Nature's Kingdom Forum Daily observations of nature a..

Feel free to add here about anything you may have seen in the natural world.  Would love to read about them.  I saw a migrating Brown Creeper circling up the Elm tree by my back door.  Haven't seen one in years and I just looked up this morning and there he was going around and around :) Saw my first migrating Robin yesterday, may be hope for spring yet! :)

Today, I played football catch outside with my son.  It was cold and cloudy.  But there were buds on the dogwood tree and a downy woodpecker at the suet feeder and a birds migrating north in a Vee shape.  :)

Today, I observe rain.  Lots and lots of rain....  I sure hope this means Spring is coming.  OH, crud.  It is Wednesday and I just remembered it is the weekly frog survey night, where a friend and I walk a mile and at tenth mile intervals record the number and types of frog calls we hear.  Please give a small prayer that the rain will stop at least for an hour or two, just after dusk.   Sigh.  I love doing the walk, but not so much in the rain, lol. 

Yay! the rain stayed away, but the fog was really creepy during the frog survey, didn't hear a single frog out there, until I pulled in my driveway, got out of my car and a Western Chorus Frog starts singing :) Unfortunately he didn't count on the MetroPark survey.  Maybe next week :)

Saw a lovely flock of Grackles in a tree today.  Shiny metallic blue heads on black bodies with their bright curious eyes.  Spring no doubt on its way, now if only it would warm up a little :) lol

What a lovely gloomy day today.....rainnnnnnn then mist then snow........I'm sure I should be appreciating Mother Nature's variety but REALLY not so much!  lol

Extending heartfelt condolences and prayers to the people of Japan.  Mother Nature shows her incredible power in some devastating ways.  Also to the people on the West Coast of the Americas, prayers they will be prepared for the expected tsunami coming their way.

Migration is here.  The site of Canadian Geese swimming in flooded farm fields is a dead give away :) LOL  Not to mention the gloomy gray day and setting the clock ahead last night.  I do like the extra light in the evenings, but mornings come much too soon.

Went uptown today, and passed the Great Blue Heron rookery.  You can see it through the bare trees.  Rookeries are not very common up here so I think it a special place. :) And, There were Great Blue Herons standing guard on their nests already, despite the cold weather still here.  I was very excited to see one of the largest Heron's I have ever seen circling over the nests and landing in one.  What a treat today :)

3.16.11  Wednesday, Frog survey night!  Ribbit! Ribbit!  Loads of Western Chorus Frogs out there with their short trills, 1 lonely Spring Peeper.  Driving there we saw 5 small deer, not sure if they were older fawns or not.  On the way home a tubby Skunk was waddling off the road, first one I have seen with no white on its back just a big fluffy white patch on its head, it was so silly looking :)

Is it REALLY necessary for the Mockingbird to sing outside SOOO early in the morning NEXT to my window??

A Kildeer, seen at a nearby cemetary with its mate.  They have just migrated in.  Beautiful birds.  What a lovely treat today.  Also, I saw a Kingfisher today, but missed the pic as they are very wary and I was in my car alongside the road.  And a third treat today, I saw my first Eastern Bluebird of the season.  Last year there was a Mountain Bluebird in the area that stirred up all the birders, wonder if he will stop by again. :)
Lovely day in nature today :)

3-23-11 Even in the freezing rain, brave western chorus and spring peeper frogs were out there doing their mating calls.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

Brilliantly sunny out today, but sooooo cold.  A huge fat Robin was practically waddling in my back yard this afternoon!  Hope it can get up to its nest .  LOL.  The grass is greening up a bit.  I saw a pair of mallard ducks huddle up in a flooded ditch under some brush, almost missed them.  Camoflauge is a marvelous thing. :)

Here in Dunblane is different to Galloway, but I saw a wee Deer running into the street last week in the rain, and there are seashore birds on the wet grass, oystercatchers in their uniforms.