Visited a lovely preserve called Peaceful Waters Sanctuary this week. Such an apt name! Even in the rain, it was a pleasure to walk the trails and the boardwalk – not a soul around, just a few Herons and I enjoying this very tranquil spot. On my second trip, today, the handsome Green Heron was […]
I caught sight of this Osprey on the look-out, high up in a tree at Ding Darling NWR, and waited patiently for him to do something exciting! He sat staring intently out across the water below, occasionally bobbing in the wind to keep his balance on the skinny branches. It didn’t take too long to zero in on […]
The other morning was the chilliest so far this fall, and completely overcast, with occasional drizzle, so I wasn’t sure I’d see much on my walk. But I was delighted to encounter several of my favorite bird friends! The Wood Stork featured above was foraging among the marsh grasses, when he suddenly leapt up and made a […]
We witnessed a magnificent Sunset (above) over the Gulf of Mexico this past Sunday. The brilliant oranges and yellows got me thinking about how different “Fall” looks in different places. These beautiful, rich Purple Morning Glories above were blooming all along the roadside on the water’s edge at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge the other day. Their bright blossoms […]
Moments after I had passed the [human] fishermen and crabbers setting up their gear at the water’s edge early yesterday morning, I spotted this determined Yellow-crowned Night Heron, hiding in the shadows, out of sight of the humans! He looked quite self-satisfied As I approached, he gave me a slightly nervous, momentary glance, when he […]
Humans have a curious need to classify the elements of the natural world around us, and to assign names to these wonders. I wrote last week about my experiences with learning to identify birds, and how important this also seems to be to passersby who often ask, “Excuse me, but do you know which bird […]
As dusk closed in, the graceful flock of Glossy Ibis featured above sailed toward me in the waning light. From a distance, I wasn’t quite sure what they were, but as soon as I could discern their body shape and size, it was clear that these were Glossy Ibis and not some other wetland bird […]
Sometimes we are lucky enough to encounter beauty in the world around us when we least expect it. One recent morning, while I was busy looking down instead of up, the Roseate Spoonbill featured above (and below) in this post just appeared out of nowhere! Suddenly someone called out, “Oh, look, a Roseate Spoonbill!”, and I was fortunate […]
This week we chant the second portion (parashah) in the Torah, the well-known story of Noah, the Ark, the Flood, and the Covenant of the Rainbow. According to our story, Noah sent both a Raven and a Dove from the Ark after the flood waters receded, to determine if the waters had subsided sufficiently so […]
“To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven.” These are familiar words to many of us, and English speakers are likely to have heard the song Turn, Turn, Turn, popularized in the 1960’s, when folk singer Pete Seeger put these very words to a beautiful melody. But did you know […]
Birder's Journey 