Nature

Eggs Hatched! Live Eagle Cam at Duke Farms 2011

/ still a dreamer

One of the most wonderful opportunities to experience wildlife, in a way that we would never be able to firsthand, is the live/streaming  eagle cam at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ. Duke Farms is now working in conjunction with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation NJ, who are keeping even more current updates on the eagles and their babies as well as making available the eagle cam. Check out the latest updates on the CWF-NJ web site. 

Mama and Papa each are very active during the day, anxious to see their chicks born. According to the Duke Farms log, the pair had been visiting their nest in December and making repairs for the new nesting season.

There are currently 3 eggs in the nest, appearing February 28, March 4 and March 6 with estimated hatching dates of April 4, April 7, and April 10, respectively. As of today, no chick is seen yet, but tune in regularly and check on the nest. Once the chicks are born, they grow rapidly and  are branching before you know it.

Duke Farms is a 2,700-acre property in Hillsborough, N.J., operating for nearly 100 years, and has been a destination for the residents of The Garden State and beyond. It is one of the largest privately-owned parcels of undeveloped land in the state, rich in agricultural, horticultural and ecological resources. It was established by the late Doris Duke.

Note: The beautiful photo above is not taken at Duke Farms, but by Sarah Brucker,  available with permission for free download.


Springtime Whispers Green … and White

/ still a dreamer

Who can wait? After 2 solid months of not seeing the ground in my part of the state, every soul eagerly awaited the slow greening of the Earth. Despite the fact that we were greeted this morning with a light blanket of snow – not so unusual for March in New Jersey – I’ve been noticing the telltale signs of Spring each day.

One of my favorite indications of Spring is the noticeable pairing off of Canada geese … mating season has begun. While seemingly indiscriminate flocks abound all winter, they now pair off with their bonded mates, and can be seen everywhere in couples. For whatever reason large numbers of geese no longer migrate South for the winter, and have become a “nuisance” animal to some, I still love watching the faithful pairs and their protectiveness towards each other.

I notice other signs of Spring as I drive, such as the cut stalks of last summer’s corn now sheared to the ground, which will soon be ready for tilling. I passed a local farmer in his orchard, pruning his sleeping peach and apple trees. I noticed small clusters of snowdrops peeking through the ground as I walked to town the other day. Perhaps most encouraging, just the lightest veil of green wisping about some of the trees … telling me that soon the world will be lush and verdant. All this is amidst the ever-growing morning song of birds returning from their winter havens.

And, as always, it seems mere moments from the first greening that the world will be in full bloom.

This morning, however, the Earth tried on her lacy white gown just one more time before tucking it away, soon to embrace her own lovely, green rebirth.

Winter Sunset

/ still a dreamer / 2 Comments

“Your eyes register only a limited degree of the creative vibration that makes up everything in creation … Those persons who have perceptive eyes enjoy beauty everywhere.” – Paramahansa Yogananda

 

(Thanks to my friend, Pat, for sharing this lovely quote.)

Textures of Snow and A Question

/ still a dreamer

If you’re anywhere in the mid-Atlantic region you’ve been getting hit with snow. Here in New Jersey we got hit with a 1-2 punch yesterday and again last night. Thankfully, I shoveled after the first round because now there’s another 12″ or so in most places, and maybe 3′ out there where the plow went through. I decide to do a first pass at 8 a.m. to make an access lane from my side porch to the street and also clear off the back/side porch and wherever Little Fee, the feral I feed, might be coming from.

BUT … before I did … I had to take some photos of the unmarred beauty of the snow. And the question? Whatever happened to the teenage boys that used to come around on snow days looking to make some money shoveling some of us out? Yeah, yeah, I know … they’re home texting and playing on the internet. Kinda sad, as I guess it’s a time gone by.

That’s it – I’m hearing my shovel call …

Winter Sky at Dusk

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As I was just about finished what I was working on – it was 5 to 5 – I happened to look out at the sky. An amazing bright pink streak of a cloud was winding down to earth in the darkening dusk. A smaller pink streak appeared to the left. Grabbed the camera and rushed out to the porch, and this is what I could catch from the ground floor.

And then as I turned to come inside, I looked up towards the southern sky, and there to the left of the pink cloudshow, was an eighth moon, gently rocked back, and glowing brightly. How grateful I am just to catch moments such as these.