Birding with Kenn and Kimberly

From Homebase in Oak Harbor, Kimberly Writes: On August 1, 2014, I removed what I thought was a dead Harnessed Tiger Moth from a spider web outside our house. I don't make a habitat of denying spiders a meal, but the moth was freshly "dead" and still looked beautiful, so I wanted to photograph it. When I did, I was stunned to see that in the final moments of her life, she had laid several eggs!  I somehow felt personally responsible for these tiny pearls she bestowed upon me, and I set about to raise them as best I could. Here's a photographic journey though that amazing experience. 08.01.2014 - Female Harnessed Tiger Moth lays eggs in the final moments of life I actually watched the caterpillars hatching under a microscope. Here they are on 08.06.2014, one day old. These are magnified many times. Caterpillars on 08.20.2014 Feeding on oak leaves and growing seemingly by the hour!  Close-up view of caterpillar on 08.20.2014 0 8.24.2014 - Preparing to pupate by silking ...

Kenn Writes: Periodical cicadas: Brood X, which appeared this year, is one of the most widespread of the 17-year cicada emergences. But as with the other broods, it's also quite localized: the insects don't travel far, so unless you're very close to one of the mass emergence sites, you won't see any at all. Brood X emerged at many sites in Ohio this year, but none in our immediate area in the northwest part of the state. So today, Kimberly and I made a special trip north to Washtenaw County, Michigan, which apparently is the northernmost outpost of Brood X. (A couple of other broods do occur slightly farther north in Wisconsin and New York, but of course they're not out this year.) We spent time at the Matthaei Botanical Garden and Marshall Nature Area just east of Ann Arbor and saw good diversity of birds, plants, butterflies, etc., as well as having a wonderful experience with the insects that were the main target of our expedition. Kimberly plucked this obliging ...

From Homebase in Oak Harbor, Kimberly Writes: It was an ugly little light. Too small for the space, old fashioned and beginning to rust. I'd thought of changing it many times and can't say why I hadn't. Procrastination produces wonders. Kenn brought them to my attention yesterday morning: these lovely, long-winged architects.  Just beginning to transform our light and our lives, we watched, mesmerized by their industrial ballet, each trip to and from, their graceful flights turning mud into magic. What a joy to have a front row seat as this pair of Barn Swallows brings new life to an old light.

  Owls: So captivating. So vexing. I've been thinking a LOT about owls and people lately, and I would like to have an open, candid, honest discussion about viewing/photographing owls. There's something so captivating, so mysterious, so alluring about owls that they bring out the best - and sometimes the worst - in people. With social media dominating our lives, we see this played out more than ever before. It's frustrating, disturbing, and it seems impossible to ever resolve. Still, I think it's worth discussing. Here are a few questions to help frame the discussion. 1) Are we *too* concerned about this? I'm speaking specifically about owls in public areas: parks, wildlife areas, etc. Are we making a big deal about something the birds will just deal with themselves? Does it really harm the birds? Birds have wings and they use them. If there's too much human activity, won't they just move on? Are we spending too much time and energy on a few single bird...

Although Kenn and I were away from home and missed it, two more baby turtles hatched! And while our hearts might be a teensy bit sad to have missed it, we couldn't be happier that our dear friend Tiffanie got to share this experience with her daughter. In fact, after looking at the pictures and seeing the radiant, happy smile on Delaney's face as she released these tiny bundles of life, we wouldn't change the way these two baby turtles came into the world for anything.  Hatchling baby turtle #2 has arrived! And if you look closely, above #2, you can see the head of  #3 just beginning to emerge! Just look at that beautiful, happy smile!   Baby turtles are definitely smile-inducing!    Delaney sends one tiny hatchling off into  its new aquatic world!  There are still a few more to hatch, so we'll keep you posted! 

Kimberly Writes: We should all seek happiness in our lives. But, oh the joy when happiness finds you. ♡♡♡  We were overjoyed this morning when this pair of Northern Bobwhites walked out from under the shrubbery to forage around one of our bird feeding stations.  We'd had one male in the yard a few years ago...  ...but this is our first pair.  Female Male This is a totem bird for me. It was the first bird I ever really knew existed. Sitting on the porch swing of my Grandparent's farm house, little 5-year-old Kimmer sat beside her Grandpa Jake, who she idolized. And when he whistled that sharp, clear "BobWHITE."  and the bird called back from the ravine on the edge of their yard...well,  I just knew that my Grandpa was magic. ♡♡♡  And off they go, back under the shrubbery from whence they came.  Thanks for stopping by and making our hearts so happy, you dapper little birds. ♡♡♡