From 2017, Labor Day

 

 

My grandson’s first fish, Watson’s Pond, Taunton, MA. Around 1999.  A fishing trip is much more than just going to catch fish. It teaches a child about patience, makes them aware of the sights and sounds of the outdoors, and provides a great sense of accomplishment from baiting a hook to catching that first fish. We all need to take the time to bring our children outside and teach them about taking ownership in caring for the natural environment.

1963, I was 8 years old, what a grand time.  I believe my father knew he had only a brief opportunity to introduce me to the love of nature.  Living only 100 meters from a beautiful river in the Taunton area, gave me the exposure that would last without end and make his task unproblematic.  I crawled through mud and swamps while looking for any kind of creatures by the river banks.   I constantly pressured my dad to take me fishing, spring, summer or fall. He would  provide me a time that would commence the adventure. I stayed in a chair and relentlessly glanced at the clock on the wall and when the hands were just right on the face, I was at the door , geared up to go. We grew vegetables, I dug holes for imaginary canals in his garden climbed great trees and hiked. Watched turtles within feet of our back door laying their eggs.  I was guilty of sneaking out on my own many a time unsupervised. I remember one day in the middle of winter, snow fell heavy and the wind was rattling the old windows, I saw a hare, what today i believe was a Snowshoe Hare.  Barefoot, out the door before my grandmother could stop me.

64 years old now, and still the love of nature exists in my soul.

There’s no better way to have fun together as a family than fishing together or just spending time outdoors. Make it a point to take your kid exploring.

 

 

The Incredible Journey Continues, right down the street from you.

 

Nemasket River, Oliver, 4/9/2019

Nemasket River, Oiiver Mill, 3/30/2019

Wareham Street, Middleboro MA, Herring Run

March 25, 2019

March 25th Oliver Mill Park Herring Run

Past Videos Here

“Humans are natural born scientists. When we’re born, we want to know why the stars shine. We want to know why the sun rises.” — Michio Kaku

 

“The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it, but the way those atoms are put together.” ― Carl Sagan

Downy and HairyWoodpecker. I would say, Downy.

Look for a key difference in bill size. This is the easiest way to tell the two species apart.

• The Hairy Woodpecker’s bill is long and chisel-like, and almost the same length as its head.
• In contrast, the Downy’s bill is short and dainty, roughly 1/3 the length of the bird’s head.
• If this is difficult to gauge, a good trick is to imagine turning each bird’s bill around, so that it points toward the back of the bird’s head. How far across the head does it appear to extend? If it is the length of the head, you are looking at a Hairy Woodpecker.

 

 

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day, and are doing fine. Send me a note when you have time. We are thinking of you and your Mom.

Russ

threemileriver.org

Sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, suet or even broken up peanut, offer them, and they will come.  If you are lucky enough to have one, carotenoid-rich bright red berries from dogwood trees are also a favorite.  Diet plays a part of why they are red. So, why so red. You would believe that bright red would be a easy visible target  for hawks and owls.  However,  by responding to redness as a sign of a promising mate, females have encouraged the evolution of bright coloring in males. This process is called sexual selection. It turns out that male cardinals are probably bright and loud for the same reason: to advertise what good mates they’d make. Sexual selection is often powerful enough to produce features that are harmful to the individual’s survival. For example, extravagant and colorful tail feathers or fins are likely to attract predators as well as interested members of the opposite sex.   for more click here

Anyway, just sit back and relax and forget about all the science for a few minutes and watch and listen in your back yard.

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.”

Click on and image for nature at it’s colorful best

Louise: “How did you get here?”
Johnny: “Well, basically, there was this little dot, right? And the dot went bang and the bang expanded. Energy formed into matter, matter cooled, matter lived, the amoeba to fish, to fish to fowl, to fowl to frog, to frog to mammal, the mammal to monkey, to monkey to man, amo amas amat, quid pro quo, memento mori, ad infinitum, sprinkle on a little bit of grated cheese and leave under the grill till Doomsday.”

 

“You have to believe in happiness, or happiness never comes … Ah, that’s the reason a bird can sing — On his darkest day he believes in spring.”

 

 

The rusty patched bumble bee has declined by 87 percent in the last 20 years.

Earlier Post (click here)

Many birds show aggression when they feel their breeding territories or feeding areas are violated by unwelcome intruders and hummingbirds are no exception. Below, a viscous attack leaves one dead, still clutching the twig it perched on.  The will fly high above them before diving nearly straight down right at the intruder.