Birdspotter week 8

Here is my link to my Birdspotter week 8 submission. Please vote!!!!! Thank you all very much! CLICK HERE!

Week 7

Here is my link for the week 7 contest! Please vote if you like it! Have a great day everyone!   CLICK HERE!

Holiday Cardinals

What bird makes you think most of this holiday season? For me its the Cardinalis cardinalis, or Northern Cardinal. The Northern Cardinal male is a all red bird with a black face. The female is a brown color with some red, a red beak, and a black face. They both get 8-9 inches. 3-4 blue white eggs with brown marks. Northern Cardinals don't migrate and eat seed, fruit, insects. Sometimes you can find them at your feeder! The juvenile is similar to female with out black mask. Northern Cardinals are easy birds to find in winter if it snows at your house. Have a great holiday season everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm thankful for every one who reads my post! I already have 1200 viewers! Thank you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BirdSpotter week 3!

Please vote! It's the 3rd week of BirdSpotter 2013! HERE is the link that takes you to my picture. Click the purple thumbs up that says vote. Thanks!

Cougar,Mountain Lion,Puma,Panther,Catamount

Ever heard of a Puma concolor? More frequently called a Cougar, Mountain Lion,puma, panther,Catamount. I call it a Cougar or Mountain Lion usually. Cougars are usually rare to see and are light brown. They are big cats. If you see a Mountain Lion or have signs of one nearby, contact the DNR. Here is a link that takes you to the site that allows you to contact them. If you happen to meet a cougar and bitten call 911 immediately! If an attack occurs stay calm. Don't run or crouch down. You need to look bigger. If you run, most likely the Mountain Lion can catch up and your out of luck. Visit Here to know some steps of being safer around Cougars. Here is a link that tells you more about Cougars.

Another Contest!!!

!I'm doing abother contest everybody!! If I get enough votes at the end of it I could win a free trip to Portland, Oregon!! If you would like to see my picture for this week please visit the link below. Every week I will post a new link to my new photo. Thanks for voting !! You can enter the contest too :) CLICK HERE TO VOTE!!

Northern Shrike

Lanius excubitor, or Northern Shrike is a type of bird. It is gray on the back with black wings and a black tail, it's front is white. I saw one on a tree this evening and was able to find out what it was. After hours I found out that the 9 inch bird was a Northern Shrike.Northern Shrikes only come to Michigan for the winter.I don't know a lot about them but HERE! is a link that tells you more. Here are some pictures,  

I named him/her Shrikey :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Black and White

Top photo has my dog, George. Bottom is the woods in front of my house.

Buck with one antler

My sister comes into the house saying, "Look! There's a buck and doe out side in the field!" I went out there with my camera and saw them. It wasn't until they walked around that I noticed the buck only had one antler! My sister named him Unicorn, because it looked like he had one antler in the middle of his head. Oct-Nov is when White-Tailed deer mate. Fawns are born the next year in spring.

Weeping Willow

As the sun is going down, a Weeping Willow holding a tree house is amazing. Salix babylonica, or Weeping Willow, is my favorite type of tree. It used to be a Birch that was my favorite but not any more. Weeping Willow trees can grow about 40-80 feet high! The leaf is long,green on top, white on bottom,simple,narrow lance-shaped. They are about 4 inches. Bark is light brown,with lots of medium furrows. The flower is called a catkin. They are long on a short leafy shoot. The fall color of the tree is yellow. They live 75-100 years. The habitat for a Weeping Willow is around ponds, waterways, water pipes, and moist soil. Weeping Willows are also known as Golden Willows because of their yellow fall color. Weeping Willows are a nice tree but not good around a house. Weeping Willows dig their roots deep in the ground to find water and they will sometimes break water pipes to get water. Other wise, Salix babylonica, is a great tree!

Rain,Rain go away...

It's now October, such a wonderful month! It hasn't been dry here in Michigan though. It's been raining a lot! It rained this morning and the skies  are still gray, as the ground is holding puddles here and there.The wind is blowing and the temperature is dropping. Right now the temperature is not to hot and not to cold. It's just right. The tree's are all turning bright red,yellow, and orange. For some reason my Pine trees are turning yellow and dropping their needles.I don't know why though. This is a short post but I hope you like it! Go outside and make a leaf pile, find acorns,watch geese and Sandhill Cranes migrate, whatever you do Have Fun!  

Project Feeder watch!

It's that time of year when birds need extra help finding food. Project Feeder Watch is starting soon and it's time to sign up! If you'd like to see what Project Feeder Watch is, click the link below,
HERE!  

If you do sign up,make sure you know what Project Feeder Watch is and what to do, (Link Above!) Project Feeder Watch helps Ornithologists learn about birds and how they live. Winter is the perfect time for it. Some birds stay, some migrate, and so this Project Feeder Watch tells them how many are found in one place,how far north or south do the birds go? So please sign up. If you don't that is alright too,but please at least click the link above and get some knowledge about it before deciding  yes or no. 

Thank you! Have a wonderful week! -Cornelia 

Autumn is here!

Autumn is finally here! I went on a nature walk/scavenger hunt today and found mushroom's, a frog, flowers,trees, Coyote den, and many other things! I had a lot of fun. I could see fall all around me, and it smelled like fall too. The leaves are turning orange,red, and yellow,squirrels run across the road with acorns in their mouth,deer in fields,geese flying south, and much more. My favorite season is Summer, but Autumn is good too. I heard coyotes last night while finishing a good book. I love to read lots of books. I have read all my field guides from cover to cover! I don't know what I'd do if  books were never made!

Here are some photo's I took. Top is a seagull,bottom 2 are of a Cooper's Hawk.

This is an Apple Pie I made on Monday. Yum,did it taste good!!!! :-) Have a Nice Day! Go out And Play!

Almost Fall!

Brrrrr! It's getting chilly out! Autumn is almost here and that brings along Halloween and Thanksgiving! At 7:30 AM it seems like nothing can gt colder even though I know that Winter will be so cold it brings snow! As the seasons change, animals do different things. In Fall some birds migrate to  go to warmer places. Some animals such as bear hibernate. Hibernate means that they sleep all through winter after eating lots of food so they don't starve. Some animals don't migrate or hibernate! They stay awake and in the same place and eat the little bit of food they can find. You might happen to see a few deer here and there and maybe a rabbit rush across the road, but mostly everything is calm and silent, except the snow! I love snow but also hate it. Snow is soooo cold and I don't even like hot chocolate! It makes me soaked and turns my face red and hands numb! But I do like that I can go sledding, and make snow forts,build snowmen, and run across ice hoping not to fall! Speaking of Fall, it's coming up soon. Just next  week, September 22nd 2013. Wow! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by! It seemed like July was the longest!  It seems like just last month it was New Years, but now it is already September! School has started again, Summer break is over, Holidays are coming, even my Birthday is near! Hope you all had a good year and that it keeps getting better and better and better! :) Happy Autumn!

More Photos again!

Here are some photos I took! Hope you like them!

This is my happy,adventurous, German Shepard/ Husky dog named George. He is about 6 years old. (Human Years!)    




                              

This is the egg to some kind of duck or goose I suppose. I found it at a playground under some steps. Ducks and geese were near by in a pond.   



                                                

The moth was ginormous! I'm not exactly sure what kind it is. It is really cool though!  

A Sunflower and a Sunset. What a nice,beautiful Evening! :)
 

Photos are wonderful!

These are some Photos I took. I really hope you like them! Sorry I haven't posted for a while!

Hummingbirds are beautiful!

Have you ever seen a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird? I have and I love 'em! I have a Hummingbird feeder hanging up on a Maple Tree in my backyard and it attracts Hummingbirds the day I fill it with Sugar Water! You see, Hummingbirds are different then say Hawks,Orioles,Warblers,Finches,Sparrows,and birds like that. Hummingbirds are almost always flapping their little wings. If they don't their hearts stop beating and they would die.Their tiny little hearts beat 250 times resting and 1,200 times while they  eat per minute! Hummingbirds constantly drink the nectar from flowers so they can "fuel up."   They have to eat very often in order to live. Hummingbirds, although their small,make a great journey from the very north of the U.S.A. all the way down to Mexico when winter starts to arrive and some make it there and others die. Many stops are needed to fuel up and so, many flowers or feeders are needed. Sometimes, people use Red Dyes or Store Bought liquid for these birds. But the Red Dye is not necessary for the Sugar Water. And the really bad part about it is this: "It kills the Hummers." So if you do have or get Hummingbird feeders please don't use Red Dye. Another way to see Hummingbirds and help them to live,is to plant flowers. Hummingbirds really like red flowers and Bee Balm. So if you plant some flowers and you live in a area with the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds,I'm sure in a day or two you'll see many Hummingbirds through out the day. If you want to make your own Sugar Water to put in a  Hummingbird feeder, all you need to do is put 4 parts water,and 1 part sugar into a bowl and mix it up. Please note that using honey is a bad idea. It creates a bacteria when mixed with water that is bad for Hummingbirds. Also, please use clean,purified water in the Sugar Water. Make sure to clean feeders every 2 days.When cleaning the feeder, DON'T USE SOAP! Hummingbirds are very delicate and even the smallest soap residue is harmful to them.Please be considerate to the Gorgeous Hummingbirds and DON'T use things that pose a threat to them. I feel like I'm forgetting something but don't remember what it is so please visit the links listed below! Thank You! -Cornelia!

 Bee Balm   Ruby-Throated Hummingbird!     Sugar Water for Fuel!   

Prize!

Yesterday I got my prize from the Funky Nests in Funky Places challenge! I love it very much! It is a guide called, "Waterbirds of the Great Lakes Region." It lists many different types of birds. One of my favorites is the American Woodcock. My guide describes it as "Plump,with long Bill,large head,short legs,and broad,rounded wings.Solitary and secretive,it walks slowly,with constant rocking and bobbing motion of body."  "Waterbirds of the Great Lakes Region," is also waterproof! Which means I can take it to the beach, rivers,ponds,lakes,and other wetlands. The Author and Illustrator is David Allen Sibley.  I am very happy with the prize I got and think it's wonderful. Please have a good day!


                                           _Cornelia!

Fishers don't fish!

Have you ever heard of a Fisher? The animal kind! They are in the Mustelidae family. Fishers are 4-18 pounds and 20-24 inches. They live 5-15 years. Fishers have long,soft fur that is dark brown.they have large feet and round short ears and a long busy tail darker then body. They live in wetlands and mixed forests. Fishers are carnivores,eating small mammals including porcupines and hares,it will eat eggs,berries,plants and nuts. They have 1-6 young once a year born with fine hair.Young  open eyes at about 7 weeks of age. Fishers are active night and day usually hunting 6 hours and sleeping the rest.Fishers are unique to North America.They were once called a American Sable due to long fur.They are one of few animals to hunt Porcupines and rarely get injured. I have never personally seen a Fisher but they do interest me. To see photos and know more information about Fishers,please visit this link bellow.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_%28animal%29

Happy Independance day!

July 4th in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed and America became free from great Brittan. Today we celebrate with fireworks,sparklers,Pop-its, BBQ's,parties and more.  We dress in red,white,and blue and celebrate. What would it be like if that paper had never been signed? How would we be acting today? Where would we be?  Maybe you can think of a few things.  Have a very Happy and wonderful 4TH OF JULY! HAPPY INDEPENDANCE DAY EVERYONE! THE LORD LOVES YOU! :) :) :)

PHOTOS!

The other pictures

Here are the other pictures I took. hopefully the all fit so that I wont have to make another post with them.
 In this first picture the little strange plants look kinda like bananas don't they!?

In this next one, I have taken a close up picture of  pine tree needles.

 

Duck and deer

Yesterday I was watching a female Mallard duck that flew into my field I took some photos and a 2 videos of it. Then when it flew of  I saw a deer out oft he corner of my eye. I used my camera to get a close up look of it and it was a young Buck! (Another name for a male deer is Buck.) I took a photo then started a video. then it started running away from a doe!(A female deer is called a doe.) It was and amazing and beautiful sight to see as the sun was getting lower in the sky. Also today I took some good pictures of a Blue Jay and lots of Purple Finches. I also recorded a video of a Common Grackle.  Here are just some random photos I took. Some of them I took while sitting on a moving tractor. The first try was hard but after that I was pretty good at it. I room for all of them so I will just make another post with the rest!



      

Lamb!

One of my ewes had a lamb earlier today! I think it's a male but I'm not sure. Also my Dad found a rock that is like glass! It is not Salt Rock because it did not turn into salt when under water. It could be Quartz Crystal though.It is very cool and small but unlike any rock my Dad or I have ever found.The Barn Swallows in my barn started bringing food in but still no chicks. :(  Also I have seen lots of birds including Green Herons, Great Blue Herons, Mallard Ducks, Tundra Swans,Sandhill Cranes, e.t.c. I love the sunshine and warmth but not all the flies and Mosquitoes. Well I'm going out side now so I will blog later. Bye!

Barn Swallow photos

Here are some pictures of a Barn Swallow,Sheep,and turkeys.

Number 1!

I am now number one in the top ten for the Funky Nests in Funky Places contest thanks to Karen Purcell!When family members and friends voted for me the votes didn't show. I sent a e-mail to Karen and she had the problem fixed and so now I have 17 votes. I thank any of you who voted for me and I thank Karen and the IT team for fixing my problem! If you have not seen my submissions and would like to, I have posted them in the post before this one. THANKYOU!

Links to my pictures

I have entered a few things to the Funky Nests In Funky Places contest. If you would like to take a look, I have some links to them. If you like them you can vote for them,just click the button that says LIKE with the heart. HERE! is a link to a drawing. HERE! is a drawing. HERE! is a picture and a poem. HERE! is another picture. HERE! is 2 pictures of a nest and a Barn Swallow. Thank you and ENJOY!

Funky Nests in Funky Places!

I am going to look around closely at every tree,mail box,bush,rock,e.t.c. The reason why is because the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is have a contest called Funky Nests in Funky Places. What you do is find a funky,cute,inconvenient, or funny nest and take a photo of it it. You can also make art,a poem,video,or story and then you turn in your art,photo,poem,video,or story and you can win big or small prizes. This starts May 1st 2013 and ends June 15th 2013.  Prizes include a camera,binoculars,bird guides,bird feeders,bird aps,posters,books,bird sound CDs and even an iPad! HERE! is a link to the website if your interested. It is really easy and fun even if you don't win. It tells you tips and information about nests and how to find them too.    :) :) :) Have fun!

Birds!

Today I saw some Killdeer! I have never seen a Killdeer before,only heard them. They are alot smaller then I thought!I also saw 2 Eastern Meadowlarks! I have never seen or heard them before!I have been seeing a lot of new birds lately! I filled my bird feeders 4 days ago and all 4 of them are already almost empty! I saw a Sandhill Crane fly by. Then it flew by again,and I'm not sure it's a Sandhill Crane. It might actually be some kind of Cormorant! Wow! What some sights to see in 1 hour! HERE is a link about Eastern Meadowlarks. HERE is a link about Killdeer. And last but not least is a link about Cormorants. Click HERE!  :)

Birds at my feeders

These are some pictures I took this morning. Try and guess which bird is which. The names are  Mourning Dove,Red-winged Blackbird,Purple Finch,and a Dark-eyed junco. Have fun!