Cow Killer

This crazy bug is a cow killer, also known as a velvet ant. They get the name 'cow killer' from the painful sting of the female. It is so severe that some claim it could kill a cow! We know that this is a female, because the male has wings. These little creatures can run quickly and are ferocious fighters.

Birds

These are pics that I have taken, mostly in my backyard, in the past few weeks.

Infrequent posts, but frequent in nature!

Goodness, I do struggle to keep up with blogging. I don't, however, struggle to enjoy nature. Each morning you can find me at the kitchen window, coffee in hand, looking outside for each 'hello from heaven' that God blesses me with.

Squirrels, birds a plenty, the rays of the sun, my ducks, scattered evidence that my children have enjoyed the yard...so many blessings!

Second son and I are both learning photography. He is in a class at co-op and his teacher, my friend, is great! We are learning a lot. AND for the second year in a row, faithful husband has spoiled me for my birthday. Last year I got my binocs, a bird book, and a new kitchen window to better see the birds. This year, he got me two tripods and a new lens for our camera...OH...and the camera! Yes, a spoiled birder am I. We have taken many pictures lately. Here are some of my favorites.

Starling (taken by me)

(taken by me)

American Robin (taken by me)

Leaf with bokeh (taken by second son)

Snail shell with bokeh (taken by second son)

Beauty (taken by second son)

Tufted Titmouse (taken by second son)

Homemade Suet

I make all of my suet. In my backyard I have a suet log, two suet cages, and one suet bag. The Downy Woodpeckers, Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers, Carolina Wrens, and others love my suet. I have to fill the feeders mulitple times a week (except when the starlings, blackbirds, and cowbirds are here...then it is daily!). The pictures above are suet cupcakes that I made for my mom for Christmas. It is an easy gift for the birder in your life.

Suet Recipe
1 cup fat
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup cornmeal

Melt the fat and peanut butter in a pot and stir in the remaining ingredients. Use this as a bark log filler.

To make suet cakes, stir in some seeds, nuts, fruit...whatever you have on hand and fill a greased cake pan. Freeze, cut into squares, serve.

If you want to make cupcakes, just spray some cupcake liners with nonstick spray, fill, freeze, and serve.

So Many Sparrows

Who hasn't grown up surrounded by sparrows? I used to think that they are just a nuisance; so common and so ordinary. After all, brown in the safest color for this ground bird. What's so great about a little brown bird?

Well, I was wrong in my thinking! The chests and heads of many sparrows are highlighted with bold stripes, crown patches, throat patches, and spots. There is great variety. Twenty-one types of sparrows can be found in parts of Missouri and I want to know each one. I want to look out my window (or car) and have the ability to distinguish one variety from another.

My current favorite sparrow is the white-throated sparrow. They have beautiful striped heads, white throats, and an amazing yellow patch in front of their eyes. They give me a heavenly hello every morning.

What critters are visiting my yard today?

Do you know what's what?

Carolina Wren
Northern Cardinal
Downy Woodpecker
American Goldfinch
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Happy Habitats

We always seem to be surrounded by animals of some sort. Here are two of our habitats that we are enjoying right now.

Both aquariums were given to us by our great neighbor, Griz. We went to the creek to catch some critters and we got some crawdads, darter fish, minnows, and a sunfish. While we were there, Elijah found a $10 bill, YAY, so we went to the pet store for their .99 fish sale.

This morning, as I was out running errands, I happened upon a new critter catching spot. I took Chris and Ben there and they caught five baby Northern Fence Lizards. We dug up some plants, gathered some rocks, and used our second aquarium to set up a habitat for the little sweeties. They are only an inch and a half long...so tiny! How many can you count on this log?

I hope to add these to our nature journals soon! What critters are you enjoying?

Country Drive

Common Buckeye on a Black-Eyed Susan

Queen Anne's Lace

What is this ugly thing? Anyone know?

Outdoor Hour Challenge #2

'Make the lesson an investigation and make the pupils feel that they are investigators.' (page 23, HNS)

Today we are going to investigate nature. We will practice describing what we see, hear, and feel as accurately as we can.

Here are the rules:
1. In one word, describe what you hear.
2. In two words, describe what you see.
3. In three words, describe what you feel.

_________________________________


Hannah:
1. singing
2. groundhog eating
3. a warm breeze



Ben:
1. crackling
2. a bee
3. really warm wind


Elijah:
1. rustling
2. green trees
3. warm, damp air

Outdoor Hour Challenge #1

I read pages 1 - 8 in my HNS...again. It is interesting to me the different things that stuck out at me this time.

'...the object of the nature-study teacher should be to cultivate in the children powers of accurate observation and to build up within them understanding.' page 1

Most of page one is underlined/highlighted, but here is a line in particular that stood out to me: 'Perhaps half the falsehood in the world is due to lack of power to detect truth and express it.' It is exciting to me that nature study will, in fact, help my children learn to detect and express truth. After all, nature is an expression of God...what better teacher of truth is there....Him in His creation.

I am very good at delegating and sending my children off to do what needs to be done. We do have our play times and together times, and we have all learned to recognize our backyard birds by sight and song together, but I fear that I send them off far too often. Thus, the following line, taken from page four, struck me: 'The best teacher is always one who is the good comrade of her pupils.' Oh, that I would be a good comrade.

Other tidbits I underlined:

'As soon as nature-study becomes a task, it should be dropped.' page 6

'The nature-study lesson should be short and sharp...' page 6

Today, the fun of outside, centers around our new friend, little Fowler's Toad. This toad is common of gravel and sand bars along Missouri's Ozark streams and rivers. Ben and Hannah spotted him while walking along the railroad tracks.

The Lily

The modest rose puts forth a thorn,
The humble sheep a threat'ning horn:
While the Lily white shall in love delight,
Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright.

~William Blake


Our neighbors, down the street, have a beatiful home accented by an amazing yard. They have flowers everywhere, a pond, bird feeders, and it is well manicured. One specific flower they grow, is an ornamental lily. This flower is beautiful and smells amazing! Mrs. Down-the-street-neighbor cut her first bloom...and brought it to ME! Can you believe that??

My lily is in an old bottle in my kitchen. The whole room smells good and I smile at my neighbor multiple times a day. What amazing kindness.

Kids Fishing Clinic and Derby at Neosho Fish Hatchery

A bunch of kids. A bunch of fishing rods. Hundreds of hot dogs. The perfect weather. A lot of fun.



The oldest operating federal fish hatchery in the U.S. The hatchery raises rainbow trout, spoonbill, sturgeon, brown trout and is the home for the endangered blind ozark cavefish.

Mr. House Wren

I am so excited! I have a bird house that my Great Grampa Frye made. I hung it above my front deck as decoration and Mr. House Wren has moved in. He has been out there all morning singing and arranging twigs in his new home. I am honored to be his neighbor. Here he is on the cable line, realizing that I am watching.

Clouds

The sky was crazy angry a few days ago. We didn't even get a storm...just a couple of short showers.

Platform Feeder

My wonderful husband built this platform feeder for me. All the critters love it.

Toad and Turtle

Elijah took this picture. Three-toed Box Turtle and an American Toad.

Baltimore Orioles

How beautiful is a Baltimore Oriole!? Amazing orange dashing in and out of my yard. They love the oranges we have out for them, the grape jelly, and the hummingbird nectar. We've seen up to eight at once! This is another first for me....we have never attracted them and I am blessed to call them my neighbors this year.

This photo was taken by John Sheafer.

Scissor Tailed Flycatcher

Yay! My life list is growing. Today, the kids and I spotted many of these long-tailed wonders. They never let us get close enough for a picture, so this one is actually from google images.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

This feeder hangs just outside my kitchen window. What fun it is to see these little guys up close. Did you know that a hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backwards? The wings of this hummer flap 50 - 60 times per second or faster during a chase!! Its heart pumps 1,260 beats per minute, and it breathes 250 times per minute. That is a lot of work for a tiny bird that only weighs 2 -3 grams. If you don't have a feeder, may I suggest that you get one? At Wal-Mart, feeders are around $5 and you can fill them with homemade sugar water. That is cheap, backyard entertainment and a sweet treat for our hummingbird friends.

Hummingbird Food Recipe
1 part sugar/4 parts water
Boil the water first, then add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Let cool and fill your feeder. Excess can be stored in refrigerator. DO NOT ADD food coloring. Clean your feeder once a week. Enjoy your visitors!

The excitement never ends!!

Yes, the birds are a serious obession for me. This morning I was so excited to see a rose-breasted grosbeak enjoying breakfast at one of my feeders.

I have never seen one until today!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal are regulars at the Sheafer Bird Diner and this morning, Mrs. Cardinal tried to chat with Mr. Wooden Bird (part of my sunflower feeder).

The prolific songster, house wren, spent time singing to me this morning. This spring was the first time I had ever seen one of these as well. So exciting!!

One of these days I'll have a really good camera and I'll get to take some great pics of my amazing backyard friends. For now, these will have to do.