First Day of 2020

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I got up early enough yesterday to see the sunrise. The clouds were too low and thick for it to be a great one…but it was the first of 2020. I did the same thing last year….with clouds making the color smudgy.

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We decided that the clouds were going to clear off enough to make a trek to Conowingo Dam to see the bald eagles worthwhile. It was a cold morning, so we wore snow pants and took hand warmers. As we drove in, I noticed the seagulls first; we hadn’t seen any gulls last time we went to Conowingo (in late October). As I got out of the car, I heard some eagles and saw one flying with a stick. It circled around and went up to the platform near the top of an electrical tower. I later zoomed in for a picture of the sticks accumulating for the nest. There was a nest there in previous years so the pair may just be adding new sticks…making sure the sides are high enough to contain the chicks until they are ready to fledge.

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The water was high from recent rains and the dam was generating power. Both gulls and eagles were benefiting from the fish available – stopped by the dam. We didn’t see any cormorants or great blue herons this time.

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The eagles were active but very far away on the rocks and abutment…swooping above and into the water for fish. It is very close to out of range for my camera so most of my pictures are a little blurry.

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There was an interaction between two birds on the abutment. They both looked rounded with their feathers fluffed and I wondered if it was from their ‘argument’ or just being cold.

Another interaction – two juveniles. One was on the rock but flew off just as the other came in for a landing.

Another juvenile was fishing…but didn’t manage to land a fish in this foray.

My husband’s camera did a bit better. He managed to photograph an adult catch a fish, jostle it into position, be chased by a juvenile…and then take the fish up to the nest. Was there a mate at the nest? We couldn’t see.

He also got some good pictures of juveniles; we are both beginning to appreciate the wing patterns of the juveniles – lots of variety in their look before they get their adult plumage.

I took a picture of one of the two cranes that are on the top of the dam facing the lake. I assume they are used to get large debris that washes down the Susquehanna from points north out of the water.

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Zentangle® - December 2019

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I made a lot of tiles in December. Some were the round paper coaster tiles that I was making for the tree which are thick enough to make patterns on both sides (so they count as two tiles when I scan them).

The Paradox pattern was one of my favorites this month. Notice how the meta-pattern changes depending on making Paradox clockwise or counterclockwise…and in relation to the positioning of the neighboring instances of Paradox.

Chairs is a new pattern published in December that I enjoyed too.

There are quiet a few instances of the gingo pattern this month as well. It was new in August….and I like it a lot.

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The Zentangle® Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. "Zentangle" is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

Zooming – December 2019

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December was not a big month for photography. I did enjoy birds and wildlife…the decorations too…but I found myself in observational mode rather than trying to take photographs. I did quite a lot of volunteer work early in the month, and there never is time for very much time for photography when I’m paying rapt attention to people during a volunteer gig.

Enjoy the slide show for December 2019!

Happy New Year 2020!

Reducing Single Use Plastic

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As we near the end of 2019, I am taking stock of the changes I made over the past year to reduce my household consumption of single use plastic.

We’ve done the easy things at this point:

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Switching to reusable shopping, grocery, and produce bags

Choosing products in paper/cardboard, glass, or metal containers rather than plastic containers

Turning some single use plastics into multiple use plastic

Carrying a spork to avoid plastic eating utensils

Bringing our own reusable water bottle and/or travel mug

Replacing broken plastic containers with glass or metal ones (an example happened recently – I bought some glass left-over containers with silicone covers that can be used in the microwave, oven, refrigerator and freezer…and go in the dishwasher for cleaning….some older plastic containers had cracked…so it was an opportunity to change)

When I look at our trash and recycle there are still some opportunities:

  • We could stop drinking soft drinks (a health choice for ourselves and the planet).

  • We could eat fewer foods packaged in plastic (bunched greens rather than ones in bins or bags, loose apples and potatoes rather than in a plastic bag, unpackaged fresh foods rather than frozen foods, etc.). Sometimes those are a healthier choice as well.

  • We could use fewer kinds of toiletries and shift to larger containers (maybe refilling small ones if needed for travel)

But some things are very hard without companies making packaging changes:

  • Liquid laundry and dishwasher detergent

  • Cleaning fluids like large jugs of white vinegar, surface cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners

  • Meat packaging

  • Plastic envelopes

  • Plastic bubble or balloon wrap

  • The list goes on and on

Reducing single use plastic around our house is an continuing goal…and it’s not an easy one.

Spiced Molasses Cake (Muffins)

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I always like to try at least one new recipe during the holidays. This time I started with a very old recipe that I’d found in a cook book on Internet Archive here.  It is a collection of recipes from Williams, Arizona published by their library association in 1911! The recipe is a scant paragraph for Spiced Molasses Cake

One-half cup sugar, one cup shortening (butter or cottolene) ; one cup molasses, one cup boiling water, one teaspoon soda, one teaspoon ginger, cloves and cinnamon, two eggs, two and one-half cups flour. Beat the eggs well and put in last. Mrs. Amos Adams, Williams. Arizona

I modernized the recipe by using olive oil rather than shortening (butter or cottolene). I also made it my own by pureeing a whole orange (cutting off the ends but otherwise including the peeling and pith) to replace part of the hot water, using whole wheat flour, and adding a dash of cayenne pepper.

The batter cooked well in muffin tins…crispy on top, soft and airy underneath. I enjoyed them hot from the oven with butter on my Christmas dinner plate then for breakfast for days after…a lingering flavor of the holidays.

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Christmas dinner: broccoli with garlic butter, spiced molasses muffins, roast, cranberry orange salad, baked potato

Some more thoughts about this old recipe:

The amounts are easy to remember since they are either 1 cup or one teaspoon. Experienced cooks would guess 2 eggs and would have added enough flour to get the batter to the right consistency. This was a recipe the writer probably learned from her mother or developed on her own…not something learned from a cookbook. It reminded me of the way my Grandmother cooked.

The airiness of the finished product is not from baking powder like many modern recipes! The last sentence about adding the beaten eggs last is probably important. Something to remember for future sweet muffin experiments.

Gleanings of the Week Ending December 28, 2019

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Top 25 Wild Bird Photographs of the Week: Colourful Birds – National Geographic Society Newsroom – Starting off this last gleanings list of 2019 with birds! My favorite picture of this set is the scarlet macaw with a stick. Is it eating it or using it as a beak-pick?

Artistic Photographs of Mushrooms and Myxomycetes by Alison Pollack – Focusing on small things in the forest.

In Search of Australia’s Amazing Rainbow Finch – A bird survey experience…and some pictures.

Patchwork of Corn in the Snow – As of late November a lot of corn was unharvested because it was too wet. Corn needs to dry on the stalks before it is harvested and this 2019 crop may not be harvested in some areas until February or March of 2020.

Watching Wildlife on Skis – Winter wildlife….another benefit to being out and about (with proper gear) during the winter.

Life Rides the Wind in the Desert | The Scientist Magazine® - Finding life in the Atacama Desert.

Decking the halls of history: the origins of Christmas decorations – A little historical note for after the holiday.

Image of the Day: Horns and Wings | The Scientist Magazine® - Technology that can turn off genes is the enabler of this research into how horns and wings develop in dung beetles…and maybe other insects too.

Children’s Book Review: Wake up, Woods – A book about native woodland plants for children.

Real Reindeer Are More Amazing Than You Ever Imagined – Another Christmas themed post…about an iconic animal that isn’t just a cartoon.

Brookside Gardens – December 2019

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I walked around Brookside Gardens on Christmas Eve. It was sunny, but still only in the 40s with a little breeze; I was wearing my coat and gloves…put my hood up for part of the time. I noticed a tree has been cut down recently near the junction of the boardwalk to the Nature Center with the path from the Conservatory parking lot toward the Japanese Tea House (Brookside map here). The shelf fungus growing on the stump still held the saw dust!

I noticed some birds too. The only two I managed to photograph were a White-throated Sparrow that was searching a mat covering electrical cords for the seasonal lights (the bird found at least one snack) and

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A Northern Cardinal near the fragrance garden. I saw a lot of Cardinals…or maybe it was the same one following me around! Their color certainly makes them stand out.

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The gardens are full of dried flowers and seeds. The sumac is the most colorful. I find the shapes of the dried ferns very appealing. They have a feathery look to them. Some of the grasses do too.

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The Conservatories were my last stop – for poinsettias and the model train.

There were quite a few families enjoying the garden while I was there. The excitement and joy of the children in the model train exhibit is like experiencing a seasonal group hug!

Through my Office Window – December 2019

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We are seeing more birds come to our deck for the bird bath now that the weather is cold enough that other water sources are frozen most mornings. Having a heated bird bath is a big draw.. The jays are too big for the feeder….but they come for the water and feel secure enough to sit a bit. Otherwise they are further away in the trees.

The titmouse is at the feeder and the water…but nervous enough in both locations to require a quick response to capture an image.

The Carolina Wren likes the deck railing as a stage for song…but it also likes the seeds in the feeder.

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The Cardinals frequent the new feeder. Our previous one was a little smaller and they tended to only get seed that fell to the ground from it.

The finches and juncos can sometimes share the feeder….sometimes it is a contentious situation.

The doves are too big for any feeder that is squirrel-proof, but they like the survey the yard from our deck railing, get a drink of water, and clean up any scattered feed.

The starlings could probably get seed from our feeder but, so far, they haven’t found it. They tend to stay in the treetops in the forest.

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The nuthatch seems to not be around as much right now. Maybe it’s found another nearby feeder.

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My favorite birds right down are the woodpeckers. The downy is around and occasionally comes to the feeder.

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The red-bellied is s frequently visitor…both male and female enjoy the bounty of the feeder. They are big enough that when they come, they are the only bird at the feeder.

Ten Little Celebrations – December 2019

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Happy Holidays!

My December had a lot of little celebrations already. I picked my top 10.

Coming home – I traveled over Thanksgiving and didn’t get home until the first of December. As usual after being away, I celebrated being home again.

Weather Conference for 6th graders – The weather was great…the students were focused…the speakers geared for the audience. It’s another annual volunteer gig that is now part of my celebration of December.

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Maryland Water Monitoring Conference – This was my third year to go to the MWMC and I learn something new every time. It’s a pretty intense day of learning.

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Howard County Conservancy Natural Holiday Sale – I love stocking the cookie table and keeping the urn full of Russian Tea. The event is always a celebration of the season.

Touch tank at Robinson Nature Center – I have a new volunteer gig! I chose something different than my other volunteering and easy to do during the winter since it is indoors. I really like the sea stars…watching the children observe the ‘feet’ through the glass and what happens when I ‘tickle’ to help the sea star let go so I can pick it up.

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Flying Wild and building a nest – I took a train-the-trainer type class for activities intended for grades 3-8…and one of hands on activities was building a nest. I celebrated that the one my team made managed to meet all the criteria: holding ‘marble’ eggs even when the nest moved and holding (weights) of fledglings!

Fog in the forest, birds at the feeder – It was a beautiful time looking out from the window of my office…the quiet of the forest holding the fog in the soft morning light, the birds coming to the feeder for breakfast. A moment to celebrate.

Maryland State House Christmas Trees – I enjoyed seeing all the creativity of the garden clubs…getting idea for upcoming years (maybe). It was just one of the things that put me more in the mood for all the other celebrations of the month.

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The Rise of Skywalker – It was a good ‘book end’ with the other end being the original Star Wars movie back 1977. I liked that so many story lines were resolved. Now I’m ready for a marathon watching of the other movies!

Bird feeder camera – We’re still perfecting how to mount the camera to optimize the view or our bird feeder. I’m celebrating getting the squirrel climbing the ladder as one of our early successes.

5 Free eBooks – December 2019

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I usually pick 3 books to feature in the monthly ‘free eBooks’ post; this month I am featuring 5. The titles all begin  “An Artist in…” and there were published between 1910 and 1915 although not by the same publisher. I think of them as a window into 5 places just before World War I: Spain, Egypt, Italy, Corfu and the Riviera. I am reminded that artists tend to correct ‘imperfections’ as they paint…even if they are trying for realism! Enjoy the scenes from over 100 years ago!

Michael, Arthur C. An Artist in Spain. London: Hodder and Stoughton. 1914. Available from Internet Archive here.

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Tyndale, Walter. An Artist in Egypt. London: Hodder and Stoughton. 1912. Available from Internet Archive here.

Tyndale, Walter. An Artist in Italy. London: Hodder and Stoughton. 1913. Available from Internet Archive here.

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Atkinson, Sophie. An Artist in Corfu. London: Herbert & Daniel. 1913. Available from Internet Archive here.

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Tyndale, Walter. An Artist in the Riviera. New York: Hearst’s International Library Co. 1915. Available from Internet Archive here.

Touch Tank at Robinson Nature Center

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I have started a new volunteer experience – at Robinson Nature Center’s Touch Tank. Like any new activity – the first few times are all about learning role; in this case, the biggest challenges involve opening the top of the tank (I’m not graceful at doing it…but I can do it) and knowing enough about all the organisms in it to share with people (children and accompanying adults). The sea stars are interesting even looking at them through the wall of the tank….hanging onto the glass with their suction-cup ‘feet.’

I encourage the children to watch what happens when I ‘tickle’ the sea star to loosen its hold on the glass so that I can pick it up and let the children (adults too) touch the creature. There are also milk conchs that sometimes seem like a rock at first glance. The shell is cream-colored and smooth on the side toward the sand with highlights of green and orange…and the organism is a deep red. It has eyes on stalks and, if held vertically for a few seconds, kicks!

Note in the second picture above – what looks like a top hat behind the milk conch. That is a sea urchin in hiding. They like to cover themselves with shells and other things that camouflage what they are; the hats were 3-D printed for the urchins to use for their ‘dress up.’

After two sessions volunteering at the tank, I’m well along the learning curve. One lesson learned – wash the saltwater off thoroughly (up to the elbows) when I get home and moisturize. I’m focused on my fingernails too since they seemed to be very dry and broke easily even after just one shift.

Camera on the Birdfeeder

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The new ‘toy’ we are playing with over this holiday week is a camera on our birdfeeder!

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So far, we’ve been experimenting with temporary mounting on ladders to decide where to position it more permanently and adjusting parameters. The camera is not very big physically (the white blob on the right side near the top of the ladder is the camera).

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This was my first image I clipped from one of the videos – a female red-bellied woodpecker.

I’ll get better with my editing over time. It’s very different than my usual pictures through my office window.

Ever see a squirrel climb a ladder? This one climbed right up to the camera after it was unsuccessful in dumping the seed from the bird feeder!

Next steps are to mount the camera from the eve of our covered deck and put out the small solar panel to help keep it charged. I’ll share some the technical details of our set up…once we get it working a bit better. My husband and I are enjoying the project!

Gleanings of the Week Ending December 21, 2019

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Top 25 Wild Bird Photographs of the Week: Waterbirds and Camouflage and Forests and Birds in Pairs – Starting out this week’s list with some bird pictures….catching up the backlog

Liver cancer deaths climb by around 50% in the last decade -- ScienceDaily – Survival rates are low too. Obesity and smoking are two preventable causes.

How Climate Change Will Affect Maryland's Birds | Audubon – I looked at the page for Maryland because that is where I live. The red-headed woodpecker is on the ‘high vulnerability’ list. The data is available for other states as well (scroll down on the ‘home’ page and select by state or zip code). The red-headed woodpecker appears on the high vulnerability list for Texas and Missouri too (those are two other states I checked).

First Global Map of Saturn's Moon Titan Reveals Secrets of Earth's 'Deranged' Twin | Smart News | Smithsonian – There are plains, sand dunes, mountains, labyrinthine valleys…and lakes of methane.

'Self-cleaning' concrete could keep buildings looking new -- ScienceDaily – Maybe a new building material…but can it be made in a ‘green’ way?

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Turkeys – I’m just catching up on some reading…this would have been more appropriate for the Thanksgiving week gleanings…but better late that never. Turkeys are interesting birds!

Air Pollution Tied to Brain Cancer: Study | The Scientist Magazine® - Combustion-related nanoparticles can reach our brain! The concentrations of these particles in highly polluted areas are also causing other health related problems as well. For example, the air pollution in Kabul, Afghanistan may be causing more deaths than war in that area

Owling: A Field Guide to Finding Winter Owls – Seen any owls? They are often easier to hear than see.

Slideshow: Images from The World Beneath | The Scientist Magazine® - A few pictures from a new book about sea creatures and coral reefs. Lots of vibrant color and camouflage.

Eating in sync with biological clock could replace problematic diabetes treatment: An early-morning, carb-filled meal improves glycemic control among diabetics -- ScienceDaily – We are shifting our meals…largest one at midday…smallest one at night. If we eat a high carb meal it will be at breakfast. I had gingerbread cake this morning!

Oatmeal with a Difference

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When I was growing up, we doctored our oatmeal with brown sugar and butter…maybe we added some raisins. In recent years, I’ve substituted maple syrup for the brown sugar and, if I wanted raisins, I added them to cook with the oatmeal rather than after the fact. Sometimes I added cinnamon.

Recently, I’ve enjoyed oatmeal with very different additions: cooked with a mashed banana and cranberries….drizzled with honey after it is in the bowl.

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It’s a very different flavor. I should have put chopped walnuts or pecans on top to give it some crunch and protein. I’ll try to remember for next time.

Christmas Trees at the Maryland State House

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Another holiday themed outing – driving over to Annapolis to see the trees decorated by garden clubs for each of the counties in Maryland. It’s evidently the traditional display in the central hall of the Maryland State House this time of year. We did it yesterday – a cold but sunny day…and before the wind picked up in the afternoon. I took pictures of just about every tree.

My favorite was the one done for Worcester County – lots of natural material. I particularly liked the pinecones that were cut and painted to look like flowers (they reminded me of zinnias).

I also liked the Charles’ county birds made out of felt (with the bald eagle at the very top of the tree),

Dorchester’s painted shells and pearls (the overall color of the ornaments all over the tree was a light blue),

And the dried roses on Anne Arundel County’s tree…very golden color.

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The decorations for the other trees and wreathes were very creative too.

The garden clubs all did an excellent job! I took a lot of pictures and might use some of the ideas for my decorating next year.

Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival

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It was a cold evening last week that we drove through the Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival. I appreciated the warmth of the car. It’s a 3.5-mile drive through Seneca Creek State Park near Gaithersburg, Maryland and the display continues from 6-9 PM each evening (except Christmas) through December 31st.

The length of the winding road provides plenty of room for light scenes on grassy areas and in the lake. We were behind a slow car which suited us just fine. I had my window rolled down at least half the time getting pictures and other people must have too; children’s excited chatter about the lights coming from the cars around us was part of the holiday cheer of the place. My husband had Christmas Carols playing out the car sound system, so we added some sound to experience as well.

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My favorite picture of the evening was a simple one….of three bright trees in the darkness.

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There was a teddy bear land area that was a lot of fun.

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And then we came to the end with a bear-in-the-box (rather than a Jack-in-the box! Time to head home in a holiday mood.

Cat Playground

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Our den has some comfortable chairs but I’m beginning to realize is it turning into a playground for our cat. The most recent cat toy is a donut shape with entrances on two sides. The cat enjoys napping or simply hiding in there. Sometimes he takes one of the small toy mice inside to play.

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Outside the donut are cushions, corrugated cardboard platforms (excellent for clawing), a battery powered feathery ‘bird’ and some wands with feathers on the end – which the cat drags to a person to make the fluff come alive (sometimes going up the stairs with the toy during the night).

But for this month, the donut is the new toy.

Flying Wild

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Last Friday – I was in Annapolis for a Flying Wild class offered by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. It was a day to learn some activities that celebrate birds designed for age groups I normally encounter as a volunteer and Maryland Master Naturalist. The forecast for the morning drive was a little threatening (freezing rain) but it didn’t materialize. It was my first time at the Tawes State Office Building where the class was held do I took a few minutes for pictures of lobby area of the building (it was rainy and cold so no outdoor pictures): Maryland symbols, a frayed Baltimore Checkerspot (which is very rare these days), a garden drawing on one of the windows looking out onto a real courtyard garden and a sculpture of a tree planting.

We did a sampling of the activities available from Flying Wild. One of my favorites was nest building. In teams of 3, we used wire to make a frame for a nest and then used materials that we had scored for strength, flexibility, and space filler. We could use as much material as we wanted except for clay; we were only allowed a golf ball amount of that. After we constructed our nest, there were tests: 3 marbles were used as ‘eggs’ (did they fit in the nest and not roll out when the nest was shaken); then some weights were put into the nest to simulate the growing chicks. It was a lot of fun and our nest ‘passed.’ We all gained a healthy respect for birds building nests with just their beaks and feet!

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Of course, I come home with lots of stuff – handouts and the book…a poster and a ‘prize’ for being on the winning team for the nestling feeding relay. There were Black Eye Susan Seeds to plant next spring too!

I’m already thinking about doing some of the Fly Wild activities with summer campers!

Tracks in the Snow

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Last week we got a little bit of snow. It was an easy snow to deal with: less than an inch, pavement warm enough to melt it. There was no delayed opening for schools or cancelled events. It was pretty on the surface of our deck and the grass in the yard. The juncos were out at our feeder and in the snow. I took some pictures of their tracks on the deck floor. Some areas had been so heavily used that the tracks were overlapping – showing the density of bird traffic for the whole morning. The tracks look a lot like the theropod (dinosaur) tracks I used as a Zentangle pattern with the summer campers! The campers were quick to tell me that birds are our ‘living dinosaurs.’

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Of course, I made my own print in the snow when I went out to take the photographs.

By the end of the day, all the snow and footprints had melted away. Maybe the next time it snows there will be enough to make snow ice cream.

Gleanings of the Week Ending December 14, 2019

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

The Two Genomes in Every Eukaryotic Cell | The Scientist Magazine® and Infographic: How the Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genomes Interact | The Scientist Magazine® - A lot has been discovered about mitochondrial DNA (and genetics) since I was in college in the 1970s!

Yellowstone's Wolves: Infusing Wildness into The Landscape – The story of wolves in Yellowstone over the past 25 years – the positive impact on the ecosystem as a whole

Sunlight-Tracking Polymer, Inspired by Sunflowers, Could Maximize Solar Power | Smart News | Smithsonian – Another way that solar panels can gain efficiency.

Springfield Plateau: Yellowjacket Nest – A yellowjacket tale from Springfield MO. I was surprised that ice was the treatment for a sting. I’ve always used baking soda with ice as the backup plan if there isn’t any baking soda available.

Why biodegradables won’t solve the plastic crisis - BBC Future – There are only pieces of a solution at this point….nothing comprehensive. It seems like the best strategy for at home is to reduce all single use plastic as much as possible. There are some easy things like reusable shopping and produce bags, but it becomes hard quickly. So many groceries and toiletries only come in plastic containers.

Remote Sensing Data Advances Soil Health Science – Cover crops and no-till practices were an advantage in record-breaking rainfalls of spring 2019.

How the House Finch Conquered Your Feeder…and A Continent – A little history of House Finches – originally from the southwest and Mexico…now in found widely across North America.

How the Aztecs could improve modern urban farming: Chinampas: An old technique might provide new solutions to sustainable urban agriculture -- ScienceDaily – The article made the multiple harvests per season seem feasible in tropical wetlands…not so much in the temperate zone where the artificial islands would go through a real winter although maybe it would just mean the use of cover crops during that time period.

Top 25 Wild Bird Photographs of the Week: December – Bird photography to enjoy!

Listening to Nature: The Emerging Field of Bioacoustics - Yale E360 – An up and coming technology for remote sensing of birds, insects, frogs and other animals.