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.

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!

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.

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....

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.