Bluebird Nest Nature Center

01/25/2023

Happy Chinese New Year! Today we begin the Year of the Rabbit. Chinese New Year has been observed for about 3,500 years. Over those years, different stories and traditions have developed. One story says a monster named Nian (Year) attacked people every year. They then discovered he was afraid of loud noises and the color red. In order to keep Nian away for another year, people set off fireworks and use the color red in their New Year’s clothing and decorations.

This day is also called Lunar New Year because it is based on the lunar calendar and is observed in several Asian countries. The Lunar New Year always occurs on the second new moon after the winter solstice (December 21st). Unlike the Gregorian calendar which marks January 1st as the New Year every year, the Lunar New Year can fall anywhere between January 21st and February 20th depending on the moon cycle. The Chinese New Year holiday lasts 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival this year on February 5th.

📸: Chinese Historical and Cultural Project of Santa Clara County, Inc San Jose, California

10/20/2019

Petite feathered grace,
luminosity expressed, shrouding:
The sparrow’s nightmare

Haiku and info by DakotaBirder
Photo by Terry Sohl

With fall migration in full swing, I noticed an influx of raptors today, with a number of Red-tailed Hawks perched on roadside telephone poles and fence posts. Accompanying them were American Kestrels in high numbers, a species that breeds here during the summer months, but can sometimes be found in very high densities during migration. Despite all my sightings of American Kestrels, I have few photos of the species. Along with the Belted Kingfisher, I can think of few birds more wary of my camera lens. For that reason, this photo is rather special for me…a brilliantly colored male American Kestrel, that uncharacteristically paused for a moment before flushing at my approach. Just enough time to grab a few photos of one of my favorite species. As for the poem, for decades they were called “Sparrow-hawks”, with the species thought to be most closely related to the Eurasian Sparrowhawk. It wasn’t until 1983 that the American Ornithological Society noted the much closer relationship with other North American falcons, and the species was renamed the American Kestrel.

10/15/2019

🦋 Where is the SUPER generation of Monarchs? Some have entered Mexico! YAY! 2 weeks from their overwinter destination. Others have finally left Oklahoma & are in northern & southern Texas. Check out the data⤵️
https://journeynorth.org/sightings/querylist.html?map=monarch-peak-migration&year=2019&season=fall
Map⤵️ https://maps.journeynorth.org/map/?map=monarch-peak-migration&year=2019

10/06/2019

A beautiful Hummingbird's nest with a leaf roof...

10/02/2019

Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) couple in Australia by Tony Sanchez. This cockatoo is found in the cooler and wetter forests and woodlands of Australia, particularly alpine bushland. The male has a red head and crest.

10/02/2019

80-year-old tortoise and her babies. 🐢🐢🐢

09/30/2019