THANK HEAVEN FOR SPRING

I remember a silly rhyme from my MUCH younger days - it goes like this;

"Spring has sprung - The grass has "rizz" - I wonder where the birdies is."

Well, in case you are wondering where the birdies is - I will tell you - they are migrating and nesting and singing and ....

Here are just a few of my recent bird pics.

American widgeon - swamp near river at Marietta, PA.

Red necked grebe in full breading plumage - on the Susquehanna near Marietta, PA.

Great Horned Owl sitting on nest near Mount Joy, PA

All three of these birds were a first ever sighting for me.   Get out there and enjoy God's creation.  He made it for you!

Keep looking up.

don b

SNOW GEESE RETURN TO MIDDLE CREEK

There are back.  60,000 snow geese are on the water at Middle Creek WMA.

MORE BIRD PICTURES

HERE ARE A FEW MORE SHOTS OPF SOME VISITORS FROM THE NORTH.

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE MALE SNOWY OWL IN MY LAST BLOG (3 DAYS LATTER)

FEMALE SNOWY OWL - SHE HAS A TRANSMITTER ON HER

ANOTHER VIEW OF A HORNED LARK

A RED THROATED LOON *HIS THROAT WILL TURN RED SOON BECAUSE SPRING IS  COMING.  

WINTER BIRDS

Winter 2013 -2014 is almost over and spring is just around the corner.   Soon the cold and snow of this record breaking winter will be just a bad memory.  I have not been able to get out much this winter but I hope to make up for that soon.  Last week I spent a afternoon or "car-birding" with Randy Miller and today Florence and I were out birding again here are two of the pics from these trips.  Both are winter birds for our area and I hope they will soon go "home" and our spring flights will be arriving with blossoming wildflowers.  THANK GOD FOR SPRING!

SNOWY OWLS CAME SOUTH THIS YEAR AS AN ABUNDANCE OF FOOD UP NORTH LED TO LARGE NUMBERS OF YOUNG.  THEY WILL SOON BEING RETURNING NORTH TO BREED BUT IT HAS BEEN GOOD TO HAVE THEM VISIT - THIS IMMATURE MALE SNOWY OWL HAD TO SQUINT SO I MISSED SEEING HIS BEAUTIFUL YELLOW EYES.

THE HORNED LARK IS AN ANNUAL WINTER VISITER TO THESE PARTS.  THEY CAN BE FOUND ANYWHERE THE FARMERS ARE SPREADING MANURE.  OH THE JOY OF SPENDING TIME OUT IN THE FRESH AIR.

HAWK WATCH

I have only been to the second Mountain Hawk watch one this year, much to my regret.  The price of gas and everything else is killing us But of course President Obama is soon passing an equal Hawk Watch law where everyone will have equal resources to go hawk watching as much as they want at the expense of the taxpayers.  I can't wait.

Here are some amazing pictures that I wish I had taken but they were sent to me via email from a friend at the hawk watch.  They were taken in Lebanon County at an eagles nest near the Swatara creek Bob Hench.

Yes that is as king bird hitching a ride on an immature bald eagle.  WOW!!!

GREEN SEA TURTLES (this blog was prepared for use as a presentation at the Creation Appreciation nature center)

My friends know that I do not have or want a TV - but I do occasionally look at news stories on the web - I found this one today and wanted to share it with others.  I believe that as Christians we a stewards of God's creation and that He did not make anything without a purpose, so I am happy to see news like this.  The green sea turtles are making a comeback maybe we can to something like this with the Monarch butterflies.

Below is a link to  NBC news story .

(PARENT ALERT - THIS LINK MAY HAVE ADVERTISING THAT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE CHRISTIAN HOME AND IT MAY LEAD TO OTHER VIDEOS THAT ARE NOT RECOMMENDED - PARENTS - YOU ARE THE FILTER - THESE THINGS CAN BE GOOD AND WHOLESOME IF YOU REGULATE THEM FOR YOUR FAMILY)

http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/30/21372070-endangered-green-sea-turtles-make-a-comeback-in-florida?lite

Green Sea turtles were once very endangered.

They are nope returning to there former numbers but still near our help.

EASTERN HEMLOCK - (this blog was prepared for use as a presentation at the Creation Appreciation nature center)

The hemlock tree is the giant of the eastern forests,  It can grow nearly 200 feet tall and almost 60 inches round.  The Eastern Hemlock is the state tree of Pennsylvania.

 The Hemlocks natural area in Perry County is a 140 acre stand of "old growth" hemlocks.  I have fond memories of the late 1960s and early 1970s when  I spent many days hiking there, among some of the oldest and largest Hemlock trees in the country.  This experience is one of the most pleasant memories I have of those days.  Today the Hemlocks Natural Area is a "ghost forest" full of dead giants laying on the ground or standing bare of needles and ready to fall.  It is not safe to hike among them . especially on windy days.

I visited there several times recently and shed tears.   Soon most of the hemlock trees in America will be dead,  Only those treated with insecticide will survive.  Nothing stands the test of time but JESUS.

The Woolly Adelheid - a tiny insect, so small that it can barely be seen with the naked eye.
These adults and their larva kill the tree by sucking the "juice" from the needles.

The ege sack of the Woolly Adelheid (were the name Woolly comes from).
Notice the very tiny larva called a crawler.

An adult insect laying eggs.

The "woolly" egg sacks are located on the underside of the branch where the needle attaches..