Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Robin's and Spring?

As I walked up my driveway to get the mail and drag in the garbage can I noticed some birds on my neighbor's lawn. Getting closer to then I could clearly see the "Red Breasts" of the Robins searching for food in the frozen ground. That's right, FROZEN! It must be in the twenties today with a wind chill factored in to bring it down into the teens. Why are there 7 Robins looking for food in the ground when a worm couldn't wriggle through the solid ground if it wanted to? Beats me. Hopefully the Robin's know better than I do.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Cardinal Sighting

Noticed something red in the leaves as I drove down the road this morning on my way from the gym. It was bright red. As I got closer I could see it was male cardinal. Gorgeous!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Great finds on the beach.



Beach Walk



Walking on the Beach

Sunday (2/15) was a beautiful sunny day, great time for a walk on the beach. Collected granite pebbles. Snapped photos of whatever I felt was interesting: stones, shells, landscapes.... I've included some on this post.
It was great to be back out of doors by the water as I hadn't walked there for a while because of the cold (and snow). It was a sunny day and there were a lot of people and couples walking and sitting along the boardwalk. I walk at Hammonasett State Park in Madison, CT. There is a boardwalk just about half a mile long (see picture) made of recycled plastic timbers.
I was interested in what people were wearing that day. Some were bundled up in parkas with fur trim around the hoods. Some wore boots, although there wasn't much snow left. I had a winter coat on but nothing on my head. The sunshine felt good against my face. I met a number of dogs and their owners walking on the boardwalk. One, a golden retriever-poodle mix puppy, let me pet it as I asked its owner about the dog.
I found a number of stones and shells. There were some very large logs of driftwood scattered across the beach. The most interesting thing I found was a small sponge that had washed up onto the beach.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Bird spotting this morning.

An impromptu trip to drop my son off at school this morning resulted in a great bird watching opportunity. I love the early morning with the colors of the sun rising in the sky-especially when the day seeks to be warm and sunny. As I drove him to school we spotted a hawk sitting at the end of a vertically-oriented tree limb waiting to search for his morning breakfast. Finishing my trip to the High School, I tried to turn left by the line behind me was long and the traffic heavy so I turned right and opted for a longer trip home along the shoreline. The morning light was still growing spewing red and orange colors across the brightening sky. I love feel of the early morning, of a sunny and relatively warm, for February, day to come. On my way to the shore I saw a crow, and a gull perched on a street light. Along the shore I spied a Heron and a group of ducks- Mallards and a yet to be ID'ed black-headed one- floated in the water at a low point in the road close to the shore. The ice is breaking up in the marshes as we have been having a thaw-temps above freezing- for the last couple of days. Pulling into my driveway, then walking up the hill to get my newspaper for the day, I heard the vocalizing of songbirds- a sign of Spring? Its wonderful how a trip that started out as a nuisance could end up being inspirational. Enjoy your day!

Pictures of pebbles from the shore

I've added pictures of pebbles I've picked up on my walks. I like to collect the white quartz pebbles as they look like diamonds in the rough. I also am attracted to larger stones made of granite with their attractive striations and colors. Enjoy the pictures....

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Welcome to my blog

This blog is a work in progress that will change over time. The title of the blog comes from my love of nature and the fact that I live on the coast. I enjoy walking the beach finding stones and pebbles smoothed by the sea and the remnants of plant and animal life having washed up onto the shore. I'm also a bird watcher. So watch out for sightings of species I see now and then. This time of year Bald Eagles nest along the Connecticut River. Last year I took a guided walk to see the Eagles....amazing. Those birds are big! I've noticed lots of Canada geese lately, flying overhead-not usually something one sees at this time of year. It certainly hasn't been warm this winter so I don't know why the geese are still around.