Nature
A Bumper Crop of Baby Mockingbirds
April. I get out of my gray car, and a gray bird with claws out takes a dive for the back of my head. It’s that time of year again in southeast Louisiana. Fledgling Northern Mockingbird time. A time of claws and noisy unmusical squeaks and adorable spotty youngsters who think they can tell their parents what to do and when to do it.
By Amethyst Qu5 years ago in Earth
Dancing Lights in the Night
Last night I was sitting on my back porch enjoying a cigar. It is an unhealthy habit I know, but I find it relaxing. It also helps to clear my mind. It gives me a way to let go of the stress and focus my thoughts elsewhere. It was about 8:30 pm, right at dusk as the darkness of night crept upon me in between the evening rain showers. I could smell the crisp freshly fallen rain in the air. Mixed with the smell of my Oliva Serie G Maduro, I was truly in a state serenity and relaxation.
By Paul whiddon 5 years ago in Earth
The Mountains, Trees, Lake, and I.
Rising early in the morning on a summer day, my only plans stand between me and the road ahead. The first step off the brittle, wooden porch stairs that are slightly dampened with morning dew is the first step towards what is the most beautiful, serene sight in all of my memories. Dried pine needles layered on top of dirt lead the way to my destination.
By Dana Dench5 years ago in Earth
A Tornado in England?
England is known for its weather. That weather usually consists of an overcast grey sky and lots of rain. Tornados are not usually an issue! However, today in Barking, London, a tornado touched down and caused considerable damage. Luckily no one was injured, from what I have heard.
By J.B. Miller5 years ago in Earth
Tasmania's Gift to Life
A family of mountain Wallabies rests in the day's warmth, stretched out on large hot boulders along the riverbed. A small herd of Deer have come down to lap at the clear flowing water, and to graze upon the green grasses. Snakes are swimming in the freezing mountain waters flowing in from the Ben Lomond Ski Resort. They are territorial, and it is unusual for other snakes to encroach upon another's territory.
By Karen Eastland 5 years ago in Earth
Nature Journal 4
Yesterday I went for a walk with my son and my parents. We love a good walk in nature and we've been coming to the same place in Betteshanger for about three years now (ever since my parents sold the family home and moved into a smaller and more easily managed bungalow) to walk the family dog. Before this we would walk in the fields at the back or front of our home. The views were lovely and the walks were very enjoyable. However, now we have slightly more diversity on our walks as we head in and out of smaller wild sections of land. There are of course fields but also, woodlands and areas that nature has reclaimed.
By Charlotte Fay5 years ago in Earth
Feel Better - Bring Outside In
Introduction Science finally catches up with what we knew by instinct. Having spent more time outdoors than in, I can testify to the benefits of being outside. My therapist recently pointed out that most of my photo albums that showed me smiling as I was growing up were taken outdoors. My inside face was usually solemn and subdued.
By Dale Allman5 years ago in Earth
The Rise and Rise of the Inca Dove
On December 4, 2003, I scribbled a note in my diary about the Eurasian Collared-Dove who got into a kerfuffle with a Common Grackle. Knocked off the feeder, the Collared-Dove flew to a nearby tree, where it landed next to a tiny Inca Dove — the first ever spotted in my yard.
By Amethyst Qu5 years ago in Earth
What's Buggin' You?
Not all Bad Actors! BUGS! We hardly notice them unless they are bugging us! The word 'BUG' originally referred to a ghost or hobgoblin. Little mean spirited things. Today we call any small creepy crawly thing a bug. We hurl curses at them when they bite us. We spray, screen, and squash them. We try to electrocute them, trick them, and some folks even eat them - - chocolate-covered ants anyone?
By Carolyn F. Chryst5 years ago in Earth
Neighbors Are Quiet Drama
Spring 2021 A couple of Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducks have been visiting the dead tree a bit after sunrise each morning. It’s the tree the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers nested in earlier in the season, but now they’ve finished, and a pair of European Starlings has claimed one of the cavities. As I study it over the first cup of wake-up coffee, I observe a small drama that reminds me of the delicate dance we do when deciding how to handle difficult neighbors.
By Amethyst Qu5 years ago in Earth
A Pollinator Named Polly
Not so long ago, a friend was preparing some materials for Pollinator Week with any number of activities intended to raise public awareness of pollinators. This year, the week ran from June 21-27, and it was an important event because flowering plants tend to be indolent beings.
By Amethyst Qu5 years ago in Earth
