This morning I saw an amazing sight. I was in traffic, approaching a stoplight at a busy intersection. I looked up to see two crows in flight, chasing a bald eagle! They all swooped down really close to cars. Finally the eagle gave the crows "the slip" for a moment, dove down right behind my truck and carried away a dead squirrel. The birds had been competing over some carrion (dead meat)!
Meanwhile, while the drama unfolded, several people walked by, cars turned, and no one else seemed to see it. It's times like this I wish I had a big sign saying "Look Up!" that I could post on the top of my truck to signal other drivers and pedestrians!
Many times through the years I've seen rainbows, sun dogs, manatees, dolphin, eagles, dust devils, forest fires...you name it... but very few others around me see them. And how many times have I been on the reverse side of that, missing something special because I'm not present or forget to raise my head.
So just a reminder, look up!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
egret in rookery
The winter months are nesting times for our water birds. Here are a few sights from local rookeries.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
The birds you see may include Yellow Crowned Night Herons like the one pictured here.
Myakka River State Park trip
A mid-February trip to Myakka River State Park outside of Sarasota, Florida, revealed lots of wildlife activity. We saw a number of wild hogs feeding in an open field. I admired them from a distance!
Coming Soon: Baby Bird Season
Baby bird season for song birds (and some other birds, too) usually runs from April to late August or September. Nesting may be starting any time now. Look for all kinds of ingenious nests, like these two! One is a song bird nest in a bicycle bag that was left open in a shed! The other is an osprey nest perched precariously on the point of a dead pine! (I have even seen nests in downtown Chicago, woven only of discarded plastic and cellophane. While it was disheartening to see all the trash, it was also encouraging to see nature's adaptability!)
Sarasota Almanac March 2010
Sarasota Almanac: March 2010
This month brings the Spring Equinox (March 20, 1:32 p.m.). There are about equal hours of daylight and dark at the equinox, as the sun shines most directly on the equator; in fact "equinox" means equal night. Daylight will gradually continue to increase until we reach the Summer Solstice on June 21.
The equinox has often been celebrated as a time of rebirth. Easter and other holidays are often celebrated at this time of year. Higan (Buddhist) is celebrated in Japan where both spring and fall equinoxes are national holidays. The Baha'i new year is celebrated on the equinox as well as the Iranian New Year.
In ancient Celtic paganism, the equinox would be considered mid-spring; Candlemass (February 2) was their first day of spring.
Of course, in the southern hemisphere, our spring or "vernal" equinox is their autumn equinox.
This is a good time to start new projects, and plant new seeds (literal and metaphorical).
New Moon: March 15, 2010
Full Moon: March 29
Meteor Showers: No major showers this month
Other astronomical events: Bootes (the herdsman), and Leo the Lion are very visible now
Other Observations in the World Around Us:
Light: Daylight increasing as we approach the equinox
Temperature: Spring like temperatures with low humidity are normal
Crops: cool weather crops as well as tomatoes
Foliage: Bougainvillea usually in bloom; citrus blossoming; lichee's in bloom; gold trees start blooming; loquats ripening. Still pollen from the oaks in bloom. The catkins (blooms) will drop soon. It will look like brown snow! Fruits on prickly pears are just starting to appear. The first sycamore leaves and red maples continue to leaf out.
Animal Activity: Carolina Wrens singing a lot; whippoorwills as well. Birds very active in the morning. Signs of crows nesting. Herring gulls are still here; will migrate soon. Laughing Gulls are still in breeding plumage (black heads and bright red/orange mouths).
This month brings the Spring Equinox (March 20, 1:32 p.m.). There are about equal hours of daylight and dark at the equinox, as the sun shines most directly on the equator; in fact "equinox" means equal night. Daylight will gradually continue to increase until we reach the Summer Solstice on June 21.
The equinox has often been celebrated as a time of rebirth. Easter and other holidays are often celebrated at this time of year. Higan (Buddhist) is celebrated in Japan where both spring and fall equinoxes are national holidays. The Baha'i new year is celebrated on the equinox as well as the Iranian New Year.
In ancient Celtic paganism, the equinox would be considered mid-spring; Candlemass (February 2) was their first day of spring.
Of course, in the southern hemisphere, our spring or "vernal" equinox is their autumn equinox.
This is a good time to start new projects, and plant new seeds (literal and metaphorical).
New Moon: March 15, 2010
Full Moon: March 29
Meteor Showers: No major showers this month
Other astronomical events: Bootes (the herdsman), and Leo the Lion are very visible now
Other Observations in the World Around Us:
Light: Daylight increasing as we approach the equinox
Temperature: Spring like temperatures with low humidity are normal
Crops: cool weather crops as well as tomatoes
Foliage: Bougainvillea usually in bloom; citrus blossoming; lichee's in bloom; gold trees start blooming; loquats ripening. Still pollen from the oaks in bloom. The catkins (blooms) will drop soon. It will look like brown snow! Fruits on prickly pears are just starting to appear. The first sycamore leaves and red maples continue to leaf out.
Animal Activity: Carolina Wrens singing a lot; whippoorwills as well. Birds very active in the morning. Signs of crows nesting. Herring gulls are still here; will migrate soon. Laughing Gulls are still in breeding plumage (black heads and bright red/orange mouths).
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