Thursday, March 31, 2011

Snapping Turtles at Trustom Pond, Charlestown, RI





What Spring Holds in Store for Us!


Last fall my brother, Tucker (directly behind me in the Fedora hat), better known as, Birdman in Bridgewater, organized a bird walk at Charlestown Breachway and Trustom Pond. Individuals from all over the Northeast and Long Island joined us. I was the only Rhode Islander involved. It was a fairly sophisticated group of birders. We had a wonderful time birding and seeing some life timers and it was so much fun. However, one of the most interesting things that happened that day was a sighting of an enormous snapping turtle submerged in the pond, near the Osprey lookout. At the time, we were unable to identify what it was eating but easily realized something quite large. Anyway the next day I went out to Trustom Pond and I found it sunning itself on a rock way out in the pond. Probably trying to digest the meal from the day before. The post above this one shows the Snapping Turtle resting on the rock. It was huge!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Osprey Sighting at Zeek's Creek in Jamestown, RI


The Osprey is back! One of the first migratory birds has arrived and looking quite comfortable perched on the top of the nesting site near Zeek's Creek. A quick shot on my way to school. Next time I hope I am able to capture a better shot that is a little clearer. Nevertheless , a sure sign of spring!

Spring is Slowly Unfolding in The Northeast










Despite the cool temperatures here in the Northeast, I continue to find lovely surprises in my backyard. Each new day I explore my yard to uncover the latest signs and promises of springs arrival. It is so exciting! The chipmunks are stirring, running along the stonewalls and visiting our feeders. They continue to hoard and look so silly packing away their treasures. I laugh as I watch them. They are such a cute animal and so fun to watch. (Watching them is good medicine for the soul. They will have you smiling in no time, I promise) Well, we gladly welcome them back, TICKS and all. The Forsythia I cut and brought in to force, is blooming quite beautifully in my home and classroom. Their delicate yellow flowers are so bright and cheery. The Snowdrops and Crocus are happy swaying in the breeze as they offer the sweet taste of nectar to our honeybees. The pussywillows are full and ripe and the buds on the Lilac and Forsythia are swollen and bring more promise of the colorful and fragrant days to come. Spring invites a sense of wonder and hope. Mother Earth and her creatures have a built in rhythm unlike ours. Their rhythm has a simplicity I think we can all benefit from. Humans can become so tangled up in the demands of life. Well...when you need a break from all of that open up your back door and enjoy what nature has to offer. Bunnies nibbling and pairing up, flowers blooming, chipmunks scurrying about, bird singing lovely melodies and the world becoming greener and alive with color. Rejoice in its magic. That's my plan.