Yellow Iris

Yellow Iris
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

The irises were particularly good this year. I have a lot of rhizomes that I bought at Presby Garden, a famous iris garden in Montclair, NJ. Every summer they sell unidentified rhizomes to the eager public. You never know exactly what you're going to get so it's always a surprise the following spring. This yellow baby is probably not a Presby offering since it is in a different bed, but it sure is pretty.

It's been a very interesting spring in Kent. The vernal pool has been a continuing source of interest. Since we've had a lot of rain, the pool is nowhere near drying out although that could change if it gets hot in the next week or so. This week I saw a group of tadpoles murder another tadpole. I have no idea what this is all about. A customer told me a story about "big-headed salamanders" killing other tadpoles, but I haven't had a chance to research this theory. The birds, bear and raccoon will have to eat a lot of tads to prevent a biblical plague of frogs, toads and salamanders.



The large amount of rain made Kent Falls run particularly strong. The state is rebuilding the path to the top so the park is very quiet. Makes for great photo ops.




Friends Cathy and Bing stopped by for a visit and we traveled to River Road along the Housatonic. As we neared the Appalachian Trail, a white bird popped out of the shrubbery. To our astonishment, it was a white peacock whose presence at this location was unexpected to say the least. It's probably an escapee from someone's yard, but I put it on my life list nonetheless.

Bad Hair Day

Bad Hair Day
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

This downy woodpecker really enjoyed the suet log, but for some reason his head feathers were up giving him a bad hair day. There's always something amusing going on at the feeders if you just keep your eyes open.

The downy wasn't the only critter at the suet feeder. At dusk, this raccoon, now named Satan, was found atop the feeder taking a snack. I came out and yelled, but he looked at me as if to say, "If you are not actually going to come out here and run after me, I'm not moving." So I ran outside waving like a banshee. I had to chase him twice more from the vicinity of the feeders, but in the morning the feeders were still as I'd left them showing that raccoons are less persistent than squirrels.



This photo was taken through the glass door with the flash hence the glare.

Also in town was the blue jay. Very handsome if a little noisy and perhaps a tad arrogant. (Must we always anthropomorphize? Yes, I guess we must!)



And the titmouse.

Sick Chipmunk

Sick Chipmunk
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

This is the sad story of a sick chipmunk and how tough life in the wild can be. I was in Connecticut on a drizzly spring day and noticed that some of the chipmunks in the yard were a lot smaller than the others. It seems there were quite a few chipmunk babies.

One chipmunk, the one pictured here, was lethargic and somewhat strange looking. (Its eyes were never completely open and its rear legs didn't move right.) I approached it to throw some birdseed right near it since moving seemed to be a problem. He (or she?) managed to pick up some of the seed, but the other chippers didn't even bother to chase him. They must of realized that he wasn't right.

At one point I saw him belly up under the pachysandra, and I thought he'd met his maker. But he managed to right himself. He ultimately disappeared under the greenery. I don't know if he found shelter for the night or if exposure and other critters hastened his departure, but I kept reminding myself that 75% of creatures born in the wild don't make it to their first birthday. It's a jungle out there.

The irises were coming into bud. More than 30 buds are about to bloom. Spring birds have shown up: hummingbirds, chipping sparrows, rose-breasted grosbeaks. New frogs too.





The wood frogs had laid eggs weeks ago. Those eggs are now tadpoles which are getting bigger by the day. There are also some much smaller tads who may be other frogs or salamanders. I can't tell!

Happiness Poster

Happiness Poster
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

I love all the "flickr toys" that allow you to make stamps, motivational posters and all kinds of other amusing things in a flash.

This is a photo of the female Eastern Bluebird in my yard turned into a motivational poster. You can make sarcastic ones too, but these bluebirds have really given me a thrill. We'll see if they stick around for nesting season.

Happiness

Happiness
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

I know why this bird is called the "bluebird of happiness". I was thrilled when I saw this guy sitting on my nestbox. Perhaps he and his bride will move in. They spent a lot of time there on Sunday and part of Monday. On Monday they even put a little nest material in the box, but then disappeared for the rest of the afternoon.

I got this shot of the male shooting out of the box. I didn't intend this outcome, but I love the result.



The first daffodils of the season were blooming. They are always a pleasure.



I had a huge number of "nature notes" for the two days I had off: visited a heron rookery right in town; saw belted kingfishers chasing eachother; saw the first chipping sparrow of the season; heard spring peepers; saw wood ducks and green-winged teals and a palm warbler. And much more. I love spring!

Spring And A Young Frog's Fancy...

More Frog Sex
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

turns to thoughts of love.

Here is a graphic depiction of frog sex. You can see the eggs being extruded by the female. When they first emerge there are in a black cluster with white spots. Over the course of the next hour or so the cluster loses the white spots and starts to look like the cluster on the right.

Here's a better view of the eggs "before and after".

The crocuses are up. There are never enough of them. They are such a treat after a long winter that you want to have hundreds of them. Remind me in the fall. And remind me again after I've planted a couple of hundred!

Photoshop Elements Experiment

Sophie (retouched)
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

I scanned this photo of my aunt Sophie, taken in about 1905, and experimented with Photoshop Elements. I'm still pretty much a beginner at this, but the results are not bad. I got rid of most of the scratches and worn spots on the background. I can see that for people who like to do small, detailed work this might be addictive. You keep finding smaller and smaller defects that need to be corrected.

Now I have to learn more of the things you can do with Photoshop Elements. I can understand why people might take a class in this since there are so many things you can do with the program.

The photo shows Sophie as a very little girl, I'm guessing about age 3. Notice the short haircut. Sophie was always intolerant of people with lots of hair--either on the head or the face. Maybe this opinion started here!

I love the lace on her dress and the sparkle in her eyes.

Where I Have Been

Found a site where you can click on all the countries of the world that you have visited and create a map. Here it is.



create your own visited countries map

I didn't include any countries where I had only been in the airport--countries like New Zealand and South Korea. But it is a bit misleading because it shows all of China when I've been to Hong Kong, Macao and a little bit of what used to be called Canton Provence. Same with Brazil where I've been to Rio.

You have to look very hard to see the small red dot off the coast of Madagascar that is Mauritius.

Here's the US map.



create your own visited states

Stash

Stash
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

This is my stash. I have come to know that I am not alone in my addiction. No 12 Step programs for yarn fanatics. We just keep our secret stashes...and add to them.

I went to Knit Knite at Enchanting Yarns in Kent. (In the world of knitting blogs this is referred to as your "LYS" or local yarn store.) It was a blast. About 8 or 9 women--I was probably the oldest, but who cares. It was amazing how many were knitting socks. Two people were spinning silk which was fascinating to watch. One was using a spinning wheel and one a wooden bobbin. They'd hand-dyed the silk themselves.

I went into the stash and took out some wool that I had been aging and started a new pair of socks. I have enough of this yarn to do a sweater, but I guess socks are okay too. Once you've worn hand-made socks, there's no going back!

Blizzard of '06

Blizzard of '06 II
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

Blizzard today. The people who supposedly know say that this is the second worst storm in New York since they started keeping records. You can't go by me. I'd swear I've seen worse as recently as 1996. But what do I know?

This shot is from the courtyard in my apartment building. The kids were delighted to run around in the snow. We older folks were glad to stay inside where it's warm and dry.

This strange faux topiary horse has made a recent appearance on Broadway. I have no idea what the story is here. It just is.

Head for the Hills!

Head for the Hills!
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

I stopped at the bottom of Kent Hollow when I saw a large flock of turkeys. I got out to grab a few shots and soon they began scattering. "Run for cover! Head for the hills!" they seemed to be saying. But when I drove back about 15 minutes later, they were back in the same place serenely pecking at whatever it was in the grass that interested them.

Ben Franklin thought the wild turkey should be our national bird. Since I don't know what purpose a national bird has other than to grace our currency, I'm not sure how I feel about this. We nearly killed off the bald eagle, but at least we don't eat it!

Chattahoochee Nature Center

Great Blue Heron
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

I went to Atlanta on business and found myself "shopped out" at the Gift Mart. My flight wasn't leaving until 3:30 PM so I rented a car and took myself to the Chattahoochee Nature Center about 30 miles north of Atlanta. It was a gray day so the lighting wasn't great, but there were some nice birds.

Here's a Great Blue Heron. No trick to taking a decent picture of a GBH (in England GBH means "grievous bodily harm"--but I digress) especially when they are standing still.

I saw a tree with interesting exfoliating bark. My neighbor in Connecticut always likes trees with exfoliating bark because they provide "winter interest." Every profession has its jargon!

Bow Bridge

Bow Bridge
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

This is Bow Bridge across the Rowboat Lake in Central Park. Its lovely shape makes it so photogenic that it is hard to take a bad picture of it. It is one of the many things that makes those early morning birdwalks worthwhile even when you don't see any terrific birds. Olmsted and Vaux really knew what they were doing when they designed Central Park. I'm not convinced we've learned much about design since the mid-1800s. But that's for another post!

Dark & Deep

Dark & Deep
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

While it was in the 50s in New York and New Jersey today, it was winter in Connecticut earlier this week. In fact, it got down to 11 degrees in Kent on Friday night.

Whose woods these are, I definitely know. They belong the the White Memorial Foundation, a wildlife refuge of over 4600 acres in Litchfield County. While walking here I found pieces of what I believe is bark that had become translucent in the snow. Here's one piece.

The New Scanner

Lee in 1933
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

Upon the advice of Cousin Dan, I invested $80 and bought a new scanner from Epson. I've been wanting to scan the old family photos, organize them and burn them to a CD to share with the family.

The scanner is easy to use, but I have a lot (read "everything") to learn about Photoshop Elements that comes with the scanner.

This photo is my father. It's dated 1933 on the back. I have no idea what beach he went to in December of 1933, not the Jersey Shore to be sure. He was in law school in 1933. Winter break perhaps? Where did Harvard boys go in those days? Where were Jewish Harvard boys even welcome in those days? We'll never know!

New Year's Day Birdwalk

Cardinals
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

I always try to start the year off right with an extended birdwalk. Since I spent the day in New York, Central Park became my venue for the first walk of the year.

It was a gray day, but not very cold. Sometimes these January walks require stoicism and many stops in the cafe in the Boathouse, but today was fairly forgiving. The downside was that it wasn't a great day for photography because the colors were flat.

The highlights were the largest flock of cardinals I have ever seen--perhaps as many as 25--and the Great Horned Owl that has been hanging around Central Park for about 3 weeks.

The Great Horned is sometimes referred to at a "cat owl" because they look rather like a fat cat sitting in a tree. This one does at the top, but I have other shots where even his tail looks like a cat's tail. Allegedly, the Greated Horned can carry off a small cat, but I imagine Nicholas at 12 lbs. weighs too much. (See Monty Python and the Holy Grail for a discussion of whether a swallow can carry a coconut.) But I digress. I thought I was going to have to consult with other birdwatchers to find this critter, but he was way out in the open. I found a hawk, probably a red-tail, in a tree near the Point and when I went around the Oven to get a better look, I stumbled on the GHO. At one point the hawk, about 2/3 the size of the owl, flew into the same tree but quickly decided to beat a hasty retreat.

There were lots of ducks on the Jackie Onassis Reservoir--buffleheads, ruddies, hooded mergansers. Shovelers on the Rowboat Lake along with Canada geese, a cormorant and mallards.


The rest of the species were "the usual suspects": chickadees, titmice, goldfinches, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers, white-throated sparrows and one lovely fox sparrow.

The year is young--many species to go! And maybe some sunny days for better photographs.

Mine!

Mine!
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

What is it about cats and boxes? I took the last of the bottles of seltzer out of this cardboard container and put it on the floor. It wasn't a whole minute before Nicholas sat himself in it and claimed it as his own. Perhaps it's the texture or just a chance to have some insulation between himself and the kitchen tiles. Or perhaps it is all about feng shui.

Go here to learn all about the art of box placement for cats. An excellent explanation of feng shui for cats.

Nicholas had a good Christmas/Chanukah. Although he himself is an animist, he approves of all celebrations that involve the receipt of gifts. He made out pretty well with four shopping bags of home-grown catnip, some treats, a couple of nifty toys and a lot of scratches behind the ear and under the chin.

Visitors

Wren and Downy II
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

I hadn't been to Kent in two weeks and was glad to go there and refill the feeders. There was a threat of a nor'easter (which turned out to be a flop, at least in the Litchfield Hills) and the birds were stoking up.

I was excited to see the Carolina wren, back again from my last visit. We don't often get Carolina wrens in this part of the world, at least not in winter. The insect suet seemed to be the popular item for this little bird.

The photo was taken through the back door so there is glass between the camera and the birds. And, because it was overcast, the flash went off but didn't glare on the glass much. As a bonus the downy woodpecker is in the shot too on the Woodpecker log suet feeder, one of my two favorite feeders. (The Mobi Mesh Thistle Feeder is the other.)

Other birds seen:

American Crow
American Goldfinch
American Tree Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
Dark-Eyed Junco
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-Bellied Woodpecker (not much seen lately)
Mourning Dove
Tufted Titmouse
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Black-Capped Chickadee
Northern Cardinal
Northern Towhee (not a common visitor)
Common Grackle
Blue Jay
House Finch

Saw some Pine Siskins a few weeks ago, but they have been absent since. Looking for those irruptive finches--siskin, common redpoll, etc.

Take a Bow

Take a Bow
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

Taking photos of birds requires patience, a virtue that for me is sometimes in short supply. It also takes some luck and, oh, having your camera adjusted properly. A combination of luck and skill can lead to some interesting results.

I got this photo of a black-capped chickadee that had grabbed a peanut. As luck would have it, I snapped him with his wings up. Looks like he's taking a big theatrical bow.



Then, with the camera set with too small an aperture, I somehow got this photo of a chickadee who looks like he's a ghost. It was daytime (although a gray day), not night, when I got this shot and I was able to lighten it enough so that you can see the detail pretty well.



The night before there was a big, gibbous moon, and I took this shot. The flash went off which illuminated the tree. Very spooky.

Day Off

Chickadee, Central Park
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ.

I had the day off. It was Veteran's Day so I guess a lot of people were off, but it was just a regular day off for me since the store was open.

It was quite chilly, especially out of the sun which came and went throughout the day. But I went to Central Park with binoculars and camera.

The highlights were a flock of cedar waxwings at Tanner Springs, rusty blackbirds at the Azalea Pond and by Balcony Bridge, shovelers on the Reservoir and the cute chickadee at the top.







And, of course, there were the usual suspects--the squirrels.

Over all, a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.