Check out the virtual Compassion Arts Festival from November 14-24. Amazing, powerful, empowering, moving, and wonderful work! “Compassion Arts Festival is a virtual arts and education platform for cultivating a deeper understanding, respect, and compassion for the life we share the planet with.” More, here: https://www.compassionartsfestival.org/about
I haven’t sat out in the yard for a while. A temp of 57 this morning made it impossible to resist!
It was wonderful to see all the geese parents and goslings hanging out together this morning! I love how they group up so there are more adults watching the young ones.
I also spotted a beaver, a couple of hooded mergansers, and a young bald eagle flew over looking for breakfast.
Our neighbor has a robin’s nest on his house near a security light. Every time the parents go to or from the nest, the light comes on. Lately, the light has been coming on a lot, which means hungry babies growing fast! This afternoon, I got to see my first fledgling of the spring sitting in our maple tree.
It was a nice mild morning at the wetlands. The moon was beautiful and there are more spring arrivals every day. This morning, I spotted a common yellowthroat (very common at the wetlands!), orchard orioles, and a yellow-breasted chat. The chat was not so accommodating with the photographs. I tried, but he kept moving from the top of one tree to another and always obscured by leaves, so the pictures were not so good. I will keep trying as I’ve seen him in the same place every spring for the past few years. I saw the start of a woven nest—maybe an oriole’s work? The highlight of the morning was watching an osprey fishing!
It didn’t look like they got anything on this dive. They shook off the water and kept at it, still circling around when I left. That is hard work! It amazes me how they can take off from in the water. They must have incredibly strong wings.
The catbirds are here! There were three in the yard this morning. I love that they know to come to the patio for a few raisins when they get in. I read they migrate mostly at night, so they probably just arrived when I saw them this morning. It looks like there might already be some courting going on!
I got to see the first of spring orioles at the jelly feeders this morning. I haven’t seen hummers or catbirds yet, but it should be any day now!
“Patiently” waiting for her turn at the jelly.
This morning I saw someone post on a local birding list their first of the spring hummer sighting. I got the sugar out and went to work. Hummer feeder up and ready!
It’s almost time for orioles. I’ve seen some reports of sightings near us, so the jelly feeder is full and ready to go.
It was a frosty morning at the wetlands, but the sun quickly warmed things up. A bald eagle was enjoying the sunrise, a Cooper’s hawk was hanging out, and the male wood duck was patrolling while his mate was investigating the nest box. I can’t wait to see the baby wood ducks!
