MLK Quote

MLK Quote

Nature's Inspiration Movie

http://www.flickspire.com/m/HealthierL433/NaturesInspiration -- Nature's Inspiration Movie: The photographs in this short video are from award-winning photographer, Ken Jenkins, and they are breathtaking. However, this video is much more than beautiful photographs! Peggy Anderson has compiled beautiful quotations from the likes of Emerson, Thoreau, and many others that truly capture the beauty of nature and solitude. Absolute must watch for nature lovers.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Nature's Note -- Can I dream of Spring?

Since Saturday (March 8, 2014), weather has been lovely here with temperature rising as high as 50 degree (10 degree C). Morning skies are spectacles to be behold; later in the day the skies are becoming bright blue with puffs of white cotton floating around here and there. Sun is shining brightly, temperature is warm and people are wearing shorts/t-shirts/light-jackets.


Robins are back. I spotted the first robin last Monday (March 3, 2014). As I was watching the birds and enjoying the nature from the kitchen window, I saw a red-something fleeting across the bush in the neighbor's yard with a mocking-bird following it. Was that a cardinal? Could be. But, why is the mocking-bird chasing a cardinal? I have never seen such a behavior! Could it be....noo..it's too cold; the ground is frozen solid covered with about two feet of solid ice. It will starve to death...it shouldn't be here now...but, sub-consciously I was wishing it to be true. Let it be true, let me have some optimistic feeling that spring will indeed come, that the ice will melt, please let me look forward to the future....So, I waited patiently, straining my neck to catch a glimpse of what was going around in that bush, behind it, with something reddish flying around and the mocking-bird giving it a chase. And, then it was that euphoric moment...Lo and Behold! The Robin is Here...I indeed felt like Moses seeing God and receiving the Ten Commandments on the mountain-top.


I had to run for my camera and take this shot through the window. I dare not open the window in case it flew away. It was sitting there with its chest puffed and enjoying the sunshine. The mocking-bird still didn't leave it alone and it was sitting nearby. Any idea anyone why mocking-birds would chase around robins? Perhaps they want to steal the food that the robins dig out? Then, I saw it again on Tuesday but not since then. But, I am worried about what it will eat.

It really brought the spring with it. As I told above, the weather has been so lovely and the sun has been so hot that all the ices are melting fast revealing huge patches of ground where the grasses are waking up. Their bright spring green is indeed a site to cherish and enjoy after the brutality of the winter. But alas, it might not last long as another winter-storm, Vulcan, is supposedly coming up on Thursday (March 13, 2014). What will the robin do in the storm?

Besides robins, I am also seeing an increase in activity among the deer population here. They are always very active during the night. But, I am seeing them around the neighborhood even during the middle of the day. The juncos have not left yet but I think their winter population here is dwindling now as fewer and fewer of them are coming to the bird-feeders. The varieties of bird-songs, during the day, are also increasing. Many different types of finches can again be seen as they are coming back to NJ (they are here during spring and summer but they leave at least this part of northern NJ during winter). I am also getting busy like my feather-friends. In between work and as time permits, I am taking the opportunity of this gorgeous weather to start doing the spring cleaning, designing, planning, re-potting plants and putting in more seeds. And, of course I am taking every opportunity to enjoy the nature and see all the critters.


These beautiful deers were seen today in front of our house. I am linking this post to the wonderful Nature Notes meme hosted by Rambling Woods .

15 comments:

  1. Yes, spring is just around the corner! :)

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  2. Love the captures esp the deers. I'm so excited for spring and looking forward to wildflowers here.

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  3. The first photo looks gorgeous with the different layers of colours. Hopefully the storms won't be that bad and spring with continuous warmer temperatures will be there soon.

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  4. Spring is in the air. If only it would stop snowing.. I love your beautiful sky shot and the pretty deer. Have a happy day!

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  5. How exciting....I saw my first one this week too and was elated!...:)JP

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  6. These are all great shots. Wonderful seeing all the deer.

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  7. that is the fattest robin i've seen - he did a good job preparing for winter. Your house must certainly be the "new favorite restaurant" mentioned in the birds' Twitter circles. I'm sure it gets lots of "retweets"

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  8. It is always surprising how robins can come back before it seems warm enough for them. I suspect yours had just had a bath in the eaves-through!

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  9. Oh the deer are absolutely stunning. How wonderful. And hooray for Spring ....beautiful weather and the robin the perfect harbinger of a new season!

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  10. Mocking birds and robins both like fruit when there are no insects or worms so maybe that is why the mocker was cranky. The robins return here and the ground is usually frozen. You can put out defrosted frozen berries or water softened raisins or mealworms for the robins if you would like.... You asked about the purple flowers in my post. They are annuals called cosmos and I love them...not native though...Michelle

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  11. We are both seeing similar critter activity with birds and deer. Robins returned this past weekend but not close enough to get a picture.

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  12. Spring is well and truly on it's way - it's all good. I've been gardening in a T-shirt this week and was amazed at how much sun I must have caught.
    I hadn't realised your robins were migrators - what a lovely sight to see them returning to your garden. I hope the weekend brings you some sunshine!

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  13. Such beautiful skies you have captured. Seems like Spring is definitely on the way.

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  14. How excitingly springlike! Love the little robin you captured! The sky is gorgeous as are the deer.

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  15. I was so excited as if I am at your house gotten deer as visitors!

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