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Basking Beauty
Eastern Bluebirds are some of my favorite birds. I love everything about them. Their colors are stunning, as this male perfectly models. Their songs are subdued, wishful, peaceful, and satisfying....
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Contented
To stretch my legs and get some fresh air during our self-quarantine time, I took a short drive to a local park. I was the only one there. As I walked along the paved path, I found this female Mallard...
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Holy Week emotions mirror those of COVID-19
By definition, Holy Week transitions from the jubilant high expectations on Palm Sunday to the sadness and disbelief of Good Friday to the sacred joy of Easter morning. This year Eastertime is symbolic...
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Social distancing before it was required
Reflections at the alligator pond. My wife and I were social distancing before we knew there was such a thing. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S., I made an all-day social distancing trip to...
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Prothonotary Warbler
I had to let the birds come to me during this year’s spring bird migration. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, I only occasionally ventured out on short excursions that often included a grocery pick up...
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Whistling in June
I reached into my archives and found this lovely Eastern Meadowlark singing from an old wooden fence post. You can frequently hear these colorful robin-sized birds before you spot them. I thought the...
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Spontaneity in a time of pandemic
The Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance mark the eastern boundary of Rockingham Co. My wife and I have closely followed the stay-at-home coronavirus requirements since they began in mid-March. We...
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Loving Shenandoah National Park
Old Rag is a popular hike in Shenandoah NP. My wife and I have enjoyed Shenandoah National Park since we moved to Virginia three years ago. There’s a lot to love about the park, and it’s less than an...
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Ambivalent about August
August in Ohio’s Amish country. I’ve always been a bit ambivalent about August. I’m especially so this year, given all the ramifications of the ongoing pandemic. When my wife and I lived in Ohio,...
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The Blues Have It!
I am fortunate that I can incorporate my three favorite hobbies into one outing. Whenever I go hiking, I always take my binoculars and camera. Every now and then, I am rewarded with an opportunity to...
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Feeling stressed, fearful? Head outside!
The misty morning view from the Skyline Drive. Awash with news and information about COVID-19, it’s easy to feel tense, confused, irritable, fearful, or even bored. Due to the global pandemic, millions...
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The Doting Mother
I spied this female Eastern Bluebird peering over the top of the leaves of this tree early one morning. I heard her plaintiff call, and then another from a slightly different location. A quick glance...
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Enjoying September’s melodies
Singing September’s song. We’re already pushing to the middle of September. Have you heard the many melodies she’s already played? If not, please don’t fret. If September plays her usual gig, she will...
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The Thistle Field
I loved how the afternoon light highlighted the prickly details of this dense stand of spent thistle heads. Likely, several varieties of birds thrived on the seeds of these thorny remains. I was happy...
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Officially welcoming another autumn
Residents of the Northern Hemisphere are on the eve of yet another autumnal equinox. Autumn officially begins at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, September 22. Autumn has given us plenty of warnings even...
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The benefits of standing still
I’m a person that is usually on the go. However, I know first-hand the benefits of standing still. I recently went to the Big Meadows area of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to do some birding. I...
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Letting Creation find you
Looking west from a point in Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park. Even though the morning’s southeast breeze was gentle, the leaves rained down like ticker-tape parade confetti. I was in my...
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Birds of winter are returning
A male Purple Finch eyed the black oil sunflower feeder. I’m sitting at my desk, looking out the window, enjoying my favorite pastime. Several winter birds have returned and are feeding on and under...
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Evening Grosbeaks
I had heard that flocks of Evening Grosbeaks were in the Rockingham Co., Virginia area. However, I could never discover where they were showing up on a regular basis. Then a friend from Ohio, where we...
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Splish, Splash!
I was fortunate to catch this pair of Northern Cardinals making good use of the birdbath in our backyard. A heater keeps the water from freezing so the backyard birds have access to water year-rouncd....
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