Nature at Its Best

Spring is here in the south and the birds are busy staking out territories, finding mates and building nests.  Males take the lead in this dance.  They put on their finest feathers and sing their best songs from the highest point in the territory that they have chosen.  Females are attracted to the most beautiful male with the best voice who would add the most to the gene pool by producing strong, healthy young.

Northern Mockingbird Wildlife Postcards by VermontMooments

In most species of birds, the male is brightly colored and the female is clothed in shades of brown so that she blends into the landscape while she spends weeks sitting on the nest.  However in some bird species, like the Mockingbird, males and females are difficult to tell apart, except for the fact that the male sings.  As K_Linda in her lens  The Mockingbird tells us, male Mockingbirds have remarkable voices and can mimic many other birds and sounds.   Unattached males will often sing at night.  Mockingbirds are also staunch defenders of their nest and young and will attack any creature which they feel is threatening.  K_Linda has written a delightful and informative lens about this unique bird that is another example of Nature at Its Best.

Mockingbird Postcard by lisawilliamsgifts

If you’re in the mood for spring and the weather is not cooperating, then stop by Naturally Native Squids Headquarters and browse the hand picked nature lenses written by more great lensmasters (like K_Linda) that are grouped there.  You won’t be sorry that you made the trip.

It’s funny how little pleasant things can help you get through really tough situations in your life.

Some of you may know that before Thanksgiving my husband went into the hospital with a serious, life-threatening illness.  After 3 weeks there, he was well enough to be discharged.  During Al’s stay in the hospital, my Dad was also admitted to a hospital in another part of the state and he died on Dec. 7.

Times were really tough for us during November and December, but the day after Thanksgiving, I saw a hummingbird in our yard in Covington, LA and this little bird stayed with us through the whole ordeal and all the doctor’s visits that followed.

Rufous Female Hummingbird by naturegirl7

Just when we thought my husband was going to be alright, he got sick again.  This time he refused treatment until it was almost too late because he didn’t want to go back into the hospital.  After weeks in ICU and major surgery, he is now home again and seems to be on the road to recovery.

Each morning, for months, I would look out of the French doors before going to stay with my husband in ICU and I would see the tough little Rufous hummingbird drinking from the feeders and the early flowering trees.  She helped to show me that I could also stay strong and get through this hardship.

For me, she was like the Last Leaf in O’Henry’s short story by the same name.  She stayed and is still here to brighten our days and to give us something happy to hang on to as we battle adversities.

On February 21st, my friend Linda, a hummingbird bander, was able to capture and band the little Rufous female.  Minutes after she was released, Al called me to say that he was to be released from the hospital that day.  The joy of Banding a Hummingbird was further enhanced by Al’s release from the hospital.

Now we will be able to track this little winged jewel back to her breeding grounds in the western United States and if she chooses to visit us again next winter, we will be able to recognize her.  Al can sit at his computer as he recuperates and watch her when she drinks from the feeder by the window until it is time for her to migrate back to the place where she was born.

Thank goodness for small things.

Louisiana weather never ceases to amaze.  One day we have snow and the next day the frogs are croaking.  Today the sun is shining and it feels like spring.

Colorful Cricket Frog by naturegirl7

Of course, certain frogs, like Cricket Frogs, are active all year long here in south Louisiana.  You can hear the gick-gick-gick sound any time it warms up a little.  Other small frogs like the Green Tree frog and also the Gray Tree frog also begin to sing early in the spring.  When the weather warms up more, later in the spring, the males can be seen and heard as they stake out their territories and call to prospective mates.  The Amphibians of Louisiana are a hardy and varied group of animals that include frogs, toads, salamanders and newts.  Most lay eggs and spend the early part of their lives in water.  Amphibians can be found in many different habitats.  Even urban and suburban areas host Amphibians.

Green Treefrog by naturegirl7

Amphibians are a great subject for home study or to develop a child’s observation skills.  Some good thematic unit and activity lenses that teachers may enjoy are  Frog Unit Study by Evelyn_Saenz and Reptile and Amphibian Color Pages by Pistache.  In these lenses, you’ll find many creative activities that will engage children in enjoyable Froggy activities.

If you’d like to learn to identify the various frog Voices of the Night, then this CD should help.
Voices of the Night – Eastern Frogs and Toads (CD) – $ 19.95
Decipher the cheeps and trills of 36 species of frogs and toads native to eastern North America. It features up-to-date taxonomic nomenclature, including 3 species introduced from the tropics. Endorsed by Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

In most parts of the country snow in February is not a big deal, but where we live in southeastern Louisiana it is an event!  The soft, fluffy white stuff started falling at about 9:30 this morning and continued for about 3 hours.  There was very little accumulation because the temperature was a couple of degrees above freezing, but the flurries still were a pretty sight.  The photo above shows the flurry and in the background, what is left of one of the giant pine trees that was snapped by Hurricane Katrina.

If you’d like to see some really beautiful snow pictures, then you must visit Pictures of Snow for Your Home or Office, by mulberry.  Mulberry has written many informative lenses about media. This lensmaster lives in Indiana and has been a Squidoo lensmaster since 2007.

Northern Cardinals are the bird of winter, no matter what part of North America you live in.  The bright red males stand out against the browns of winter.  In February, Cardinals begin to choose their mates and you will often see the pairs visiting the feeders together, even in a snow storm.  When the weather warms up in March, breeding and nest building commences.

The Northern Cardinal is one of my favorite winter residents, but I also enjoy the tiny Carolina Chickadee and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  What are your favorite winter birds?

Dragonfly on Lily by naturegirl7

Let’s face it, the weather in the southern United States, especially from fall through spring, is pleasant.  That’s why so many northerners retire down here along the Gulf Coast.  We’d love to send you some of our semi-tropical weather, but since we can’t I thought you may enjoy taking a virtual tour of two places here in the south.

First, a spring tour through a National Wildlife certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat which is located on a 9 acre riparian tract along the Little Tchefuncte River near Covington, LA.  To the River and Back Again is a pictorial walk from our house, along the creek to the river and back to the pond.  There are many animals and plants to see along the way.

Next, we visit tropical south Florida as Poddys, takes us on A Walk Around Deer Creek, a community near Palm Beach.  It’s almost like being there and is sure to chase those winter blues away.  Poddys also has posted some of his lovely photos (like the one below) in poddys Zazzle Gallery.

SUNSET IN PARADISE Poster by poddys

And besides having some of the best weather in the United States, the Gulf South also has the New Orleans Saints, who reigned supreme in the 44th Super Bowl.  Geaux Saints!  Mardi Gras this year will be a black and gold affair.

Starfish On Lava Rock by malibuitalian

The cold temperatures of winter and the Superbowl in Miami make me think of warm days at the beach.  Even though I grew up in land-locked north Louisiana, since I was a child I have been fascinated with the seashore and beach combing.  My first experiences with this wonderland of nature was on a family vacation to the Gulf shores.  Gathering seashells and observing sea life is a very enjoyable past time.

While we have the swamps and marshes, I wish we lived closer to the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico so that we could photograph the scenes there more often.  Fortunately there are several Naturally Native and Zazzle Squid Co-Op members, like malibuitalian and pamdicar who have taken some great shots of ocean life.

Colorful Shell Collection by pamdicar

Pam, aka lensmaster dustytoes and Zazzler pamdicar has taken many beautiful photographs and written some excellent lenses about Seashell identification and beach combing.  When you visit her Zazzle galleries and read her lenses, it’s like taking a virtual trip to the beach.

Why not take a virtual trip to the beach this winter or get some craft ideas  or help with the identification of your shell collection and enjoy the time indoors.  Soon spring will be here and you won’t have the time or inclination to visit some of the great lenses on Squidoo.

Wildflowers of Louisiana by naturegirl7

Native plants and old-fashioned easy to grow flowers are some of my favorite photographic subjects.  In fact, you could say they are a specialty of mine.  As former president of and web master for the Folsom Native Plant Society, I have taken thousands of photographs of native wildflowers, trees and shrubs.  The versatility and beauty of the different varieties of our Louisiana native flora is amazing.

When taking closeups, besides making sure the plant is in focus, you should also consider the composition, including the background.  A pleasing background color and form can make the difference between a good shot and an excellent shot.  When I find a lovely specimen, I take several shots from different angles and with different settings.  The Canon Powershot S5IS that I use has a macro setting (for shots from about 10 inches to about 2 inches away) and a super macro (for real closeups, as close as 1/2 inch).  Before I leave a site, I also always check in the viewer to make sure that the photos are crisp and clear.

Indian Pink Poster by naturegirl7

Gardening with Native Plants is one of my favorite past times.  Besides being beautiful, native plants are resilient and hardy.  Many of our flower gardens are filled with native plants that bloom during the different seasons of the year and provide food for the birds and other wildlife.

seedplanter is another Naturally Native Squid that enjoys taking photographs of flowers and plants.  She is a writer, nature photographer, Zazzler and product reviewer.  In her lens, Backyard Photo Ops, besides telling about the adventures of her backyard makeover and displaying some of her excellent photographs, she gives many pointers about setting up shots.  Here’s one of her creative photos on Zazzle.

“Embraced” by seedplanter

Let us hear about your experiences in the world of nature photography.

Photographing nature at its best is a way to capture that perfect moment in time forever.  Both my husband and I have been amateur photographers for over 40 years.  Today’s digital cameras make it easy for anyone with a little patience to get great shots of flora and fauna.  When you factor in the inexpensive, yet efficient editing software available, you have the ability to produce professional results on your home computer.

Besides patience, photographing nature, especially moving objects, requires forethought, timing, quick reflexes and a steady hand.

One of the first steps to taking good nature photographs is to observe the habits of your subject.  Watching where a hummingbird sits and which flowers or feeders it prefers, then choosing a partially sheltered spot where you can comfortably sit to wait will usually reward you with a great shot.  It also helps to focus on the branch or flower it visits the most because odds are that it will return often.

Hummer Kiss by naturegirl7

Secondly, you should have plenty of empty storage cards and batteries on hand.  There is nothing more frustrating than to have the right light and the subject in just the right position, only to have the batteries give out or the card fill up.  I always strap my case around my neck, even if I’m just going out in the yard.

If you are interested in learning more about nature photograph, you might enjoy reading Fall Fungi – a Witches Brew.

Andy Po, an extremely talented semi-professional wildlife and travel photographer, has written several lenses about photography techniques as well as ones detailing the many trips he has made to exotic places to photograph wildlife.  If you are a beginner or someone who needs help picking out a camera, then you would enjoy,  Which Digital SLR Camera? In it, Andy discusses the cameras that he uses and compares them to others.  He also discusses digital slide and negatives scanners.  Here’s one of his fabulous shots.

Leopard in Namibia, Africa by AndyPo

Do you enjoy taking pictures?  What is your favorite subject?

Way down here near New Orleans the fickle Louisiana weather is teasing us with spring-like warmth and sunshine.  The non-native Taiwan Cherry Trees are already blooming and providing rich nectar for the wintering hummingbirds, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and bees.  This small introduced tree also bears attractive little cherries that fruit eating birds, like Cedar Waxwings, Mockingbirds and Catbirds, devour later in the spring.

(Love Bee Cherry Blossoms Card by naturegirl7 at Zazzle.)

One native tree that is also beginning to bloom is the red maple (Acer spp.).  The flowers are so small that most people don’t notice them until the wing shaped seeds begin to form.  Wintering hummingbirds and bees also use this nectar source during late January / early February here in Louisiana.

(Red Maple Flowers and Seeds below by naturegirl7)

If you are interested in wildlife gardening, you may enjoy reading Planting for Birds and Wildlife.  We’ve included lists with descriptions and photographs of many, easy to grow wildlife friendly plants.  The cool, wet weather of early spring provides optimum conditions to successfully plant trees and shrubs.

One of the members of Naturally Native Squids, HorseAndPony, has written an outstanding lens which tells about how they turned their new subdivision yard into a bird haven.  It’s for the Birds, also details the requirements necessary to have your yard become a certified National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat.  If you want to attract wildlife to your yard, you’ll want to check out this lens, too.

While all this interesting stuff is going on outside, the humans are preparing for battle.  Tomorrow, in the Superdome, the Saints and the Vikings play to determine who will go to the Superbowl.  Some rain may spoil the tailgating, but I’m sure that the ingenious, party-loving New Orleans fans will improvise and help lead the Saints on to victory.  Geaux Saints!

(Click on the Saints Mardi Gras Pin to go to our Naturegirl7s Etsy Shop.)

How’s the weather in your neck of the woods? There’s an old saying here: “If you don’t like the weather in Louisiana, just wait until tomorrow.”

As children we all learned that the rooster says, “cockle doodle doo” and the hens say, “cluck, cluck”.  The city children learned that the rooster crowed when the sun came up in the morning, but we, who grew up in the country knew that roosters will crow any darn time they please.  Crowing seems to be a way for a  rooster to announce important events among his flock and also to just let it loose when he’s feeling good.

Ameraucana Rooster by lalagniappe

We have a rooster and four hens.  We did not particularly want a rooster and as the 6 little Ameraucana chicks developed, we continually chanted, “please let them all be hens”.  Of course we ended up with a rooster, two, in fact.  Anyone who knows about roosters will tell you that two roosters and four hens does not a happy chicken house make.  The local feed store gave our extra rooster to a good home where he is happily keeping his own flock safe and fertilized.

But back to crowing… When do roosters crow? Our rooster sometimes crows in the middle of the night.  He also crows before dawn, at dawn, after dawn, when one of the hens lays an egg, when I am late to feed them or any other time when his hens’ needs are not being met.  He is a crowing machine.

Why do we keep him? I am asking myself that same question.  You don’t really need a rooster if all you want is eggs. But…he’s a very attractive bird and he sounds an alarm call and herds his hens into the “safe room” whenever a predator is seen.  He fertilizes the eggs, so as the hens reach the age when they are too old to lay, we could replace them with a brood of chicks.  All are good reasons, but I guess it’s more because I have grown fond of him.  I like the way he struts around the portable chicken coop like he’s king of the world.  Which, in fact, he is the king of his world with his harem of four.

So I guess, for a while anyway, we’ll continue to listen to the cock crow and collect 3-4 blue, green and pink eggs everyday and appreciate nature at its best in our little corner of the world here in south Louisiana.

If you like roosters and chickens, then you’ll really enjoy Roosters For Collectors, by EelKat, another rooster lover. She has gathered some fantastic pictures and collectible items, too, that would make great gifts for others who appreciate these fine fellows.  The lens supports the Pidgie Fund, an organization she founded to help rescue and rehabilitate many kinds of animals, but primarily feral cats and former fighting cocks in Maine.