tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109869479103906412024-02-06T21:10:50.370-05:00Howard County Conservancy BlogThe Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-14753566977019095222010-07-23T12:15:00.001-04:002010-07-23T12:18:15.541-04:00<div><embed src="http://widget-9e.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=2954361355591993246&site=widget-9e.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2954361355591993246&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-9e.slide.com/p1/2954361355591993246/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2954361355591993246&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-9e.slide.com/p2/2954361355591993246/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2954361355591993246&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-9e.slide.com/p4/2954361355591993246/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div>The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-82047824070560887132010-07-23T11:49:00.004-04:002010-07-23T12:04:04.316-04:00Summer Camp 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_VHWb_dNra0bYaJokw0_VjOPlgNG3133QcToKHJEfRuD6-BAwv5GCK3-f723VaxtGklSjPoFNLtVZhdOfdivFg0CmEUWcMGEro9-DbO3tkzRml44pQnnFuoGBZQeQnLVxbTDi155GDPL/s1600/Middle+school+programs+065.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497130968371579522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_VHWb_dNra0bYaJokw0_VjOPlgNG3133QcToKHJEfRuD6-BAwv5GCK3-f723VaxtGklSjPoFNLtVZhdOfdivFg0CmEUWcMGEro9-DbO3tkzRml44pQnnFuoGBZQeQnLVxbTDi155GDPL/s400/Middle+school+programs+065.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Summer Nature Camp is in full swing at the Conservancy. Campers have been investigating soil science, exploring the streams and woodlands. They have been learning about the Chesapeake Watershed, insects, trees and plants. They have been enjoying daily hikes, feeding the animals, working in the garden, games, activities and crafts. Miss Katie's group above is pictured with the boats they build and raced! </div>The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-59766290747350367972010-01-25T16:27:00.002-05:002010-01-25T16:49:26.250-05:00Barred Owl!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LM_zZ_Q4xqx7ORSYQ_1RyzhJZQ3AG1uKbIdBge1VP-65EeyCBU0vt85EFB7SQQsHpBlGjJEk5LrZkl3U9_oS0JtXL3jzV0GZUBIJwg3AlfHnYxKsjXqrUBwkdc2WeQedn7dL8VswluQ3/s1600-h/Owl's+first+pictures+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430792826209711410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LM_zZ_Q4xqx7ORSYQ_1RyzhJZQ3AG1uKbIdBge1VP-65EeyCBU0vt85EFB7SQQsHpBlGjJEk5LrZkl3U9_oS0JtXL3jzV0GZUBIJwg3AlfHnYxKsjXqrUBwkdc2WeQedn7dL8VswluQ3/s400/Owl's+first+pictures+001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The Conservancy welcomes a barred owl! On Friday, January 15th Laura Seiple(the Land Manager) & Tabby Fique(Education Director) drove down to Falls Church to the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia and picked up a non-releasable barred owl. This owl broke its metacarpals (basically its finger tips) at the end of one of its wings. The bones died after the break and cannot heal as a result. Not fully flighted, the owl can fly short distances. The Conservancy will be using the owl in education programs for elementary schoolers, summer campers and the general public.The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-89566719398464927332009-12-21T13:44:00.003-05:002009-12-21T13:47:05.371-05:00Welcome to Winter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AH76iy_E-gzEJsCI1yOGXzKLQ_cqkMmc52FrjdLVkQL64c6euDWQEcAWsK95kd3iuxdsK9TdtSgBTZ8geLIIaFn86Fcai7juY45in1eUAHaej_e-EZLFAeACIu7EOEyBQE7vhs5IkAgw/s1600-h/2009+First+Day+of+Winter+015.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AH76iy_E-gzEJsCI1yOGXzKLQ_cqkMmc52FrjdLVkQL64c6euDWQEcAWsK95kd3iuxdsK9TdtSgBTZ8geLIIaFn86Fcai7juY45in1eUAHaej_e-EZLFAeACIu7EOEyBQE7vhs5IkAgw/s400/2009+First+Day+of+Winter+015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417762847718958306" /></a><br />The snow is piled pretty high at the Conservancy on this first day of Winter!The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-80589006160444268512009-12-07T12:37:00.007-05:002009-12-07T13:26:52.099-05:00Pileated Woodpecker Sighting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJGliIIHjJ3YwtAXR0YFQhgEwan6TwbLVlXPVYm7zrj1pHWaur-4wZNFrObSQY7hA6b9GKH1NKrAU1W4VUGvHEHCpBG6txpD-YLmNZvDt1EA7IXLMbOAzMv4OMvYxSLqKnbLZIvenfLA9/s1600-h/Woody+the+Woodpecker+018.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJGliIIHjJ3YwtAXR0YFQhgEwan6TwbLVlXPVYm7zrj1pHWaur-4wZNFrObSQY7hA6b9GKH1NKrAU1W4VUGvHEHCpBG6txpD-YLmNZvDt1EA7IXLMbOAzMv4OMvYxSLqKnbLZIvenfLA9/s320/Woody+the+Woodpecker+018.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412562343649483282" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7usaDbyFVFutj2FD9HAlcr0ZZ_MNEpBwJy7J93vcqCLUex47qq0XL-bpHleKe4wkvpsjNFnBuXP1tSKBaxaUw0C8r2yzQXvdYORYxQaGQPZiYtNFkoU_2duxhrrnL1aqDdlFAAnbToQbN/s1600-h/Woody+the+Woodpecker+002.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7usaDbyFVFutj2FD9HAlcr0ZZ_MNEpBwJy7J93vcqCLUex47qq0XL-bpHleKe4wkvpsjNFnBuXP1tSKBaxaUw0C8r2yzQXvdYORYxQaGQPZiYtNFkoU_2duxhrrnL1aqDdlFAAnbToQbN/s320/Woody+the+Woodpecker+002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412562227948871938" /></a><br />Last Monday, Chris Garbart (the Conservancy's Program Assistant) noticed a pair of pileated woodpeckers visiting the Conservancy's bird feeder. We took a few photos before both male and female flew off. The Pileated Woodpecker, <em>Dryocopus plieatus</em>, is the largest woodpecker in North American standing approximately 17" tall. With a prominent red crest and a black and white striped neck, males have a red mustache and females have a black mustache. The female pileated woodpecker is what we captured in these pictures. These birds live in forests and border lands, and are typically shy and not easily observed. Pileated woodpeckers stay together in their territory all year long, and prefer to make their nests in large trees. This pair was interested in our suet cake feeder, but they normally feed on carpenter ants and wood boring beetles.The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-22439433504257605202009-10-15T12:28:00.002-04:002009-10-15T12:33:21.152-04:00Conservancy Blacksmith Shop at work<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx92lDkpRlf1fgyEoLW-dTMYUvZ_lenz76EeOYukC2AS6rN3xXzx_nV4o_do-07KfTBqPfxQVE7iBxXvp-AK3-mwghg4Kt7mnR3iHfdzHaI3yFqQE_llxp06n6AxmxQ19W4UEulXTK2BL/s1600-h/blacksmith+hook.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392865670879344434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 211px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx92lDkpRlf1fgyEoLW-dTMYUvZ_lenz76EeOYukC2AS6rN3xXzx_nV4o_do-07KfTBqPfxQVE7iBxXvp-AK3-mwghg4Kt7mnR3iHfdzHaI3yFqQE_llxp06n6AxmxQ19W4UEulXTK2BL/s320/blacksmith+hook.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />From a local stream eyesore to a hand forged garden hook.<br />On April 4, 2009, Guilford parent Ricardo Whitaker brought community parents and<br />children together in support of the Patuxent River Keepers annual stream clean up effort.<br />The Guilford “Raising the Bar” event collected over 15 large garbage bags of debris and<br />dumped items from the Oakland Mills stream. During the stream clean up, Howard<br />County Board of Education member, Allen Dyer, retrieved a long, rusty steel rod.<br />On April 16, 2009, during a Howard County Board of Education meeting, Allen reported<br />on the Guilford “Raising the Bar” stream clean up and displayed the rusty rod retrieved<br />from the stream. Fellow board member Ellen Giles suggested the metal rod be recycled<br />into a plant hanger or garden accessory.<br />On October 3, 2009, during a blacksmith demonstration at the Fall Festival for the<br />Howard County Conservancy, Allen hand forged a portion of the rusty rod from the<br />Oakland Mills stream into a hook for use around the yard or in the garden.<br />On October 16, 2009, at the Long Reach High School Conexiones Night, Allen donated<br />the hand forged garden hook to the silent auction for the benefit of the awards program.<br />Hand Forged Garden Hook: Creation and Care.<br />This garden hook was hand forged at the Howard County Conservancy blacksmith shop<br />using traditional blacksmith tools and a coal fired forge.<br />First, a hardy cutoff tool was used to cut a length from the discarded and heavily corroded<br />steel rod that had been retrieved from the Oakland Mills stream. Second, the end of the<br />heated rod was squared off, drawn out and scrolled into a square ribbon tip. Third, the<br />horn of the anvil was used to shape the hook curve. Fourth, a section of the rod just<br />above the hook curve was heated, squared and then twisted between the post vise and a<br />wrench. Fifth, the top end of hook was heated, drawn out and spread. Sixth, a punch was<br />used to punch a hole in the top of the hook. After the demonstration at the Conservancy,<br />the hook was wire brushed to remove scale, touchmarked with “DYER 2009", and given<br />a mineral oil finish. </div>The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-46869423531610104402009-06-05T10:37:00.003-04:002009-06-05T11:04:07.745-04:00Pygmy Goats<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeNyy2DpCPDeIjTJs3ffofMOQG1zoqH9Wh13kTfXh7Z7tULU3ooUOIbLhIEIyJl3Cs-Qo6wSPRuZfilDxK_G6nW_GOVP0itHN7Pruc0gbYC_iu5ECSi7qRjlx4VHlrdWbGyNS1xmHAj28/s1600-h/Mt.+View+Service+Learning+102.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343858689619802850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 282px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 207px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeNyy2DpCPDeIjTJs3ffofMOQG1zoqH9Wh13kTfXh7Z7tULU3ooUOIbLhIEIyJl3Cs-Qo6wSPRuZfilDxK_G6nW_GOVP0itHN7Pruc0gbYC_iu5ECSi7qRjlx4VHlrdWbGyNS1xmHAj28/s320/Mt.+View+Service+Learning+102.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaCfGFi38nwFgW0i0fWL-OrbfzovLaQCyen1H7BOo7iCzNTELKNTP0Zk9rivxJZlHk3eidbZvux5T2a1SrCCA3Vmy63KbiRlag9DN6PRxn_50A6x6Ur9ZeGjJWZSLxU41qA8l4r9f3XE3/s1600-h/Mt.+View+Service+Learning+101.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343858681248589170" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 281px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaCfGFi38nwFgW0i0fWL-OrbfzovLaQCyen1H7BOo7iCzNTELKNTP0Zk9rivxJZlHk3eidbZvux5T2a1SrCCA3Vmy63KbiRlag9DN6PRxn_50A6x6Ur9ZeGjJWZSLxU41qA8l4r9f3XE3/s320/Mt.+View+Service+Learning+101.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>The Conservancy has welcomed 2 baby pygmy goats! The male pygmy goat is black and white and weighs about 15 pounds. The female is party colors (white, grey, brown) and weighs about 12 pounds. After their arrival in April, we put jars out in our nature center and asked visitors to come up with name ideas for the goats. During School's Out this spring, students pulled names out of the jars. Results: the little girl is name lily and the boy is Rocky. Thank you to everyone that participated! Rocky and Lily have made themselve right at home and they love visitors! If you have not already had a chance, stop by the goat pen and to meet them.</div></div>The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-29374897342986867952009-06-05T10:24:00.004-04:002009-06-05T11:05:06.323-04:00Trout Lily<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGuDzIGEleSCmmrD0XcFXRQQUkTG-0DaQ9UfKmgkwtuURNfm1d8fRBP5dilpO1YWfqCmf3cc5TN92aJPwt79MLNqZgBBPjh0-VmwODVTe4J2NsXv-csFOPguQvbyBGgVtSJZwB0uSWxvs/s1600-h/Picture+021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343851371653930338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGuDzIGEleSCmmrD0XcFXRQQUkTG-0DaQ9UfKmgkwtuURNfm1d8fRBP5dilpO1YWfqCmf3cc5TN92aJPwt79MLNqZgBBPjh0-VmwODVTe4J2NsXv-csFOPguQvbyBGgVtSJZwB0uSWxvs/s320/Picture+021.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6s82e4O407UsWAYcaagBTNWDwuA8SXE4LV5wTAN-7Mu3p94ylEyHkvFMBDykmwqEMSPu1cHoYZZBjrVCnjYBUNLx1oMRbck_HWj0_q_qgsPCAmplKgljLHX6lsqqKSfWdE7MDSSrSZj1/s1600-h/Picture+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343851368799618626" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 249px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 188px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6s82e4O407UsWAYcaagBTNWDwuA8SXE4LV5wTAN-7Mu3p94ylEyHkvFMBDykmwqEMSPu1cHoYZZBjrVCnjYBUNLx1oMRbck_HWj0_q_qgsPCAmplKgljLHX6lsqqKSfWdE7MDSSrSZj1/s320/Picture+020.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>The trout lily, also known as the dogtooth violet and adder's tongue, gets it name from the resemblence of its mottled leaves to a brook trout. The latin name is <em>Erythronium americanum.</em> These plants grow in moist fertile woodlands, forming low-growing colonies. Young plants have 1 purple-brown mottled leaf and no flower. As they mature, plants grow a 2nd leaf and can then produce a single flower. The flower is yellow and has 3 petals and 3 sepals. Most of the trout lilies at the Conservancy bloomed breifly in late April. These pictures were taken by the East Branch stream during the Earth Day celebration on April 18, 2009.</div></div>The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-46664384398022717632009-04-20T11:29:00.003-04:002009-04-20T11:40:56.306-04:00Earth Day Celebration Bird Hike ListHCC celebrated Earth Day on Saturday, April 18th. The day started with a morning bird hike. The following list shows give species names and the number of individuals observed.<br /><br />Location: Mount Pleasant Farm<br />Observation date: 4/18/09<br />Number of species: 49<br /><br /><br />Canada Goose 19<br />Hooded Merganser 1<br />Common Loon 27<br />Great Blue Heron 1<br />Black Vulture 2<br />Turkey Vulture 5<br />Cooper's Hawk 1<br />Broad-winged Hawk 4<br />Red-tailed Hawk 1<br />hawk sp. 3<br />American Kestrel 1<br />Killdeer 1<br />Wilson's Snipe 2<br />Rock Pigeon 1<br />Mourning Dove 2<br />Red-bellied Woodpecker 2<br />Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)2<br />Eastern Phoebe 2<br />White-eyed Vireo 1<br />Blue Jay 2<br />American Crow 6<br />Fish Crow 1<br />Purple Martin 2<br />Tree Swallow 14<br />Barn Swallow 1<br />Carolina Chickadee 4<br />Tufted Titmouse 4<br />White-breasted Nuthatch 2<br />Carolina Wren 1<br />Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3<br />Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1<br />Eastern Bluebird 4<br />American Robin 8<br />Northern Mockingbird 2<br />Brown Thrasher 1<br />European Starling 2<br />Eastern Towhee 2<br />Chipping Sparrow 1<br />Field Sparrow 3<br />Song Sparrow 2<br />White-throated Sparrow 3<br />Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)1<br />Northern Cardinal 6<br />Red-winged Blackbird 6<br />Eastern Meadowlark 2<br />Common Grackle (Purple) 1<br />Brown-headed Cowbird 12<br />House Finch 2<br />American Goldfinch 7The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-78485352913037144512009-03-18T12:50:00.002-04:002009-03-18T12:54:49.076-04:00Fox<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKer0_Xl2PrzQxARB7LS_o781P7wzfvn5c9HUGh79IypFELE6PhMmCWXvyUbqq8Re3XhQhIYC-atqWr3vMV08kTvgoDfXl6ofyw-CnfsXOEm-l53ci9wpftn2u-sgsTgGIcGrKXqa59kL/s1600-h/March+9,+2009+076.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKer0_Xl2PrzQxARB7LS_o781P7wzfvn5c9HUGh79IypFELE6PhMmCWXvyUbqq8Re3XhQhIYC-atqWr3vMV08kTvgoDfXl6ofyw-CnfsXOEm-l53ci9wpftn2u-sgsTgGIcGrKXqa59kL/s320/March+9,+2009+076.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314571794820362674" /></a><br />Spring is finally here, and things are becoming active at the Conservancy. This fox walked right by our office windows Monday morning. Meg Schumacher, executive director, snapped the picture.The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-14341801387223513542009-03-18T12:36:00.003-04:002009-03-18T12:49:09.664-04:00Josie's Birthday Party<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aUJgQXYdKul5SZharioKroMaI-12tViU7qqjMOCOkBJ0h3NCDt83EicDS8q_f79671EJjPFdNJC9QbdsdzZdbVu4ivy-3c3OhH32PYBQc7pWBzwm_IE_F9G35PCAtSbY9UwDdqYYPQHQ/s1600-h/March+9,+2009+074.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aUJgQXYdKul5SZharioKroMaI-12tViU7qqjMOCOkBJ0h3NCDt83EicDS8q_f79671EJjPFdNJC9QbdsdzZdbVu4ivy-3c3OhH32PYBQc7pWBzwm_IE_F9G35PCAtSbY9UwDdqYYPQHQ/s320/March+9,+2009+074.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314569978550529250" /></a><br />On Saturday, March 7, 2009 Josie Shirah celebrated her 9th birthday at the Conservancy. It was a beatuiful day for a party - all the snow had melted from the storm earlier in the week thankfully. <br /> Josie had one of the best birthday cakes! She asked the bakery to creat an outdoor scene with some of the animals that we have here at the Conservancy. If you look at the picture, you will see Sticky- our tree frog, Roho- the corn snake, the 3 baby terrapins, Mr. Brown- our bunny, and even an owl (a scout has constructed an owl cage for the Conservancy, and we are in the process of aquiring the proper permitting for a captive owl). A good time was had by all!The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-82704613236380288232009-02-16T15:00:00.003-05:002009-02-16T15:28:12.555-05:00School's Out Bird Count February 16, 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzJd4J19YzcUd2hlKcQgbnT4Ny_PVRy-UFh1bOGH4tHxPqb5hBdiwa5C-5FBoVhps9S9qOnN_VFkAk3cGsFwBIVsLOOPBmiCtyNmyjJOIL3Cf9ORxWKzAicOfgNclXVb1miDP9tkxEiMV/s1600-h/Feb.+16+010.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzJd4J19YzcUd2hlKcQgbnT4Ny_PVRy-UFh1bOGH4tHxPqb5hBdiwa5C-5FBoVhps9S9qOnN_VFkAk3cGsFwBIVsLOOPBmiCtyNmyjJOIL3Cf9ORxWKzAicOfgNclXVb1miDP9tkxEiMV/s200/Feb.+16+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303491341133891762" /></a><br />The Howard County Conservancy's School's Out Program participated in the Audubon bird count on February 16, 2009. Participating in the bird count were Tabby Fique, Education Director and students Patrick Swentzel, Colin Steplowski, Lewis and Sidney Hollander, Emily Tardell, Meg and Caroline Tippett, Anna Boyd, Kevin Aguilera, Ivy Liu and Dylan Boswell. This is what they saw:<br /><br />3 Black Vultures<br />1 Turkey Vulture<br />1 Mourning Dove<br />1 Red-shouldered Hawk<br />1 Red-bellied woodpecker<br />1 Downy Woodpecker<br />5 Carolina Chickadee<br />1 Tufted Titmouse<br />1 Red-breasted Nuthatch<br />3 White-breasted Nuthatch<br />5 Eastern Bluebird<br />1 European Starlings<br />1 Warbler<br />2 Song Sparrow<br />5 Dark eyed Junco<br />7 Northern Cardinal<br />1 Common Grackle<br />5 House FinchThe Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-43177061959037230292009-02-09T10:01:00.003-05:002009-02-09T10:11:35.457-05:00Howard County Bird Club CountThe Howard County Bird Club conducted a mid-winter bird count at the Conservancy on February 7th. Here are their results:<br /><br /> The Club was on the property from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. and found 32 species, down from last year’s 35 species. The biggest miss was American Tree Sparrows. Mount Pleasant has consistently yielded American Tree Sparrows for the Mid-Winter Count for as long as I’ve covered the farm, so this was a big surprise. But we had two new species, one Brown Thrasher, and six Pine Siskins. Brown Thrasher is a new species for winter on Mount Pleasant. I see that Pine Siskin is already on the list, but no season has yet been designated for it. At least four were visiting the feeders behind the Gudelsky Center. We found two more at the north edge of the big field owned the State <br /> <br /><br />The count:<br /><br /><br />Canada Goose 12<br />Black Vulture 1<br />Turkey Vulture 1<br />Ring-billed Gull 32<br />gull species 7<br />Rock Pigeon 2<br />Mourning Dove 3<br />Red-bellied Woodpecker 6<br />Downy Woodpecker 6<br />Northern Flicker 2<br />Pileated Woodpecker 2<br />Blue Jay 16<br />American Crow 32<br />Fish Crow 6<br />crow species 2<br />Carolina Chickadee 13<br />Tufted Titmouse 11<br />White-breasted Nuthatch 4<br />Carolina Wren 3<br />Eastern Bluebird 12<br />Northern Mockingbird 9<br />Brown Thrasher 1<br />European Starling 21<br />Eastern Towhee 5<br />Song Sparrow 29<br />White-throated Sparrow 26<br />Dark-eyed Junco 25<br />Northern Cardinal 12<br />Red-winged Blackbird 6<br />Common Grackle 2<br />blackbird species 300<br />House Finch 11<br />Pine Siskin 6<br />American Goldfinch 19<br /><br />The Howard County Conservancy would like to thank the Howard County Bird Club for conducting this count at Mt. Pleasant.The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-23926675884348520572008-08-19T14:25:00.001-04:002008-08-19T14:31:48.942-04:00Recently seen at the ConservancyRichard Orr from Mid-Atlantic Invertebrate Field Studies has been hiking the property and shares these finds. Enjoy!<br /><br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/dragonflyhunter/sets/72157606790070356/The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-34159583100499223962008-06-26T14:33:00.005-04:002008-08-11T15:06:07.735-04:00New babies at the Conservancy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznklhbaqfoRorMKPZqLqGDh3nhAnHSgJzqw9iJBII_79V26P5hB-mkd0VZc8Qi-ZoI-CbVRR94HeANfjoaoQ6CWP-BphzEcBGErUMNefQVf5UvzLclz9pJx_iz3pyfPIFXVQG9rss20Hc/s1600-h/IMG_2767.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznklhbaqfoRorMKPZqLqGDh3nhAnHSgJzqw9iJBII_79V26P5hB-mkd0VZc8Qi-ZoI-CbVRR94HeANfjoaoQ6CWP-BphzEcBGErUMNefQVf5UvzLclz9pJx_iz3pyfPIFXVQG9rss20Hc/s200/IMG_2767.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233338462207944802" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcbUWICr8bR8tUV5cOF7Iw6jo0q6241PRYMpMMhf2S9KwB4VkOuGwgmFe46CAJvufyXm2ba3YoETWwVNJTyn04Kjj4bhoiCfBZZacWXF6VWcYZnfCEI6zvTFeJhcYvnRfPdXcgfpmHD_C/s1600-h/IMG_2718.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcbUWICr8bR8tUV5cOF7Iw6jo0q6241PRYMpMMhf2S9KwB4VkOuGwgmFe46CAJvufyXm2ba3YoETWwVNJTyn04Kjj4bhoiCfBZZacWXF6VWcYZnfCEI6zvTFeJhcYvnRfPdXcgfpmHD_C/s200/IMG_2718.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233337858973987986" /></a><br />We are the proud parents of four baby chicks and three baby terrapins. The chicks are 2 Americana, 2 Golden Polish. The terrapins will be cared for here until they are ready to release this fall. They were found in a hotel parking lot. Our summer campers will give them lots of TLC to help them grow strong.The Howard County Conservancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06522337086932060649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-19095743911526069982008-04-18T11:37:00.002-04:002008-12-09T11:44:56.640-05:00Chipping Sparrows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmG0U-WoVEI3kuQCwSKVdkBCqfrLTfGtMYjomiuktmSrWCKV-YxZAYwAnjnXVgMonDaRmbhitc1fuLafLEH15Vs1Fupp5eleNWiroWO9dezfFEdkiYuQ8Zl1xcKJB79ZM9u5qpYEstjo/s1600-h/Chipping_Sparrow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190611579789064210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmG0U-WoVEI3kuQCwSKVdkBCqfrLTfGtMYjomiuktmSrWCKV-YxZAYwAnjnXVgMonDaRmbhitc1fuLafLEH15Vs1Fupp5eleNWiroWO9dezfFEdkiYuQ8Zl1xcKJB79ZM9u5qpYEstjo/s320/Chipping_Sparrow.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Chipping Sparrows are singing around the farmhouse. Look for their bright chestnut crown and listen for their dry trill, all on one pitch.</div>Conservancy Naturalisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06526146408663628088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-33098370859280885982008-04-03T08:42:00.002-04:002008-12-09T11:44:56.829-05:00Cooper's Hawk Sighting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Vb6ztAhp_6U9jl-SvWdehNlMfY6jcG04QTfvJvG_Iax3gMGTP_ea8Spm93KvB8J59aw4A-oCyWkUeSLJ0dghPaENc9TC3hO4jIRlzozoY4_U_lx_bfi8LC00KKxjE15uJn2vEUj4Gxie/s1600-h/Hawk.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185001295045492194" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Vb6ztAhp_6U9jl-SvWdehNlMfY6jcG04QTfvJvG_Iax3gMGTP_ea8Spm93KvB8J59aw4A-oCyWkUeSLJ0dghPaENc9TC3hO4jIRlzozoY4_U_lx_bfi8LC00KKxjE15uJn2vEUj4Gxie/s320/Hawk.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>On Sunday, March 9, 2008 I arrived at the Conservancy to find a Coopers Hawk perched on one of the chairs on the back porch. The hawk was likely stalking our bird feeders looking for a meal. I ran and got the camera; this was not an opportunity that I was going to miss. The hawk flew up onto the bird feeder and I snapped the picture. I then proceeded to follow it into our field before it finally flew off. </div>Tabby Fique, Education Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10701954919741744785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-68106713598106821522007-11-02T13:15:00.001-04:002007-11-02T13:25:51.321-04:00Persimmons and weaselsOops, I was wrong! After a little bit of research we now think the weasel is a mink, which is still in the weasel family. I actually find it very fascinating that a mink would be on our property, considering that it really doesn't have large bodies of water. It must of been following the east branch in search of some water during the drought. The east branch does eventually hit the Patapsco, maybe that is where it came from. <br /><br />Today hiking with the school's out children we ran into several persimmon trees. Not quite ready to eat, leaving a very dry feeling in your mouth. The word persimmon is derived from putchamin, pasiminan, or pessamin, from <a title="Cree" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cree">Cree</a>, an <a title="Algonquian languages" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquian_languages">Algonquian language</a> of the <a title="Eastern United States" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_United_States">eastern United States</a>, meaning "a dry fruit". No wonder - if you ever tasted an unripe persimmon you would understand.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10217894161878581382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-39538164469042925232007-10-29T14:45:00.000-04:002007-11-01T06:35:33.843-04:00Bird Club Field TripA lightly-attended Howard County Bird Club field trip yielded a nice selection of seasonal birds:<br /><br />Canada Goose<br />Black Vulture: 1<br />Turkey Vulture:<br />Sharp-shinned_Hawk:<br />Cooper's_Hawk:<br />Accipiter_species:<br />American_Kestrel: 2<br />Mourning_Dove:<br />Belted_Kingfisher: 1<br />Red-bellied_Woodpecker:<br />Yellow-bellied_Sapsucker: 1<br />Downy_Woodpecker:<br />Northern_Flicker:<br />Eastern_Phoebe: 4<br />Blue_Jay:<br />American_Crow:<br />Northern_Cardinal:<br />Carolina Chickadee<br />Tufted Titmouse<br />White-breasted Nuthatch<br />Carolina Wren<br />Golden-crowned Kinglet - 3<br />Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 15<br />Eastern Bluebird - 20<br />Hermit Thrush - 3<br />Northern Mockingbird<br />European Starling<br />Cedar Waxwing<br />Yellow-rumped Warbler - 19<br />Palm Warbler - 12<br />Eastern Towhee - 5<br />Chipping Sparrow<br />Field Sparrow<br />Song Sparrow<br />Swamp Sparrow<br />White-throated Sparrow<br />White-crowned Sparrow - 4<br />Red-winged_Blackbird:<br />Eastern_Meadowlark: 2<br />Common_Grackle:<br />House_Finch:<br />American_Goldfinch:<br /><br />Kurt<br />Conservation Chair<br />Howard County Bird ClubMarthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10217894161878581382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-53138405538705604582007-10-23T14:42:00.000-04:002007-10-23T14:53:34.624-04:00Weasels!We always said that a weasel killed our chickens, and now we have proof that they live on the property. On Saturday, I was leading a birthday hike focusing on slithery, slimy creatures. We were down by the stream, and I had the children go into the dry stream bed to turn over rocks and logs to see what was under them, when a parent told me there was a "dead thing" up the hill. Of course I immediately went to check it out! It was the size of a squirrel with a long furry black tail, but not as bushy as a squirrels. I tried to get the skull (with my bare hands - which the kids loved!) to take it back to the center, but the darn thing just was not participating. I told the children that it was OK and I would get it later. There was plenty of things to capture their attention - I had them suck on some spice bush, dye their hands with some walnuts, a dad passed out some wild grapes, and we checked out a box turtle that was crossing the path!<br /><br />Today, as I was retelling the story, one of the staff members decided to go get the carcass for me (I have a horrible chest cold). She brought it back to the center - and it is definetly a Weasel! We will try to preserve the skull and tail. So come on over, take a hike, you never know what you are going to discover!Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10217894161878581382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-33990709729826715262007-10-03T20:41:00.003-04:002008-12-09T11:44:57.375-05:00Mt. Joy Update<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6aX5M7NDc7IBXjNY4fqpH0mdAPtY60QYcAWvwBQ_GJpp7yHY0xPuzt5Vp4CgTmtKtCWRfl674lqxQmnhzoOouoPjuF_p-779aaEGGl4TAP1JLmtgS6SkiMOzvtdYf3WirgvTs0vr33eM/s1600-h/Mt.+Joy+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117276230355388066" style="WIDTH: 185px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px" height="133" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6aX5M7NDc7IBXjNY4fqpH0mdAPtY60QYcAWvwBQ_GJpp7yHY0xPuzt5Vp4CgTmtKtCWRfl674lqxQmnhzoOouoPjuF_p-779aaEGGl4TAP1JLmtgS6SkiMOzvtdYf3WirgvTs0vr33eM/s320/Mt.+Joy+1.JPG" width="237" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHCx2vrliBKsnLyf2VSlXo19fspEJ_D7MxUWTcICOmboOC4sRYqfTCziQ5Qch3e7xLnd0FcYV5dJH_Zn1yDfxkv8v-kk5G7FPscSQZ9zwPUFbsCMC36tQtthIJbYcwNIIeWaQiPyIqy4/s1600-h/Mt.+Joy+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117276831650809554" style="WIDTH: 197px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 118px" height="102" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHCx2vrliBKsnLyf2VSlXo19fspEJ_D7MxUWTcICOmboOC4sRYqfTCziQ5Qch3e7xLnd0FcYV5dJH_Zn1yDfxkv8v-kk5G7FPscSQZ9zwPUFbsCMC36tQtthIJbYcwNIIeWaQiPyIqy4/s320/Mt.+Joy+2.JPG" width="234" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirP676NCduhh8kpnUGWqpA0LYzrjxr-k7YmwyJhNAUbfd1dojLaIduQ9ktdmIB3HkjOCJVOCBg6ozwN66bnkdLSbn3s4mDksr9b4w2S6UizwfXB76QMSBTywpLLKZTQMRQECHmgfIsKHg/s1600-h/Mt.+Joy+5.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117276990564599522" style="WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 119px" height="110" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirP676NCduhh8kpnUGWqpA0LYzrjxr-k7YmwyJhNAUbfd1dojLaIduQ9ktdmIB3HkjOCJVOCBg6ozwN66bnkdLSbn3s4mDksr9b4w2S6UizwfXB76QMSBTywpLLKZTQMRQECHmgfIsKHg/s320/Mt.+Joy+5.JPG" width="188" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><div>More pictures of Mt. Joy. It should be all ready by our Fall Festival!<br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10217894161878581382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-65685875670386624972007-10-02T21:41:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:44:57.685-05:00Question of the day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCc1NfXgDDCggoFExUgsrkE-IUBBN9zftVa7XbuzFDgG0uG4SUJUoA8Iocede1otF3rcBQRn750x0oZNSj87QVCIaJhRkF9umgL4XFuDXlqRLYj3ps0zYVq1IW1nfEy4YclAfZF8zlw5U/s1600-h/IMG_1012.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116920288921701458" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCc1NfXgDDCggoFExUgsrkE-IUBBN9zftVa7XbuzFDgG0uG4SUJUoA8Iocede1otF3rcBQRn750x0oZNSj87QVCIaJhRkF9umgL4XFuDXlqRLYj3ps0zYVq1IW1nfEy4YclAfZF8zlw5U/s320/IMG_1012.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div> </div><div>Can anyone tell me what is happening to these leaves?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Nedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465465172387175159noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-83697392970139117732007-09-28T09:47:00.000-04:002007-09-28T10:23:26.258-04:00During the naturalist training on September 27, a few of the things we saw were:<br /><br />Praying mantis ootheca eggsack<br />Brown Praying mantis (fortune teller) eating a small brown butterfly with 1 inch spotted wings.<br />Monarch butterflies<br />Cabbage butterflies<br />Webworms on tips of branches<br /><br />Trees<br />Sassafras and Dogwoods turning color<br />Catkins on musclewood/hornbeam trees<br />American beech full of beech nuts<br />White oak full of acorns<br />Black cherries with ripe fruit<br /><br />Vines<br />Virginia creeper turning red with blue berries<br />Fox Grapes with ripe fruit<br />Poison Ivy<br /><br />Grasses<br />Red top<br />Little bluestem<br />Big bluestem with turkey foot seed heads<br />Deer-tongue<br /><br />Flowering plants<br />goldenrod<br />knapweed<br />chicoryNedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465465172387175159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-85283127036285995042007-09-26T20:51:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:45:00.690-05:00Bluebirds and Hawks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03PuLP2UCgcANHFzFjzJoc6REJ92Qc_5vBwp13g-4v9-OxPNl0KzacDSEpPtKul66lDc9bhYhTQeMzkKDian_Swwf1mCJzdbUzVFs_m64NNfksjucPPR78sF6Hj5pLVX4EjaSBiAzrS8/s1600-h/020.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117278996314326770" style="WIDTH: 138px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 68px" height="96" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03PuLP2UCgcANHFzFjzJoc6REJ92Qc_5vBwp13g-4v9-OxPNl0KzacDSEpPtKul66lDc9bhYhTQeMzkKDian_Swwf1mCJzdbUzVFs_m64NNfksjucPPR78sF6Hj5pLVX4EjaSBiAzrS8/s320/020.JPG" width="191" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAqiQgVS8xn6muC9dtbidf6FFowZ-JnwbeltwxQA-BamWtxE739fCfPJITaa4MDs08F8KSuO1mWHtg-5DKflq6PijgGf5dOcARbmnS_X0eNkUUy8F7ccY3OekPub1gI7jjZ45IRTd0do/s1600-h/021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117279142343214850" style="WIDTH: 139px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 68px" height="109" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAqiQgVS8xn6muC9dtbidf6FFowZ-JnwbeltwxQA-BamWtxE739fCfPJITaa4MDs08F8KSuO1mWHtg-5DKflq6PijgGf5dOcARbmnS_X0eNkUUy8F7ccY3OekPub1gI7jjZ45IRTd0do/s320/021.JPG" width="254" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>During the walk for the volunteer naturalist training, we noticed some bluebirds hanging out on the railing of the bridge. The bird expert in our group thought they may of been a little tipsy from eating too many ripe cherries. But low and behold there was a coopers hawk sitting right above them! They weren't drunk, just scared!</div><div></div><div> </div></div>Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10217894161878581382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710986947910390641.post-1933133744203586582007-09-21T14:04:00.000-04:002008-12-09T11:45:00.948-05:00Fall Birds<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYIIhh-DEJaWf0xnyllfWjgv8MBiAzN8MGwCxMlRswQ7r5VAjfYVgsO26Yd-_asszLgUSPvTks8nBetNXAzlUr2xYGmQhhwu3n6IN3i4tp9gmDPqM3fpaHLvDwiwjIVVWeFmgwrufMWo/s1600-h/Flicker.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112721645538416818" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="160" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYIIhh-DEJaWf0xnyllfWjgv8MBiAzN8MGwCxMlRswQ7r5VAjfYVgsO26Yd-_asszLgUSPvTks8nBetNXAzlUr2xYGmQhhwu3n6IN3i4tp9gmDPqM3fpaHLvDwiwjIVVWeFmgwrufMWo/s320/Flicker.jpg" width="139" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br />Look up! The birds are migrating. An American Kestrel has been hunting over the meadow below the barn for two days now. Northern Flickers are exploring for tasty worms and bugs. This one disappeared in tall grass for a while and then looked things over from a handy log.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />ScottConservancy Naturalisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06526146408663628088noreply@blogger.com1