooming.  There are Spermatophores in one of the Vernal Pools I monitor.  The other two pools are still mostly still covered with ice.  It is in the low 50s today....just glorious out.  Later while walking a client dog that lives out in the valley.....SPRING PEEPERS!!!!  Happy Dance!  Let the Herping begin!

Pseudacris crucifer

Nature Watch Volunteer!

I attended my Nature Watch Volunteer Training Class for the Basha Kill Area Association yesterday.  So incredibly excited to commit myself to volunteer time teaching the public about the Bald Eagle and Osprey nest.  Getting my volunteer time to attain my Master Naturalist has become a very rewarding personal pursuit.  I love being in classroom learning about Nature.  Finally schooling that feeds my soul.  After the program we drove to the boat basin and there where several eagles on the ice.  My heart swelled with joy.  I love love love what I am getting to do with my life now.  Amazing how the whole world  has come back into focus for me. There is life after parenting.  I am so happy. 

The large flocks of Blackbirds visiting my feeders have migrated north.  Most of my White-throated, Am Tree Sparrows and Juncos have all dispersed.  There are flocks of hundreds of Robins in all the fields.  We still have Snowy Owls out in the Black-dirt region.  I will try for them later on today.

It's still Winter.....

Snowy again

Well I finally caught up with the Snowy Owl again last night!  What a amazing creature it is.  My friend Matt took these two photos, he saw 4 just before this one, so there are now a total of 5 out there in the Black Dirt.  I stayed past dark and was rewarded with 4 short-eared owls flying over and around us.  A lone Woodcock also flew over!  Wonderful start to my weekend.

Hundreds of Blackbirds are around.  I went out for ducks this past week and saw Wood, Ring-neck and Gadwall.  The chipmunks are all up.  We still have some snow on the ground, today it's very warm so it should be melting soon.  So hopefully Spring Peepers in a few days!  Lots of Hawks out and about.  Two Owls hit by cars last night.  Both on County Route 1.  They both flew off. 

I signed up for yet another volunteer opportunity.  I will be taking a training class to become a Nature Watch volunteer at the Basha Kill.  I will be teaching the public about Eagles and Osprey.  There are nests up at the Bash, and they supply spotting scopes to show the public the birds.  I'm excited.  Today I took my NAAMP quiz and I passed it!  I now have my driving route and it's GREAT!  It takes me into Harriman State Park!  I will have hubby go with me on my 4 nights of monitoring.

Spring Equinox came in at 1:57pm on the 20th.  My *baby* turned 20 on the same day.  Where has the time gone?  I am for sure heading into a new part of life, and I am really enjoying it.  I love my dog walking/pet sitting work and all the nature volunteer opportunities I have signed up for.  

Master Naturalist

To say that I'm excited would be an understatement.  Yesterday I took a class at the Hudson Highland Museum to become a Volunteer for the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program.  NAAMP.  I will be monitoring a route near home 4 times over the next few months. During each monitoring night you stop at 10 different locations and record the frogs and toads you hear calling in a five minute time frame.  All your data is entered at the NAAMP website and after your 4th night of data collection sent via snail mail to the coordinator of the project to be checked before your data can be used.  I will also be participating in two other online data collecting projects both on Vernal Pools.  One with the Orianne Society and the other with the DEC Hudson River Estuary Program.  I'm happy that I can finally contribute the data I collect somewhere where it can be used.  I am also happy that I will be attaining my Master Naturalist by the end of this Summer!

Addiction

I have a serious addiction.  No matter what species of wildlife I'm watching, I have a difficult time pulling myself away to do other things.  I could spend all day and night observing animals in the wild.  I would have made a good field wildlife biologist.  Today I'm obsessed with keeping my bins on the flock of Rusty Blackbirds that have visited my bird feeders in my backyard since January 3, 2014.  Today after several days of absence there are 17 eating the corn I have spread on the ground for them and the other blackbirds. There numbers have declined by 85-99% in the last couple of decades and this year there is a study being done to track their migration.  I have been putting my sightings into the data base to help scientist keep tabs on their movement.  Every time I watch one I feel like this could be the last time I ever see one.  I don't take a single sighting for granted.  For more information on Rusty Blackbirds or to participate in the Rusty Blackbird Blitz visit: http://rustyblackbird.org/

This afternoon I'm heading out to find a snowy again.  I know that each time I see one of them, it could be the last time as well.  I hate thinking that way, but with what is happening to our planet, all wildlife are in peril.  I try hard not to focus on the negatives and enjoy each and every gift of a wildlife sighting.  I feel so blessed in this life that I live in an area that I see wildlife constantly.  I don't need to even leave my house.

I forgot to mention, I am all signed up for my Naturalist weekend at the Arnot Forest!  It will take place the first weekend of June.  I will finally have my course work completed for becoming a Master Naturalist!  I still need to do my volunteer hours.  I will be starting that this weekend when I attend a workshop for Project Frogwatch.  I will be going to the Museum of the Hudson Highlands to learn frog calls and be assigned a territory to monitor.   I will be monitoring frogs by their calls in several locations during the Spring and early Summer.  I also found a citizen scientist project that collects data on Spotted Salamanders and Wood Frogs, I will be entering my data on their site as well. 

Woodcock!

Heard my first Woodcock of the season!  We still have a foot of snow on the ground, but are having rain tonight.  Love this time of year! 

We have Blackbirds!

Yes!  They have started to arrive!  Grackle, Red-wing & Cowbirds are at my feeders!  The Rusty's seem to have flown the coop. There are also 4 Fox Sparrow now.   In need to get out and see that snowy owl one more time.

I had a magical experience today.  I was standing outside a store chatting with a friend,  we were just soaking in the glorious sun.  As always I was glancing up at the sky, it was a deep blue with a few fluffy white clouds.  I heard a Red-tailed Hawk call, I looked up at him, and noticed a total of 6 Red-tailed Hawks ketteling together.  Breathtaking.  I truly know WHY I bird, they fill my life with such beauty.

On my birding rounds, I found a Great Horned Owl nest!!!  

I feel good!

I am feeling GREAT!!!!! The best I've felt in 2 years.  I finally got my business up and going, and I love it!  I can not wait to get busy!   I have finally found my calling, something that makes my heart sing!   I can make a difference in this world.  I love love love meeting people and taking care of their dogs.  It is super fun and rewarding.  Why didn't I start this business years ago?  Fear of failure, that's why.  I will not fail because I love what I'm doing. My hubby said I would love this and he was right!

After walking one of my clients, I drove out to the Black Dirt yesterday and again today.  Lots of Rough-legged Hawks.  I went to Skinner Lane for the Snowy Owls and I didn't see them. I did see a skunk each day, and today a mink at Oil City Road!  Lots of Bluebirds and Robins were working the grass that is exposed on the sides of the road everywhere I drove.  We still have a foot of packed snow on the ground.   Later on I got 2 texts that there were  3 Snowys out on Skinners Road!  Oh well tomorrows another day.  While my friends were viewing the 3 Snowy's I was up at Cascade Park immersed in a amazing hike with my pup.  We had the forest to ourselves. It was stunningly quiet, warmer and magical.  The sun was beginning to set. 

On the home front, my flock of Rusty Blackbirds continues.  I've been putting them in Ebird everyday, as they are doing a study on them until April. Today there were 25.  I feel so lucky to have them at my feeders everyday, I will miss them when they migrate.  I hope they remember me next winter.  Weather wise it's been in the teens if not single digits for more then a month now.  Coldest winter ever.  I had my first Red-wing Blackbirds on the 5th.  No huge flocks yet, any day. 

 We have at least 4 deer hanging around in our yard. 

Rainbow and Sunset

As Hubby and I were driving home, we happened to notice one of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever seen in our beautiful valley.  We pulled over and got out of the car to watch it.  As we turned around to leave....on the other side of the road was an amazing Rainbow!  Life is GREAT! 

Coop

We had more snow over the last few hours, another 3 inches.  While I'm house bound I'm constantly watching the birds out the windows of my home. I noticed a adult male Coopers Hawk sitting in a tree at the far end of my yard. All my feeder birds were acting normally.  I put the bins on the Coop and could see why the feeder birds weren't  concerned, he had a very full crop. He was all fluffed up and sitting on one foot.  Nap time. 

A sign

This morning I'm back at the bird count.  A coop came by, and must have scored because there were still birds sitting frozen still all over the place.  I looked out the window trying to locate where the Coop was and I see a very large bird NW of my house, it's circling, it has very long straight wings, grab my bins which gratefully were within an arms length, and quickly look at the bird, knowing already, it was a BALD EAGLE!  Beautiful adult bird flew right over and went towards Greenwood Lake.  AMAZING moment!  Blessings are everywhere, you just need to open your eyes and see them! 

And....

It is snowing AGAIN!  I know the secret to enjoying the Winter despite frigid temperatures and a few feet of snow on the ground.   You must find a outdoor sport that you love.  Snowshoeing is mine.  Today I took Monty and out we went.   There aren't many trails broken up in the park, so we went only as far as the trail went.  If the wind wasn't blowing so hard I would have walked longer. It was magical being up there all alone while it was snowing, although it was the last thing I wanted to do today, it was wonderful, I am never sorry for making the effort. Another item I find indispensable for a successful snowshoe is Mushers Secret for my dog.  It is a necessity to keep your pups paws from getting too dried out and cracking and causing him misery.  I  take a big lump of it and slather it on each paw very thickly.

I am loving being home alone.  It is so nice to just be able to do what ever I want, when ever I want to do it.  I've been cooking nice meals and enjoying each moment.  The Bird Count is still going on, today is day 2.  It is the perfect weekend for me to be constantly watching birds.  The Olympics in Sochi is also on TV and I've been watching Hockey non stop for two days. Team USA played Russia and won!  Super exciting game. I went to the Library and took out a book to read, The Big Year, and two Comedies to watch. Life is beyond good.

Change

Full Moon

Full Snow Moon

Blessed Day

From Hubby!

Valentines Day Dinner for One! 

Tonight I find myself completely alone at home, except for my handsome sidekick Monty.  My hubby and middle sons all left for their annual trip to GA.  The full moon was at 6:53pm and I went outside and watched it rise over the pine trees.  It was spectacular.  What an awesome night it would be for a snowshoe with 2.5 feet of snow on the ground, under that gorgeous moon.  I am going to savor my time alone and put it to good use taking care of me.  The silence of the house is deafening, I can actually think.

The Great American Backyard Bird Count is this weekend, 2/14-2/17.  I had a great start for my report, the flock of Rusty Blackbirds were here bright and early for their cracked corn. I also had flyovers of Canada Geese, Black Vulture and American Crows.  Tomorrow I hope to get out and do some birding else where.   There is a Barn Owl being reported out in the Black Dirt, I will go for him at dusk, also hope for some Harriers and Short-eared Owls.   Until next Wednesday....it's all about me!  I'm not going to waste a moment. 

Winter storm PAX

Another storm is upon us.  This one bringing up to 20 inches.  How wonderful to stay home and watch all it's glory from the comfort of my warm home.  I put out tons of food for my feathered friends, mostly under the eves of my home.  Tomorrow is the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. 

-3

This morning I looked at the thermometer after I came in from feeding the birds, I couldn't believe the temperature. 

Annual Eagle Trip

Photo by Matt Zeitler

Yesterday we had our annual trip over to the Hudson River to look for Wintering Bald Eagles.  We Start at the Goat Path which is about a mile down the road from the Bear Mountain Bridge and we end up at Croton Park.  We counted a total of 153 Bald Eagles.  The river is full of ice floats this year which the Eagles utilize to sit upon and eat their catches.  Absolutely amazing day with my Hawk Watch friends.

Today we had about 6 inches of snow due to winter storm Maximus.  We had a wonderful day at home watching the snow fall.  We are expecting another storm, Nika to come in tomorrow night, that one could bring 12 or more inches.  My flock of Rusty Black birds continue.