Cape May

Unfortunately my birthday pelagic birding trip was cancelled due to a storm. We couldn't get a refund on the room so we decided to go anyway. We stayed at The star. We had a small view of the ocean from our room. It rained all day and the wind was fierce. There was not much to do outside in nature, which completely reaffirmed  WHY we don't go to populated tourist areas for vacations. Cape May does have wild unspoiled areas, but most of it is completely built up. I couldn't help dreaming of our gorgeous retreat on the coast of Maine-I will be sending our deposit in this week, to insure we treat ourselves next Fall to that blissful week.   We did have a couple of delicious  meals and spent some much needed time alone, so all was not lost. Woohoo biggest bonus of the weekend: sleeping with open windows and a wild storm sea!!! The hipnotic sound of waves crashing. Ocean healing at its finest. 

Window Feeder

Yesterday I had a special visitor on my window feeder.  A single Pine Siskin.  I enjoyed watching the birds while I did paper work. 

Bob cat tracks

This past Sunday we took an 8 mile hike up in Harriman state park. Glorious day. We happened on a duo of bob cat tracks. Love walking in the snow and seeing what dogs clearly can smell has gone on the night before.                          

Praying Mantis Nest

Today while walking a dog in his yard I found a Forsythia bush filled with Praying Mantis nests. Such a pretty sight on a bitter cold day. 

Hiking App

On New Years Day morning as we were walking out the door to join our good friends for a hike I quickly down loaded a map my hike app on my phone.  We did a wonderful 5.06 mile hike, gorgeous blue skies although a little cold we warmed up pretty quickly as we hiked.  We brought our dogs, so they had a nice time doing triple our mileage. Monday I started using another app to track the dog walks I do.  Today I decided to see how many miles I've walked and hiked since the first day of they year.  I did at total of 32.6 since the year started!  I missed one day due to rain.  I think that I may be addicted to racking up the miles!  So much fun to see how far you are actually going, and it pushes you to do more and not miss days.  It was very cold this week and I didn't blow Monty off at all.  Last weeks total was 26.6, pretty good for six days. 

Full Moon upon us

This is from fullmoon.info.  I get a email from them once a month. I really like this. The full moon will be on Monday (or Sunday for certain time zones). It is the first full moon of the new year 2015, and no doubt, one or two of you may have already forged out plans and good resolutions. Forget it! The more you are clinging to an ideal in the future, the more you manifest the lack in the present. Our life is good, when we are without thoughts and intention and when we reflect on our inner nature. Because the good in us is life.

New Year

First thing this morning we had a Male Coop come in the yard and nab a Starling.  Hard to see the poor starling struggling, but its nature.  Everyone has to eat. We started off 2015 on the right foot, with a wonderful 5 mile hike up on the AT.  I truly feel like a million bucks right now.  So wonderful to get out there!

Resolutions for 2015

 

 2015 

Live in the moment 

 Eat more salads 

 Do the Kamana Naturalist Program

New Nest

Last year we found this beautiful bald-faced wasps nest. It is easily two times the size of any other paper wasp nest that we have ever found. I went to hang it up on the from porch and as soon as I stepped outside the door I heard a Carolina Wren singing really close.  The other two nest that were hanging up under the porch are pretty worn out, so I guess the bird was happy to see a new place to sleep at night so it can stay warm. Tempurtures have dropped in the last 24 hours, it's finally feeling quite like Winter and those little birds seem to really need to snuggle in some where to keep warm.  

This morning while making my pet sitting rounds I came across the leusistic Red-tailed Hawk. The bird looks great. This bird has spent the last 7 Winters here in Warwick.  I'm always so happy when I see it again. 

Matt Zeitlers Photo from Spring 2014

It's never too late....

It's never too late to live the childhood you didn't have. You can't blame your parents, because once you become an adult its up to YOU, to find and live your passion.  I'm still the person I was at 10 years old.  My passion for all animals and anything to do with the natural world has never wavered. It has endured 55 years of life, 32 years of marriage and mothering 4 sons to adulthood.  I've found that the more I do that makes my heart sing, the happier I am, the more complete I feel each day.  I've always wanted to work with animals or in a job that brought me closer to nature.  I am doing both now.  Being a pet sitter dog walker is an incredibly fun job for me.  I love what I'm doing for the first time in my life. I enjoy working with companion animals and feel I'm helping their owners be able to step outside their lives and go away with less stress and worry. I love their pets as if they were my own.   Becoming a Wildlife Rehabilitator and now a Master Naturalist has filled my soul up beyond what I thought possible.  I love doing volunteer work that  is very meaningful.  Educating the public about our local wildlife is fun and rewarding.  Each day when I wake up I think of the endless possibilities that are mine for the choosing, 24 more golden awesome hours.  It's a good life. 

Warm

 

 

Today it was 54 degrees, with sunny skies.  The Woods were filled with other people enjoying the mild winter weather.  Monty decided it was a great day for a swim! At home I'm still seeing 5 Rusty Blackbirds at some point each day. 
My annual outside Xmas bird tree is a huge hit with my feeder birds.  

There has been a female Pileated Woodpecker hanging around. 

I'm back

Cloudy 36. WNW 13 mph gusts to 21 mph 9:15am 

5 Rusty Blackbirds at my bird feeder, also 1 Fox Sparrow for the last two days.  Having just lost a friend and neighbor the Fox Sparrow will now be my sign to remember my friend Rose, a very dear sweet lady whom I loved. 

I've now seen 3 Black Squirrels at one time. They are going to be famous shortly as I've been interviewed for an article in the paper about them.   

Adult Coopers Hawk killed one of the Rusty Blackbirds and proceeded to eat it.  Nature is sometimes difficult to watch. 

 

Natures's gifts

Snow 11/14

What a day!

Today was my final shift up at the Hawk Watch!  I got my Golden and if that wasn't enough.....I also got a GOS!  I will return for sure!  I had a fabulous year up there. 

I also had one of the most amazing wildlife sightings ever.  I was out wildlife watching, looking for a sow and cubs that someone had told me about.  I happened upon and gorgeous Coywolf.  Absolutely amazing creature.  I was blessed to watch it for more then 15 minutes.  Today was a very very good day for me.  No need for a vacation,  wildlife is right here just waiting for me to see it! 

I also had this beauty in the backyard yesterday. 

Sit spot

I'm sitting in the forest up in the county park absolutely surrounded by birds and it is amazing. Owning a big active dog I so rarely ever sit down  while out on my hike The bird migration is in full force and all of our winter birds are here and some of our summer birds are grouping and leaving. The tree canopies are full of kinglets and pine siskins, lower trees have Hermit Thrushes everywhere, it is awesome! Even the first floor is alive with the activity of many species of sparrows and Juncos. 

It's official!

I am now a Master Naturalist!  It took me 3 years to finally buckle down and stop making excuses, but I did it!  Now off to attain the higher levels.  I already put in another 4 hours of volunteer time over this past weekend.  I am inspired to do all the volunteer work that I possibly can.  I love every moment of what I'm doing! 

Cool Wildlife Cam picture!

This is from across the street from my home! 

Elephant in the room

OK I lied, just one post.  Limiting my internet time has lead me to some interesting thoughts.  I was raised thinking *If I die* not *when I die*. By thinking this way,  we avoid thinking about the inevitable, that our time here has a limited number of days.   We have no clue as to when our time here will be done, and absolutely no choice as to when our number will finally comes up.  By thinking and living *IF* we truly can get lost in the mundane of the everyday.  We take our lives and loved ones for granted. If we live by *WHEN* then we realize that every moment is precious, and we relish each and every one we are given.  LIFE IS GOOD, LIVE FOR TODAY! 

90 days

For the next 90 days,starting on the 15th,  until my birthday, I am going to take a much needed internet break. I feel overwhelmed by the constant  bad news of the world.  I'm also tired of hearing people complain constantly. You can't stay away from it on FB, there is constantly something horrific on my news feed.  People abusing other humans and the animal abuse is just completely out of control.     I've turned off most of my friends from my FB feed,  Every evening  I will post on the Hawk Watch page, as I've committed to doing that, I will also wish my friends *Happy Birthday* at that time.  I will check my messages, but  I will not sit and cruise on FB, nor will I use it on my phone.  I won't be posting in this Blog either.  My plan is to JUST BE.  Spend all my time in the physical world instead of the internet world.    I'm looking forward to the break.  I will miss posting about this Falls birding, but plan on writing notes in my little journal.  The birds are migrating and I must go! lol 

Watch

I spent most of today outside.  I was at the watch for many hours and also walked Monty.  The hawks have been trickling in.  I had only 19 birds on Wednesday, there were 0 for yesterday as the leader left after 1.5 hours.  Today there was a total of 72, with zero cloud cover that wasn't a horrible count.  After I left the watch I went down the street and watched a family of Red-tails for a while.  One of the young was up on the wires screeching for a hand out from his parents, he soon noticed one of them in the field eating something and promptly flew down, hit the bigger birds who flew off and began to eat.  Tonight I headed back out to watch the sunset.  Later on I plan on getting out to look for the Northern Lights.  I'm enjoying a few days off from cooking as hubby is away.  It frees me up to spend a lot of time out in nature. 

Sunset

Watched a herd of dear sparing and eating under the sunset.  What a way to end a wonderful day.

Backyard birding

9:45am~10:15am  64 degrees Cloudy NE winds 10mph  Full Moon.

Today I sat out by the pond for a half hour and watched the birds and animals. 

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Chickadee, WB Nuthatch, Tufted Tit-mouse,  Raven, Blue Jay, Turkey Vulture, Downy Woodpecker, Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, RT Hummingbird, Goldfinch, Mourning Dove,  Gray Squirrel, Chipmunk, Bull Frog, Green Frog, Water Glider, Pond Snail. 

It was a little difficult to keep my concentration on the sounds of nature vs. the traffic that flows past our home.  Every so often there were no cars and it was blissful.

Monty and I went for a nice long walk out at Liberty Loop.  There wasn't too much bird life left as the ponds are mostly dried up now.  Some egrets and GB Herons.  Lots of interesting insect life.  I found one Monarch Caterpillar. 

Birds are migrating

Lots of great bird activity out on my walk today.  Forest was full of warblers, fly catchers,  thrush, oven birds.  Broad-winged flight has begun.  Really looking forward to the next week or so.

Need to write about something that happened to me yesterday.  I feel as though I looked right into someone who I love very much, soul yesterday.  Looking into their eyes so deeply that I felt their pain and love.  Incredible moment that I now feel I totally understand that person and our relationship.  It had me crying today for all the wasted past thoughts and feelings.  I now know better and will do better. 

 

Final 100 Day challenge photo.  Love my dog so much.