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soodow
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| Posted: June 21 2006 at 9:38am | IP Logged
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Just this morning (7:45) as we turned out of our driveway a black bear cub was trotting down the road! We all had a great view.
No mama in sight.
Sue in NH
Mom of 6 wonderful children
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cathhomeschool
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Texas Bluebonnets
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| Posted: June 22 2006 at 11:34am | IP Logged
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Sue, how exciting! (Well, assuming Mama was okay somewhere.)
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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Dawn
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| Posted: June 23 2006 at 10:58am | IP Logged
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I just put up a bunch of nature pictures at my blog. As usual there are a few things we can't identify (fungus, caterpillar, spider, butterfly - the usual suspects  ) We would love any suggestions! 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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MaryM
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 1:52am | IP Logged
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Okay - I know this really shouldn't count here because it wasn't in my yard...but we saw fireflies tonight!!  "Big deal" most of you (Easterners) say. But it is a huge deal for us in the West. We had a discussion about this last summer - "lack of fireflies in the west". In 42 years I have NEVER seen fireflies in the Rockies or west of here. But tonight at a nature center marshy area (where we went to see bats up close and personal after they were caught in mist nets - way cool, BTW!) we saw several of the flashing wonders of summer. You have no idea how amazing this is to a western girl.
All in all it was a fantastic nature outing. In addition to the bats (Little Browns) and fireflies, we saw a deer, nighthawk, voles, rabbits, frogs, and a Virginia Rail. Apparently this is supposed to be an elusive, solitary bird - common yet hard to spot, but our guide said this one hasn't read the behavior books and is very often seen even with large groups of nosiy children around.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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rm4mrfrus
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| Posted: June 25 2006 at 10:23am | IP Logged
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I don't know how to do links yet but when we were going in to Mass last night there was a beautiful Cecropia moth right next to the door. It was amazing! I had NEVER seen a moth that big before! The kids could have watched it all night. We think it had just emerged from its' coccoon.
Hollee
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momwise
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| Posted: July 03 2006 at 8:42am | IP Logged
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MaryM wrote:
| Okay - I know this really shouldn't count here because it wasn't in my yard...but we saw fireflies tonight!! |
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We saw them!! It was sooooo cool! MaryM took us back to the exact spot and just after dark they came out. It was wonderful (did you already get that idea?  ). Bats were swooping by our heads and the kids with their headlamps (which Mary brought per MacBeth's recommendation) were looking at crawdads on the bottom of the water and spider webs along the pussywillow leaves. BTW, spiderwebs are way more cool at night when using a flashlight.
We almost decided not to go at the last minute when it looked like a deluge of rain had hit that area, but we had to be out anyway and we decided to chance it; the ground wasn't even wet although it had poured just a few blocks away. Our Guardian Angels were just as helpful as could be (thanks).
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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MacBeth
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| Posted: July 03 2006 at 8:57am | IP Logged
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rm4mrfrus wrote:
| was a beautiful Cecropia moth right next to the door. |
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Nice, Hollee! This is a good time of year for finding interesting moths...and for all you campers out there, head over to the bathrooms at night with your collecting materials and see what's there!
Oh, and head lamps? I love them for night walks.
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 03 2006 at 5:42pm | IP Logged
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We've been dealing with Timber rattlers. I wrote about them in my blog, here
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Dawn
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| Posted: July 05 2006 at 5:12am | IP Logged
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We found the most bizarre bugs on our wildflowers yesterday. I have never seen *anything* like them and would love some help identifying them. I posted pictures on my blog. Scale insects? Mealybugs? Alien life forms?
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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saintanneshs
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| Posted: July 05 2006 at 1:35pm | IP Logged
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I'm sure my boys were trying to cheer me up when they brought me this present from the farm, today.
The photo really doesn't do it justice though. I have to say, this tumblebug is one for the record books...it's a full 2 inches tip-to-tip and boy was he hairy underneath...the biggest bug I've ever seen in my life. 
You'd be proud of me, Macbeth. Not one squeal!
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Kristine
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MacBeth
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saintanneshs wrote:
You'd be proud of me, Macbeth. Not one squeal!
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
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Dawn
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| Posted: Aug 26 2006 at 6:54am | IP Logged
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We have a *huge* spider web (and its accompanying spider) on our deck. We think it might be an orb weaver spider?? Naturally, I posted about it this morning.
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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marihalojen
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| Posted: Dec 01 2006 at 8:48am | IP Logged
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Just had to share what has blown into our "yard" lately - Portuguese Man of War!!!
Gosh, they're beautiful!
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Dec 01 2006 at 8:53am | IP Logged
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We have discovered a resident hawk (complete with dead squirrel in talons). We think it's a female red-tailed hawk (we saw one up close at a nature talk in WV). She reappeared in the yard day before yesterday, and we hear her cries often.
The squirrels are making a mess of my yard, gnawing on pinecones, so I appreciate our hawk's presence!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Dawn
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| Posted: Dec 28 2006 at 9:06am | IP Logged
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I just posted a whole bunch of bird pictures at my blog. We're kicking off our winter bird study!
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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MacBeth
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| Posted: Dec 28 2006 at 4:44pm | IP Logged
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I love winter bird studies. Nancy, I was thinking of you yesterday when a pair of falcons was circling over our village. It's great to have these large predators in residence.
Great photos, Dawn! It's so hard to get a good shot out this window  . Funny that we always seem to get the same birds, and though I have not seen a goldfinch at the feeder, my neighbor found a juvenile a few springs ago in her shrubs.
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
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Angie Mc
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Yesterday outside of our parish, we stopped to look at a new bird to us...so of course we were very excited. From our angle, the bird looked and perched chickadee-ish with pale colors. We watched this short, chubby bird for some time without it moving. Then it moved just a bit and we saw a long tail feather (that had originally blended in with the tree twigs.) Then we moved closer and saw speckling. Then...sigh...we realized it was our old friend the cactus wren all pulled in tight with feathers fluffed because of the cold weather. We are so used to seeing sleek stretched wrens perched woodpecker-like that it honestly looked like a completely different bird! A valuable siting none the less  .
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Dec 28 2006 at 7:14pm | IP Logged
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Somehow I always feel good when nature's food chain is part of my outdoor landscape. Sort of like...we haven't been THAT obtrusive. I am hoping my parents take my big hint to heart and get dd a pair of decent binoculars for her birthday next month.
Now I need to figure out how to photograph these birds!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Dawn
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| Posted: Jan 16 2007 at 6:05pm | IP Logged
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We had red-winged blackbirds in our backyard today! They are not due back till March! I posted about them here and here.
I think they've jumped the gun a bit - we are supposed to go down to single digits by Thursday. 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Jan 16 2007 at 7:40pm | IP Logged
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The red-winged black bird was the very first I identified after I found out a bit about birding on the CCM list. It will always hold a special place in my birding heart.
Yesterday, a red-tailed hawk (somewhat common here) swooped over the edge of our yard (not common) and perched in a tree a few yards over...very cool. My children and I were bummed that it didn't land in OUR yard...maybe next time.
Oh, I made a very simple birding chart for 7yo ds. I made a grid with 13 columns, one to note bird sited and the other 12 for the months of 2007. I copied two sheets, one for Freestone Park sitings and the other for the Riparian Preserve. Each chart is divided in half - waterfowl and other. We'll visit each park at least once a month and list birds sited. Then we'll check the month sited. We aren't getting fussy with weather, exact dates, time of day, etc. By the end of the year he should be able to know which birds live here year round (which he already has a good clue about) and which visit.
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Look what I just saw in my yard!
