Daffodils

Although the calendar still says February, 

Mother Nature is telling a different story.

Our daffodils are blooming, trees are budding, grass is growing and March hasn't even arrived to the party yet.

The temperatures will be around 80 the next few days.  Osprey have already been sighted in the local rivers and creeks.  The song birds are singing.  The frogs are frolicking.

I'm not complaining, but it's unusual.

Welcome, Spring.  I know you're not really here yet, but it's good to know you're on the way.

Osprey

These were taken Saturday from Carters Creek over on the Northern Neck on what I would call a rather impromptu pontoon boat ride.

The fact that I was lucky enough to be invited to participate in a spontaneous pontoon boat ride is not something I take for granted.  

It was a wonderful surprise and a beautiful day.

And now it's Monday.  (Insert the sound of someone ripping the needle off a record.)

By Friday, July 4th will be upon us.

If we blink more than twice, it might be time to pull out the dreaded Christmas tree.

I'm not going to blink.

I love summer.

Osprey

These were taken from the end of Reeves Road near the Coast Guard station at Milford Haven.

I was so busy admiring the scenery 

that I almost overlooked some activity at a nearby boat house.

How these creatures construct something like this on such a sharp angle is well beyond my comprehension. That the nest is strong enough to hold the parents as well as babies is even more incredible.

But more than anything? That pile of sticks disguised as a nest reminds me that I still have tons of yard work to do. A similar pile of yard debris has been patiently waiting for me to burn it for about three weeks now.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Osprey,

In spite of the fact that I may have just likened your nest to a pile of yard debris, please know that I am genuinely impressed with your construction skills. I apologize for any confusion I may have inadvertently caused. It's just that your nest kinda sorta does resemble my stick pile. I doubt you'd want your children growing up in my yard, though. Too many cats on the ground there. Plus, you don't even build nests on the ground. So there, your nest and my pile of debris are in fact vastly different and should never be confused. Again. Ever. But of course you already knew that.

I'll stop now.

You're welcome.

Love,
CBW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


p.s. The month of May is here already?

Osprey Nest

Here are several shots of an osprey's nest near the public landing at Whites Creek

We interrupt this post which appears to be about an osprey nest to bring you something entirely unrelated.  We are now shifting gears and changing topics.

My weekend consisted of a stop in Yorktown Friday on my way home from work; dinner with an out-of-town friend at Merroir Saturday evening (the grilled scallops are sensational); and a NASCAR party with some friends from high school Sunday afternoon.

NASCAR party?  Chesapeake Bay Woman and NASCAR are not usually found in the same state much less the same sentence.  However, as with the Super Bowl party I attended, I was not there for the event on the TV, I was there for the free comedy act.  (Also the food.)

The usual suspects, Alda and Catherine, were there, but Catherine also brought her two sisters who are equally animated and lively when it comes to conversation.  When I came home last evening, I was absolutely exhausted from all the laughing.

If someone could please point me in the direction of a reality TV producer, I would sincerely appreciate it.  In the mean time, I need my son to teach me how to use our old video camera for the next time that cast of characters gets together. Those spontaneous, unrehearsed, and absolutely hilarious comedy routines cannot be believed unless they're witnessed firsthand.

Anyway, it was a great weekend.  I hope yours was too.

Welcome to the last week of February.

(Thank goodness.)

More From Bethel Beach

Notice how the design formed by the feathers of this bird in flight
looks like some ominous creature with great big eyes.
(Or is it just me?)

Whenever I use my camera's zoom function to the extreme, things get all wobbly,
blurry and ridiculous. Just know that I was a million miles away when I took this very
mediocre shot of very beautiful swans.
And I still adore my camera.

Here are some more shots from last week's very brief
trip to Bethel Beach.

Someone's peeking out the nest.

The parent kept an eye on me the whole time.

These two were very content to just stand around and listen to the waves.

Those same two seagulls are in the upper left corner of this shot, but
you have to click on the image and pull out a telescope
magnifying glass to see them. I wasn't trying to capture them but was
more intrigued by the patterns above.
It doesn't take a whole lot to amuse me. That's why I thrive in Mathews.

These were on the path at the entrance to the beach.

Even a stray crab claw can be beautiful.
I love the blue and hint of  red.
(Though I'm sorry he's dead.)

Bethel Beach is a wonderful place to visit, 

especially on a sunny May day.

Thanks for tagging along.

Osprey Cam

Osprey nest on channel marker near Gwynns Island Bridge.

Coinciding with the ospreys' return from lavish winter vacations in places such as the Caribbean and South America, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at Gloucester Point recently announced something very exciting: Osprey Cam!

Click here to view a real-time feed (during daylight hours) straight from an osprey nest along the York River at Gloucester Point.

Click here to read more about the project and these fish-eating birds; or here to read about their migration patterns--which mirror the exact flight path I'd choose to take during the winter months if I were able to escape.

(I'd select Bora Bora as the ideal destination but not if I have to fly there myself. As in fly by flapping wings.  Flying by myself on a plane doesn't deter me at all.  Flapping my wings all the way there, if I even had wings, has to be brutal. Not that I've ever done it. Of course. Let's return to the topic at hand which had absolutely nothing to do with humans flapping nonexistent wings or Bora Bora.)

Aside from having to catch and eat live fish, and maybe tending to eggs, and a nest, and then having to feed baby birds all day long, and not having access to the internet--I'm pretty sure I want to be an osprey, if only to take advantage of the southern migration in the winter months.

Last but not least, click here if you'd like to suggest names for the nesting pair.

How exciting!

Who says it's boring around here? CBW put your hand down.

This whole Osprey Cam thing will keep me entertained for months.



p.s. These photos are from previous years, however the ospreys on Queens Creek are back in full force and can be seen nesting on the channel marker at the mouth of the creek near Cow Point.

Osprey nest in Redart