Today, we awoke to a beautiful, sunshiny morning. It has been awhile since we've seen the sun and it was a welcome sight. After breakfast, "G" and I took a walk that turned out to be a hike to the Nature Preserve located at the further-most western point of where we are camped.
We were able to observe a lot of birds at the feeders, such as house wrens, juncos and cardinals. The view was gorgeous (sorry no picture), but inside the main building of the preserve (formerly a Park Superintendent's home), we discovered many interesting items worth mentioning and showing.
Clay Babies, shown below, struck me as amazing. It is remarkable how so many of them look as if they were created by artists, however, they were formed, long ago - natural formations from sediment of the clay deposits left after the Ice Age. They are supposedly very rare, and so curiously interesting. All the Clay Babies depicted below came from Croton Point Park and the clay they came from was an important part of the history of this little island that juts out into the Hudson River. The clay deposits enabled one of the Underhill brothers to manufacture bricks that were used in all of the original buildings within the park, as well as local homes, and shipped up and down the river for decades, during the 1800's.
Bird Nests - self-explanatory.
On our way back from our walk, I thought I saw my familiar "friend," it wasn't a Rough-Legged Hawk, but a Red-Tailed Hawk. I was told that there are many Red Tails around, and just one Rough-Legged Hawk spotted in the area. After comparing the two photos, I'm sure I have seen that Rough-Legged one. What are the chances that he chose to have made his presence known to me?
Here is a photo comparison of the two hawks:
 |
| Rough Legged Hawk |
 |
| Red Tail Hawk |
Similar, but different - both breathtaking.
I don't want to do a countdown, but it looks like" 4" just might be a lucky number for us...We are not planning as much as we are keeping fingers crossed.
Deep thought for the day: The most interesting things can be just a stone's throw away. You can learn something new every day, if you just look.
Ah, yes, the beauties of nature...if one only looks. One of the reasons I became a biology teacher. What has been seen will remain forever in your mind; only the size and color will change with each new discovery. That's why blogs (journals/diaries) are interesting and valuable. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteSee you in 45 days. P.S. Kumo Japanese Restaurant is 5 miles south with a 4.2 rating