Happy Kids
Tom has the camera again!
Having some satellite internet problems this evening and been with tech support for the past hour! I thought instead of doing anything nature related (because I can’t upload the pictures I took today) that I would just post some cute pictures of my nephews that I took on Sunday. Did I mention how much Hughes Network sucks? They want me to pay my bill on time but when I am getting 24kbps download and 14kbps upload . . . . I have to do speed test for 3 to 4 days because they can do anything for me! Hello . . . I did those speed tests back in February . . . still having the same problems! Dial-up was slow but at least it was reliable! Ok, enough venting and will try my best to catch up on everyone’s sites (if I can get them to load).
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Fledged the Nest
An Ovenbird photo from 2006
It was only a matter of time till one of the Young Naturalist team members would fledge the nest and started their own Nature Blog!! The first to fledge was Young Naturalist J who is now doing “The Ovenbird”!!! Last summer I started getting him involved with this site and we have been working on learning code, ect… Then after I was falling behind with my birdQUIZ blog. . . . he decided to help out and get the blog back on track (which he did). With the excitement of many of our birds returning this summer and with him getting his new camera for Christmas . . . he was ready to start sharing “his” nature adventures with everyone!
So go check out “The Ovenbird”!
He is also a member of the and could use your views! (more…)
Sunny Nature Hike
White-breasted Nuthatch
I enjoyed a wonderful sunny nature hike in Allegany State Park today. It was wonderful seeing people hiking, ice fishing, sledding, cross-country skiing and even those that were out on snowmobiles. Even more pleasant was seeing many of those enjoying nature with their children and pulling the kids away from the computer games for a few hours.
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Fun Skiing Day [Video]
Hmm . . . Pizza after Skiing!
I joined Young Naturalist C, J and E today for a fun skiing day over at the Holimont Ski Resort in Ellicottville, New York. This is our annual skiing day that we do each year and the kids keep on getting better and better . . . . I continue to have a harder time keeping up with them!! We are always guaranteed many laughs and I will probably feel the fun we had tomorrow morning once my muscles relax!! (ugg) This (2:35 minute) video is only a sample of our excellent day!! (more…)
Cookie Factory
I spent yesterday afternoon with many of the Young Naturalist and their parents for a Christmas Holiday . . . . Cookie making party. Don’t ask what recipes they used because I just got in the way taking their pictures but they were the ones who really did all the work (although I helped eat a few of the cookies). I strongly suspect that a great deal of fun and laughter were the main ingredients with each and every cookie that was made.
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Doing our Part for the Kids
Every year the staff of Allegany State Park collect unwrapped toys for the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation. Today the Marines arrived to pick up all these wonderful toys to be distributed to many needy children in the local community.
My photo opportunity with a Marine & some of the Toys.
Nature Haikus – December
By Young Naturalist E
December
Snow flakes fall softly
Church bells are ringing clearly
Happy children play
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Nature Haikus – by E
By Young Naturalist E
The grass was so soft
The shade was cool on my face
Birds are twittering
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White-marked Tussock Moth
By Young Naturalist D
My Dad found a caterpillar on a plum tree during the last days of summer (August 27th). It had a red head with black antennas. At first glance they appeared twice as long as they really were because of all the long black hairs on them. The caterpillar also had four white clumps of hair sticking up along the upper part of its back. Starting at the second hairy white clump there was a yellow stripe on either side running down its back. It also had white clumps of hair around every leg. Overall it had a light green body. Dad thought something so strange looking might not be good for his plum tree so he brought it inside and asked us four kids to figure out what it was.
White-marked Tussock Moth photo by Young Naturalist H.
Nature Haikus – Road Kill
Opossum that wasn’t roadkill.
By Young Naturalist C
Road Kill
Blood is everywhere
Unlucky small animal
Torn into pieces (more…)
Butterflies and Kids
Summer Azure
Children are naturally attracted to butterflies and moths, just as they are to birds. However, unless you have a busy bird feeder or larger raptors flying around, it can be difficult for kids to locate birds in the wild. Songbirds do not typically sit still long enough to be seen and can quickly disappear as fast as they arrive. I myself have a hard time seeing many of the birds I hear fluttering around the trees and shrubs.
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Nature Haikus – Cardinal
By Young Naturalist C
Cardinal
Red as a cherry
Sitting on a low tree branch
Singing a sweet song (more…)
Nature Haikus – Geese
By Young Naturalist C
Geese
In a v-shaped form
honk, honking into the sky
Long into the night
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Last Child in the Woods [Bookreview]
I am not one to review books but the “Last Child in the Woods – Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” by Richard Louv just seemed too perfect of a book for me not to recommend to the many home schoolers, educators and parents that visit this blog. Louv goes into great depth about how our children are increasingly disconnected from nature and why it is important to have our children around nature. (more…)
Nature Haikus – Snowflakes
By Young Naturalist C
Snowflakes
Swirling, whirling down
In a winter wonderland
In different shapes (more…)
Nature Haikus – Fall
By Young Naturalist C
Fall
A leaf falling down
Inside a mix of colors
Of red, gold and orange (more…)
birdQUIZ Blog is Back
The most recent birdQUIZ
Some of you might have noticed that Young Naturalist J (aka Birdbander11) has started postings over on birdQUIZ. I figured since he likes doing his bird quizzes on flickr . . . . he should also start posting them on this blog!! I have given him the permission to upload to the blog and he has been doing a wonderful job with the two post that he has done already (see the links below)!! So, let me introduce Birdbander11 (although he will always be Young Naturalist J to me)!! (more…)
Backyard Banding
Eastern Tufted Titmouse
This morning Young Naturalist J and I decided to do a little banding in my back yard. Our goal was to catch those Pine Siskin and Redpolls that had visited my house last Friday. Although the Redpoll never returned, we “just” missed an opportunity to band one of the Pine Siskins! 😦 (more…)
Trying to Break 80
Snow for Mary
Yesterday evening we had 6 more visitors (people) at the Northern Saw-whet Owl banding station here in Allegany State Park. I was lucky to have Young Naturalist J here to help with banding the 5 owls we captured and he will continue to be around for tonight’s banding (if the weather allows). (more…)
Don’t Forget to Turns Your Clocks Back!
Photo by Young Naturalist J.
We had another busy night at the Northern Saw-whet Owl banding station here in Allegany State Park. We had a fellow birdbander and 3 others from the Allegheny National Forest visit us this evening. They were able to see 2 of our Saw-whet Owls being banded and then be released (before heading home). We also had Sarah from Jamestown Audubon visit for most of the evening (and she was able to see 4 of the birds)! I tried to convince her to stay later but she needed to head home. I know that she made the right decision since we did not catch anything again until the wee hours of the night. It has been wonderful with so many visitors visiting the banding station this week. (more…)
Weekend Visitors
Young Naturalist J glad to be banding again!!
We had more visitors at the Northern Saw-whet Owl banding station this evening than owls! I need to high-five Grace 🙂 for helping locate our 70th bird of the season (in the mist net) and then allowing me to barrow a book that I need to read. Mike and Terry decided to head home early after banding our first 2 fluff balls (thanks for visiting). Grace left only minutes before we captured our 3rd bird and then recaptured the 2nd bird again (The owl must be net happy). (more…)
Little Visitors
Kids smiling for moms picture!
I had some smiling little visitors at the Northern Saw-whet Owl banding station tonight. I expected a “big” night with North-West winds but was only able to banded 3 different individual owls. Not sure why the other evening I captured 4 individuals with southern winds?? I assume science will just keep us guessing with unexpected answers! At least our future birders were happy and of course they didn’t want to head home!! Dad promised they could come back again before the end of the season. (more…)
What an Owl Smells Like
Old picture of me teaching kids some bad habits
If you regularly follow this blog . . . . then you would know that I have an obsession with smelling the heads of woodpeckers. The woodpeckers head have a pine-musty odor to them but for some reason the smell is very pleasurable to me (ya, I am nuts – I know already)!! This evening while studying the migration of the Northern Saw-whet Owls . . . . I had a quick whiff of that odor! Bet you can’t guess what I did next?? (more…)
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 