We've noticed a group of 3-4 male cardinals slowly diminishing in size, and notice them instead hanging around with females. Nests can't be far behind! Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott
Keeping Watch
I spotted this fellow as he took off out of a field filled with last year's corn stubble, and landed on an overhead power line to watch for another hunting opportunity. American Kestrels are among the smallest raptors, and they have the ability to hover over their prey, lining up a strike. Beautiful colors too!…Read more Keeping Watch
Venus and Mercury
It's been raining and cloudy for weeks. Then we had a Nor'easter barrel through with 60 mph winds, leaving us with clear skies - just in time for the Venus-Mercury conjunction on March 3. This picture was taken March 4 - not the closest approach, but not far - about a half hour after sunset. …Read more Venus and Mercury
Lions, Planets and Bears (Astronomy: Week of 2/25/18)
I stumbled across an innocuous piece of information this time last year - I don't know if it's an apocryphal source for a more common saying? A coincidence? But it's cool... However, hold that thought, I'll get to it. First, interesting things THIS WEEK: 1) As I mentioned, Venus is making its way back into…Read more Lions, Planets and Bears (Astronomy: Week of 2/25/18)
House Finch
Maybe spring is coming after all. This male house finch has been hanging around. His red color is a nice splash against the grey late-winter landscape! Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott
Dreary
It's been raining for a long time now, days on end. Rain and thorns seem to embody the collective mood, caught between winter and spring. Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott
Odd Bird Out
A collection of barn swallows at Mallows Bay. Everybody seems to be focused in one direction, except for this guy - he's either the only one that knows something, or the only one that doesn't! This is posted in response to the Daily Post's Weekly Challenge - "A Face In A Crowd". See other takes…Read more Odd Bird Out
Xolotl is Back! (Astronomy: Week of 2/18/18)
OK, yes, I'm late getting this done this week - things have been busy... but better late than never! This week, Venus is reappearing in our night skies! It will be a while yet before it's making a significant showing as the "Evening Star", but it is there! If you have a clear western horizon,…Read more Xolotl is Back! (Astronomy: Week of 2/18/18)
It Can’t Be Spring
I heard my first spring peepers this weekend. Friday, Feb 16, they were peeping away... It had been warm (and rainy) for days. Saturday, the temperature dropped again (good thing, because I had a bunch of Scouts out skiing - it wasn't too bad, and we actually had snow falling for several hours while we…Read more It Can’t Be Spring
Battling Mother Nature
Mid-Atlantic ski resorts have had a challenging winter. Started cold, but for the last few weeks we've seen late spring 60's and rain. Then shortly after I took this, snow, sleet and fog. At least the trails are obvious!
So Close And Yet So Far
A morning from twenty- something thousand feet over the Sierra Nevada. The John Muir Trail is down there somewhere, and high on my life list of long walks!
Visit the Chesapeake
On any given day I have mixed feelings about where I live - but the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are a beautiful part of the world. Getting out to, or on, the water can cure the soul. This was posted in response to the Daily Post's Weekly Photo Challenge - "Tour Guide". See other…Read more Visit the Chesapeake
Discovering New Worlds (Astronomy: Week of 2/10/18)
Earlier in the week, I referred to an effort to find the dwarf planet Ceres, while carefully sharing a photo of Orion to disguise the fact that "finding" Ceres meant little more than identifying one dot of many as a rocky planet, and not a star like the rest of them. For me, "discovery" meant…Read more Discovering New Worlds (Astronomy: Week of 2/10/18)
PATC Cabins in Shenandoah NP
I've hiked past them for years - rustic cabins perched high in mountain creek valleys. I've always wondered, as I've passed, what they were like. Doyles River, Pocosin, Range View, Corbin... each sits within the boundaries of Shenandoah National Park, occupying the historic site of an older homestead, in many cases - but they're private,…Read more PATC Cabins in Shenandoah NP
Starry Night
Tonight was nice and clear - so I went out to hunt for the dwarf planet, Ceres. I was inspired to look by Telescope Paul, who spotted it last week. I pretty much used the same star-hopping technique he did, but Ceres is moving, and sits a little higher, a little closer to Gemini than…Read more Starry Night
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 