If you’ve been a regular reader, you’re probably almost as familiar with our pond as we are; it’s in nearly every outdoor shot. If you’re not, here are a few pics through the seasons.

What you may not have guessed is that we built it. The year before Cait was born, we reclaimed it from a mosquito-infested swamp. For the first year, there was no life in or around the pond; all was still. In the second year, the … Read More

We’ve had Great Blue Herons visiting our pond for decades. Seeing this pose is a first.

This pose is known as “horning” or sun-baking (often referred to by birders as the delta wing pose).

While it looks like it might be trying to do a yoga stretch or impersonate a dragon, I discovered there are a few practical reasons behind this striking behavior:

1. Thermoregulation (Sunbathing)
On cooler mornings or after spending time in cold water hunting for fish, herons … Read More

If you’ve ever heard a bird song and thought, What bird is that? The Merlin Bird ID app is for you. It’s free and it’s fabulous at what it does. (Scroll to the bottom of the post to get the link.)

This screengrab shows what’s currently singing in my neck of the woods. I’ve used this app for so long now, that I can identify most of the bird songs on this list. The Song Sparrow iw always a little … Read More