travels, reflections, poems….
We’ve gotten lots of rain and more is coming this weekend! The lakes and creeks are filling up, making the critters (and me) happy. I am going to be disappointed in myself if I get these identifications wrong, 109 more words
Hollerites~ —
Holler Hooters, are the very best neighbors! This little guy, flies with his friend Katie Pnewski, at Avian Behavior International in Southern California. We have nesting barn owls in our owl boxes at The Holler. Check out this frumpy little chick on his first day out of his nest, napping, and making a new friend!…
Angel Face~ —
Northern California is in quite a storm stir this week and last, as many of you have probably seen on the news. Here’s a look at the winter bird migration before the storms began. Snow Geese and snow-topped mtns, CA In mid-December we visited two wildlife refuges in the Sacramento Valley and it was fantastic, […]
Winter Waterfowl Migration — Jet Eliot
The Bubo bubo AKA Eurasian Eagle Owl is the world’s heaviest owl. It’s wingspan can reach over 6 feet! These owls are top of the line predators, meaning they are not normally prey for other animals, and will even occasionally prey on other raptors. I got to spend time with this beauty as he flew…
Bubo bubo~ —
Meet the very curious burrowing owl who clearly wonders who the heck you are! Burrowing Owls are a federally protected species in the US, Canada, and in Mexico. They are designated endangered, threatened, or a species of special concern, in nine US states, including California. This burrowing owl pair lives at Avian Behavior International in…
Hoo R U? —
On the tilting edge of the moon
The raven danced
To herald the coming
Of a newer, spirit-misted world.
Black – so many of the days
Of yesteryear,
Caught in a curled tailspin
Of swirling dust,
Yet, within the eye
Of the innocent deer,
Who stands at the border of the forest
Her toes of moonlight
Dipped in the stream
Of whirling
Shadows,
There, the ancient fire glows.
Soon,
Not far away,
The spry
Young dragon
Who chanced by –
Timid – gathers
His courage
And leaps into the fray
To play
With his lively brother.
Old deep songs in the fall-enchanted hills
Portray
A distant memory,
A clatter of bones,
Round and round the strings
Of former days
Strung together
Like ringed stones
That still
Sing
Among the dark, foreboding, rocky pillars
Of the night.
Always
Born anew,
The recurring
Blessing —
Of the bird-lit house of flowers
Perched on the tall hill –
Glimmers by the footsteps
Of the last fairy
Dancing
By the fish-finned
Stream,
In the raindrops
Of glistening showers,
Fallen from the silver mountain,
Bright
In the sacred sun,
Where the raven dreams
And dances
In the final, awakening days
Of prophecy,
In the cold wind.
Copyright Sharon St Joan 2022
The Guardian reports Research suggests visits to places with birdlife could be prescribed by doctors to improve mental wellbeing One swallow may not make a summer but seeing or hearing birds does improve mental wellbeing, researchers have found. The study, led by academics from King’s College London, also found that everyday encounters with birds boosted […]
Bird and birdsong encounters improve mental health, study finds —
By Kristine Crandall
The yellow-breasted chat was teasing me, enticing me to follow and try and see him. I felt so close, the whistle echoing against the wall of cliffs. Thirty seconds later I heard him way up the Santa Clara River. I walked along the trail for a few minutes, getting closer, even closer…It was briefly quiet before I realized he was up beyond the next bend. Worn out, but not disappointed, I turned around and hiked out. This same pattern has repeated across many summer hikes here. They merge into one.
Photo:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellow-Breasted-Chat-Oregon.jpg Attribution: Jim Conrad, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
We have entered the micro-season of “The Geese Arrive”. This is the first micro-season of the mini-season of Cold Dew. As a way to celebrate this season, we will learn about the White-Fronted Goose and then read haiku by Issa, Basho, Takaha Shugyo, and Buson.
Micro-Season: “The Geese Arrive” — Naturalist Weekly
Humans have been celebrating ibis, a large wading bird, for thousands of years. Here is a brief overview and extensive photo gallery of ibis around the world; beginning with ancient times and ending with my favorite. Australian White Ibis There are 29 species of ibis in the world today, on all continents except Antarctica. White […]
Celebrating Ibis — Jet Eliot
