Mon@rch's Nature Blog

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-2.9° to 42.4°F in 36 hours

Over the past 36 hours we have had a temperature change 45.3° degrees! To put that into perspective, if we had a low temperature of 55°F and had the same temperature change within 36 hours; we would be looking at it being 100°F outside!! Isn’t that crazy?

Here is my GOOD / BAD thoughts regarding this temperature changes.

Spring is getting closer	Very muddy and ugly outside
Things are finally starting to melt	Soon will have flooding
More time outside	Treadmill gets dusty
Take more pictures	Less time to watch Ellen
Furnace doesn’t run as long	House in generally colder
Cats don’t lay on furnace vents as much	Cats are laying on me more
No more shoveling	Will probably snow again

This evening I went for a quick walk around Red House Lake. I hoped to try and capture a bunch of pictures but the rain just made it too dark (and kinglets were too high up in the trees). Although taken with high ISO, there were 3 American Robins feeding on some berries. This was my only opportunity for a photo.

HAPPY FAT TUESDAY EVERYONE!

Posted by mon@rch | 20 February 2007 | Categories: Allegany State Park, Birds, Flickr, Nature, Weather | Tags: discovery, Hiking | 18 Comments

If you didn’t know…

…… what an owl or duck sounded like!!

My nephew will tell you!

Adding another post (video) tonight since flickr is all goofy!

Posted by mon@rch | 19 February 2007 | Categories: Birds, Blip.tv, Kids, Nature, sounds, video | Tags: discovery | 9 Comments

Presidents Day Along the River

Ducks have finally arrived on the Allegheny River after the freezing of Lake Erie. In most areas where the river was open you could find some species of duck swimming. Some of these species included:

Canada Goose

Mallard

American Black Duck

Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Bufflehead

and….

…. these Common Goldeneye.

Posted by mon@rch | 19 February 2007 | Categories: Birds, Flickr, Nature, Weather | Tags: discovery | 9 Comments

Mums Cardinals

These Cardinals teased me at my parent’s house and I just had to grab my camera from the truck. Read the rest of this page »

Posted by mon@rch | 18 February 2007 | Categories: Birds, Flickr, Nature | Tags: Birdfeeder, Birdfeeding, Fun | 12 Comments

Bird Feeders and Sleeping Birds

Yesterday I started feeding the birds again after the feral cat took the cardinal a few weeks ago. Rumors have it that the cat was seen about a mile + away from my house. I hope it lost some interested with my empty feeder and gets lost in the deep woods. I will keep my eye open for any cat tracks and if found again, I will stop feeding for a second time. I enjoyed seeing my feathered friends again during my lunch break. I was amazed that chickadees returned within minutes of placing the feeder back in its spot on the tree.

Read the rest of this page »

Posted by mon@rch | 16 February 2007 | Categories: Allegany State Park, Birds, Flickr, Nature, Ornithology, Science | Tags: Birdfeeder, Birdfeeding, discovery | 8 Comments

@},-‘–

Posted by mon@rch | 13 February 2007 | Categories: Flickr | Tags: et al.., Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Bear Safty Education

Recently the park obtained a large, male, black bear from the Department of Environmental Conservation. The bear was killed out of season by a deer hunter who clamed that it attacked him. It was donated to the park for educational purposes. A taxidermist mounted the head and front paws, and prepared the skull. These are materials the park naturalists will use for the Bear Safety program. Bear Safety was added to the list of program offerings in an effort to educate campers to the dangers of feeding and getting close to bears. Bears in the park are used to people, and they seem tame. Even so, they are still potentially dangerous wild animals.

The right side of the skull of a big male black bear. The canine teeth (fangs) are normal. Read the rest of this page »

Posted by mon@rch | 13 February 2007 | Categories: Allegany State Park, Flickr, Mammals, Nature, Science | Tags: discovery | 8 Comments

Chickadee

March 21, 1858 Standing by the mud-hole in the swamp, I hear the pleasant phebe note of the chickadee. It is, methinks, the most of a wilderness note of any yet. It is peculiarly interesting that this, which is one of our winter birds also, should have a note with which to welcome to spring.

Henry David Thoreau – THOREAU ON BIRDS

Posted by mon@rch | 12 February 2007 | Categories: Birds, Nature | Tags: poem | 12 Comments