More Nature Notes
Keeping track of biodiversity, one day at a time
Back in the days before the internet, we used to write things by hand in notebooks. I remembered that I had some nature notes from 1992, so I thought it would be fun to post those. Here’s a sample:
Then there were my Small Beauties notes from 2013 and 2015, which were on an old blog. The idea of posting about small beauties came from Jacqueline Honeybee Durban.
5 July 2013
A swallow skimming very low over the river. The lacy froth of elderflower blossom. The play of shadow, sunlight and reflection on the green depths of the river.8 July 2013
A black-headed gull preening itself on top of a lamp-post. The blue flowers of chicory along the river-bank. The grace of a solitary rower. The candy-stripes of convolvulus. A rabbit running across the cycle path in the early evening sunshine.
I used to cycle to work along the river-bank most days, so there were plenty of small beauties to be enjoyed.
A robin and a song thrush hopping about. A goose flying overhead, honking. Apple blossom everywhere. A woodpecker laughing. The birds singing to welcome May morning. The sun shining, and long wispy clouds floating high in the blue.
A mackerel sky. Tiny scales of fluffy cloud high up in the blue. The hawthorn blossom in the hedgerows. A tunnel of green on the cycle path. One solitary poppy blooming on the grass verge. Poplar trees reflected in the river, silver-green in the blue depths.
I have also been on some walks in the neighbourhood here when the weather is reasonable. It’s currently snowing heavily outside.
Nature notes 2: February 18, 2023
I couldn’t go through the wood as there was a lot of ice on the trails, so I walked along beside the wood. Consequently I didn’t see much wildlife apart from one grey squirrel.
Nature notes 3: February 19, 2023
6°C, high of 7, low of -1. Went for a walk in Sudden Tract. The ground was still frozen but it was pretty warm. We saw lots of chickadees at the feeding station on the boardwalk and one junco. The ponds were all frozen but the streams were only frozen at the edges.
Nature notes 4: February 20, 2023
3°C. Sunny with a few clouds. Damp.
Went for a walk in Dumfries Conservation Area. Saw a few ferns, some birch trees, various conifers, a grey squirrel, and lots of chickadees at a feeder by the parking lot. Also some lovely moss. Now that the snow is almost all gone, the forest floor, and stumps and rocks with moss on them, are once again visible.
I figured it would be a good idea to do this, to make a record of the temperatures and what was growing and blooming at the time. Unlike keeping a diary, it only takes a few minutes to record what species you’ve seen, where you saw them, and the temperature.