Category: Nature

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter and Passover! 
A visit to the garden center today resulted in some new tulips for my garden.  It was very windy and so I didn’t have much opportunity to photograph them, but here’s a favorite image from my brief session with the macro lens.  All of my favorite colors are in this image – lavender, pink, peach, & teal. 

The migration activity at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area is winding down for this year.  I noticed on their website that yesterday’s snow goose count was only 20,000.  Last weekend it was over 65,000.  If you are planning to visit this weekend, you might call ahead for an update before making the trip, otherwise you may be disappointed.   Visit their website updates here: 
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=621427&mode=2
The most exciting activity at Middle Creek is when tens of thousands of snow geese take off at once, with a lot of noise and flapping of wings, and fly right overhead.  It’s interesting to watch and try and figure out what causes them to take to flight.  Sometimes it’s a bald eagle that gets a little too close…looking for lunch!  Other times it seems like one goose decides that he needs to relocate and then all of his friends join him as they pick a new spot where they can graze.  I enjoy watching the birds coming in for a landing……webbed feet dangling beneath them as they plop onto the ground.  Today’s blog images show some birds in flight as well as some coming in for a landing.  Enjoy!

They’re back!!!  The snow geese and tundra swans have returned to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Pennsylvania.  This is an annual stopping point along their migration route and from mid-February until mid-March, numbers of snow geese as high as 100,000 stop by to pay a visit and roost on the lake.  When I visited, the count was 35,000+ snow geese …. this is a photo of 3 of them!  I tried counting to make sure that the Middle Creek website was accurate with their numbers, but I lost track after about 12,471.  They all started to look alike at that point!  🙂  I love visiting and watching the geese take flight throughout the day!  There is nothing like the sight of 35,000 geese taking off together, 70,000 wings flapping, and WOW the sound is just amazing!  I have a zillion images to look through but this one stood out at first glance.  It appears that the two in the back are playing ‘follow the leader’! 

…it’s Spring!  Whoo hoo!  Yesterday they had potted hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, and bluebells!  It’s a good thing they don’t charge for sniffing the plants because I would be in trouble [and have a very large grocery bill because I was loving the fragrance!].  I guess it’s also a good thing they don’t charge for squeezing fruits and vegetables because I’d be in trouble for that, too!   I just had to bring home a little bit of springtime to put on my windowsill. I took a few photos with the Lensbaby while it was still bright enough.  Love these soft pastel colors!  Happy Spring a couple months early!  Spring officially begins on March 20th…..only 57 more days!  Time to start my countdown!  🙂

 

Many of us have had a tough time in 2011 and are looking forward to the start of a new year.  It’s a chance to begin fresh, with an optimistic outlook, and high hopes for good things to come.  I’m thinking that the sunbeams I saw today are an indication that we are being blessed with light and hope as we end one year and begin a new one.  Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.