A Trip to the Conservancy

We headed out to the Great Swamp Conservancy this past week....It's very close to the house and we were hoping to see nesting Osprey.  

We have been studying birds and John James Audubon.  The kids were very excited when they saw this sign, declaring the swamp an "important bird area" by the National Audubon Society!

There are bald eagles making a great comeback in this area.

We didn't see any bald eagles on this trip, but just last week we spotted one at Grandma and Grandpa's house. 

True Forget-Me Not 

A very diverse area...it has native wildflowers, many bird varieties and the largest Great Blue Heron rookery in Central New York. 

Red-wings blackbird and a cattail

It always has open fields, ponds, and a boardwalk leading into a flooded wood. 

common fleabane

Great Blue Heron ---an awesome sight!

Dried Bull thistle

 ragged robin

birdsfoot trefoil 

Our first ever sighting of an Orchard Oriole.  The kids first spotting its hanging nest...and then we chased this bird and what we thought was a robin around the trails, trying to get a good photo. 

After getting this photo we can home and searched our bird books....we are almost positive it is a pair of orchard orioles. 

Larger--or Slender Blueflag

The kids decided it was the track of a pterodactly....I decided it is the track of a wild turkey. 

A very cute raccoon track

 We also saw a flycatcher....I have know idea what kind...they confuse me!

New York's state bird...the Eastern Bluebird

We are also for the bugs...Mark spotted this fishfly...we identified it by its feathery antennae

A nesting Great Blue Heron

Luke found this Goldenrod  Spider...it was the first time for this spider...how awesome!

Kim on the lookout!

We saw many, many tree swallows...they have totally overtaken all bluebird houses

We saw, but didn't get pictures of, cardinals, wrens, robins, mallard ducks, Canadian geese, and an allusive Bobwhite Quail we chased all over the trails to identify. (In the quest for an osprey nest, we discovered that there are no nesting pairs of Osprey at the Great Swamp Conservancy.)

We can't wait to visit again soon.  

You can check out the Conservancy's current newsletter, Marshlander, here. 

"Inchworm, inchworm....

 measuring the marigolds..."

On a quest.....

to find some "nature".

Give me some woods and a bunch of eager kids and we have to find some kind of creature.
I am the creature catcher in the family---I will catch the bugs, the snakes, the spiders, and the salamanders.....in fact, at the kids school there was a giant bug running around and the kids were all screaming....my kids. of course, were screaming, "Catch it!! My mom would love it!!"

Some of our family members don't share our love----Amy share's the love, though, she is the one terrorizing Aunt Mary with the teeny tiny salamander!!

Backyard Nature Study: Grandma and Grandpa Addition

After heading to 9am Mass yesterday, we headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house to do some

backyard nature study.

Of course, for us, the nature study starts on the van ride-driving slowly--it is wonderful to notice what nature has to share with us if we just slow down to notice.

ragged robin

Mr. Rooster keeping an eye on us.
yellow pond lily

Canadian Geese sitting on a nest.

Grandma's last years amarlysis gave us an exciting surprise. It started to grow a few weeks ago, and this is what developed.

The perfect blossom. It is as big as a dinner plate.

Grandpa's got his EYE on us!!

irises----they smell like grape Kool-aid

What a gorgeous sky.

Rose-breasted grosbeak

Baltimore Oriole

If you look very carefully, in the very center on the photo, you can see our most exciting picture of the day, a Eastern Bluebird.

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley

tent caterpillar

dames rocket

an unknown flower (let me know if you can tell us what it is)

honeysuckle

goldfinch

buttercup

Looking to the sky:

red tail hawk

great blue heron

downy woodpecker

Kim and Luke heading to the swingset.

blueberry blossoms

drinking from the garden hose

"What do you see, Grandpa?"

"Thanks for sharing your backyard with us!"