Category: Uncategorized

Farewell to 2019

December 31st, 2019

As the year comes to a close, I wanted to take a quick break from my new year’s eve party preparations to write one final 2019 post. I am going to have to multitask – I am starving – so I will be having a bit of a snack while I write this.

First of all, I would like to thank my muses, Ella and Abby, for all the fabulous inspiration this year! It’s such a blessing to have such wonderful muses, and I wouldn’t want you to think I take you for granted.

Next, I’d like to thank my Dad, my most prolific commenter, for his delightful notes.

It would be quite remiss to not thank my illustrator, Auntie NuNu, for her lovely drawings. NuNu misses quite a few deadlines, but as I do not pay her, I can hardly complain. And I am always happy with her work when she gets it to me, even when she is late.

Finally, dear readers, I would like to thank you all for taking an interest in my adventures. I feel so honored that you do.

Happy New Year to you all!

XOXO,
Bernice
The Shortest Day of the Year

December 24th, 2019

For those of us living north of the equator, Saturday was the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year.

I didn’t do anything in particular to celebrate, but I do always look forward to the winter solstice because once it’s behind us, the days start getting longer. We will get just a touch more sunlight every single day until the summer solstice (June 20th), when, alas, the days will begin to get shorter again.

I prefer the long days and short nights of summer because more daylight hours mean more birding hours. But I realize my tastes may not be universal.

How about you? Do you like the short days and long nights of winter? Or do you, like me, prefer the long days and short nights of summer?

XOXO,
Bernice

PS: I want to share three links with you today that will explain the why of the winter solstice. The first is from PBS Kids’ Nature Cat. The second is from the Register-Guard newspaper’s YouTube channel and features the director of the Eugene Science Center Planetarium, who does a wonderful job of explaining the winter solstice. The third is from BBC News and covers the same topic. All three videos are under three minutes long. Enjoy!
Reading Recommendation

November 19th, 2019

I decided to mix it up this week and write about a book I have just finished called Urban Aviary: A Modern Guide to City Birds, which was written by Stephen Moss and illustrated by Marc Martin.

The book covers the topic of urban birds – just like my blog! Unlike my blog, which focusses primarily on birds here in Washington, D.C., this delightful book discusses urban birds all over the world.

There is a brief introduction and then, as you turn each page, you will find a short write-up about a bird from a particular city on the left and a beautiful watercolor illustrating the bird on the right.

The bird chosen for the Washington, D.C. page is the turkey vulture. The author describes both the good and the bad of living with turkey vultures, which I very much appreciated. Life is complicated and few things are wholly one or the other.

Urban Aviary is beautiful, informative, fun, and I highly recommend it!

Happy reading, everyone!

XOXO,
Bernice
A Rainbow of Color

October 22nd, 2019

The days are getting shorter and you know what that means! The leaves of deciduous trees are changing color! I love autumn. It is my favorite time of year.

My parents, Louisa, Hector, and I all decided to go to the National Arboretum to enjoy the fall foliage. We didn’t need to go somewhere special to see the leaves changing color – they are doing so all around us – but it’s hard to beat the National Arboretum in terms of beauty and spectacle within the D.C. metro area.

We saw dogwoods turning a deep purple-red color. We saw a maple tree turning a vibrant orange color. We saw beech trees turning yellow. We saw green coniferous trees. And we saw purple aster in bloom.

“I see every color of the rainbow except blue,” I announced. I was feeling sassy and smart until my baby sister pointed out the obvious, which I had missed.

“The sky is blue, Bernice!” Louisa shouted.

The sky was indeed blue. And it was the prettiest, clearest, sky-blue color I think I have ever seen, too.

XOXO,
Bernice

PS: I have three more links to share with you today. All three are about why leaves change color. The first is a video from SciShowKids called Why Do Leaves Change Colors in the Fall? The second is a video from Scientific American called Why Do Autumn Leaves Change Color? Finally, here is an article from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry called Why Leaves Change Color. Enjoy!
Not Your Usual Woodpecker

October 15th, 2019

I was pretty sure I saw a northern flicker foraging for food on someone’s lawn the other day. When the bird flew up into the branches of a nearby tree I was sure: northern flickers have highly-visible, tell-tale, white patches on their rumps and I got a good look at the bird’s rump as it made its short flight.

When I think of woodpeckers, I think of birds who scramble up and down tree trunks. I don’t think of woodpeckers poking around lawns. But northern flickers are not your usual sort of woodpecker and that is indeed what they do.

The bird perched on one of the lower-hanging branches of a very tall American beech tree. The leaves had not yet begun to change color, but the branches were loaded with spiky beech nuts and the ground was covered with their shells. It looked like squirrels had been having quite a feast!

My hooves crunched over the empty beech nut shells. The northern flicker must have felt safe up above me because it did not fly away, but the bird did keep a careful eye on me as I got closer and closer. Pretty soon I was right under the northern flicker. I got a great look at its lovely, polka-dotted belly and I could see the yellow-colored underside of its tail. What a beauty!

XOXO,
Bernice