Tag: Songbirds
Around The Farm: The Ebullience of Birdsong
Living in the “country”, I’m surrounded by sounds, most of them natural and enjoyable (cattle trucks and vehicles missing mufflers are notable exceptions). In fact, sometimes I need to take a moment to soak in those wonderful sounds and let the gratitude that there are still song birds to be heard suffuse me.
Continue reading “Around The Farm: The Ebullience of Birdsong”Farming In Winter: Deadly Cold (Long Read)
Unless you’ve been living underground, you’re probably aware of the disastrous consequences the holiday storm wreaked (yes, wreaked, not wrecked!) on many areas of the country. People have died because of the bitterly cold temperatures, though there are stories of everyday heroism worth celebrating (juxtaposed with stories of shocking callousness). While small farmers may not make the news, I’m sure that many animals – including wild animals – also lost their lives or suffered injury during the brutal cold because this was a cold that had to be experienced to be believed.
Continue reading “Farming In Winter: Deadly Cold (Long Read)”Musings: The Benefits Of Birdwatching
Each morning, I watch the birds at the feeders from the kitchen window. There are large birds (Blue Jays, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, cardinals) and small birds (titmice, nuthatches, finches, sparrows, chickadees, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers). Doves (mostly Mourning and the occasional Ringneck) mill around on the ground, looking for scattered seeds. And while I watch those birds going about their business, I’m not thinking about the pandemic, the climate crisis, ongoing destruction of the environment, or the many social issues we’re facing; instead, I am enthralled by bird life.
Continue reading “Musings: The Benefits Of Birdwatching”Haiku: The Sound Of Snow
As forecasted (good on you, meteorologists), snow has arrived. It began snowing early this morning while I was out doing the farm chores and continues even as I write this post. Now it actually looks like winter…and – better yet – it sounds like winter.
Continue reading “Haiku: The Sound Of Snow”Haiku: Blue Is The Color Of Hope
It’s a spring rite of passage, finding the discarded shells of hatching robins below the towering maple tree. The beauty of the color stops me in my tracks and I am compelled to examine the shell fragment, imagining the chick that triumphantly emerged, and soaking in that stunning blue.
Continue reading “Haiku: Blue Is The Color Of Hope”