I’ve always thought of gardening as a solitary experience—one person, one plot of ground, one focus on one group of plants. A garden was a secret place for the gardener, the plants, the insects, and perhaps, an occasional visit by a child or grandchild—to pass forward the gardening experience. Gardening was a peaceful, solitary, time and gardeners were quiet, pensive, patient people who whispered to plants and whose hands held secret powers to make things grow.

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As fuel prices soared this summer, many families took “stay-cations,” opting to vacation at home or nearby. Now, as children return to school, fuel prices are hitting school transportation budgets hard. Bus service is taking a big hit and many kids will be walking longer distances to the bus stop. Some will be walking to school for the first time. And many districts have cut field trips for the upcoming school year. But you can still take “Field Skips”.

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Are you counting the days till school starts? These can be challenging days as you juggle: shopping for clothes and supplies, getting the kids back on their “school hour” sleeping schedules, and keeping the kids entertained. Need some help?

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I’d love to know what’s happening in your area. Where are you located and are you seeing butterflies? Have you noticed any difference this year versus previous years? Please post a comment to tell us what you’ve seen.

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This summer hundreds (maybe thousands) of kids in the Delaware Valley area will find and “rescue” injured animals. Most find (and many bring home) baby birds and baby rabbits. What should you do if you find an injured animal?

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Take a Minute to be In It - join Jane on the Eastern Bluebird Trail.

Recently I came across Melissa Leach’s blog about Take a Cloud Walk. This homeschooler and her children decided to try out my hail experiment and make chocolate covered strawberries to demonstrate how hail is formed. She sent two photos of their experiment and one of them is really charming. Thanks for sharing, Melissa.

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Highlights of the trip included Willets, Snowy, and Great Egrets (above), Black-crowned NIght Herons (above), Oystercatchers, and Clapper Rails.

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Yesterday (May 7) I drove to Maryland to observe a Bald Eagle nest. With me were Kathy O’Connell of Kids Corner radio, Becky Prante of Take a Walk Books, and Becky’s friend, Jenny Houseal. This is a nest that Rob and I have been observering for several years. It’s about an hour drive from my home and we visit the nest about 2 to 3 times a year between February and June. This was my third trip to the nest so far this year and I’m hoping to make one more toward the end of the month.

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The rehabber said that the bird was not skinny so whatever was happening with his eyes—conjunctivitis or something else—had just happened prior to our finding him. The bird probably had at least some vision the day before. But without sight, it would be a matter of only days before it died from dehydration or starvation. That bird and I were meant to be at that spot at that time on that day.

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One of the biggest rewards of nature walks with kids is the joy they exhibit when they see things close up for the first time. Binoculars are the best tool for this but they can also be a frustrating challenge for children. If you have only one “family” pair of binoculars or if you are considering the purchase of new binoculars, you can help make binoculars a pleasant and easy tool for kids with a little knowledge. Here’s a little crash course to help.

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It was another great year at the Flower Show for Take a Walk Books! My presentation on attracting birds and butterflies to your garden, continues to attract a full house even in its sixth year. Thanks to everyone who attended.As promised, here is a PDF of notes from the presentation. If you have any questions, please contact me.

For a few days I’ve been hearing the drumming of a woodpecker—but with a twist. At the end of the drumming is a little bark, or one note call, or maybe it could have been described as a “caw”. Every time I heard the drumming, I went out onto my deck with binoculars in hand. Both Downy and Red-bellied woodpeckers had been visiting our feeder and I expected to find one of them. Boy was I surprised when I found the source of the drumming. It just goes to show that you can’t depend fully on your ears when you are birding…at least, not unless you’re an expert…

In neighboring backyards, one feeder might attract bluebirds and the other only Mourning Doves. Why? There are many factors but three are primary: 1) the location of your feeder, 2) the style of feeder, and 3) the kind of food you supply. Here are a few tips to successful bird feeding.

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