What to do when trying to get over a bad cold? Stay close to home and go out for short trips. Passed by this farm today on a very rural road that I had not been on before. It was raining on and off. It did not stop this horse from enjoying the great outdoors.
Have a happy week! If you are in a country where you are experiencing freedom, count your blessings.
What do on your week off when you have a bad cold and don’t want to spread your germs? For me I spent the last two days of my vacation driving up and down rural roads looking at tree holes for owls.
One one rural road I kept hearing a call of a saw whet owl. I felt like it was teasing me. I have heard they usually hang out at our eye level, but I had no luck and was not going to walk on private property to search further. I did know the direction it was coming from.
On another rural road that I drove up and down searching the holes I found one occupied by a screech. Screech owls are very small. Notice they block almost the entire tree hole and blend in with the tree so they are hard to spot.
It was a very windy day and the clouds came in so the lighting conditions also were not optimal. It was hard to keep my camera steady and this was near the top of a high area. I hope to return to this spot in the future hoping the wind level is less.
When you can,
go slow and stop along the way. You never know what you will find on rural roads.
Today I did something I never would have imagined or even attempted previously. I walked on the Hudson River on top of the ice. A co-worker was telling me about the ice boating near Athens, NY last winter. Since the weather was cold for several days I decided to venture up that way to see if I could catch this activity.
I stopped locals and asked where to see ice boaters. They pointed me north of town to the boat launch. There were several people on the ice and I reasoned if they can do it, it must be safe.
Many of the boats I saw are antique and still going strong. Some were built in the 1800s. The time period when ice boating, or ice yachting was in its heyday was 1880-1910, however there are stories prior to that time frame when it is documented that ice boats were used for work or pleasure. Franklin Delano Roosevelt raced an ice boat, mainly during his university days.
The weather today was ideal in some ways, but not in others. The sky was clear and it was bitter cold. This is great for ice. However, it snowed the previous day, and snow on top of ice does not appear to make good conditions for this activity. In addition, the wind was intermittent, not good for maintaining movement. When conditions are right these ice boats I am told can reach speeds of 100 miles per hour.
There are people who walked across the river. I saw a couple walk up the river between 1/2 mile and a mile north, but not too far from shore. I try to stay on the safe side.
Someone there said they are expecting temperatures above freezing during the day for a few days during the week, which may make for the creation or more ideal ice conditions, especially if the temperatures drop again after that and they don’t get more snow. It sounds like they only have a window of a few weeks to ice boat.
So if you want to see this, I would suggest stopping by Athens next weekend, or check out the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club website and seeing if they are on the ice. Sometimes if conditions are not good on the river they may take it to a lake. It may be cold, but seeing this rare winter sporting activity is worth it. Get out and enjoy the great outdoors.
What do snowy owls do during the day? Most of the time by my observations they sleep or go between sleeping and waking up. A few times I have seen them fly to catch prey. The appear to be mostly sedentary during the day.
I saw two different owls this day. This is the same owl when I arrived and before I left. I was there around 4 hours, but watching them maybe less than half of the time I was there. They appear to have remained in the same locations from the time I arrived until when I left. All the photographers seemed to be respectful and keep a distance.
Nature is fascinating. Enjoy it from a distance.
What is a delicious dessert that comes from Sri Lanka that is gluten-free and dairy-free? It’s Mung Kavum.
What is Mung Kavum? It is a dessert usually made around the Sinhala Tamil New Year and other special occasions. Sinhala Tamil New Year is in April, but the owner’s of Red Pepper Diner shared it with me after the American New Year.
What are the ingredients? Some of the ingredients include: Mung Bean flour, rice flour, sugar, coconut milk and spices. It is deep fried. It is slightly sweet, but not overly sweet. It is very delicious. How it is made may vary between recipes and restaurants of course.
Where can you get this? One location is Red Pepper Diner on Route 9D in Wappingers very close to Beacon. It is worth a visit if you are travelling on I-84 near Beacon or visiting Beacon for the many shops and galleries or for DIA Beacon.
Plaid seems to be in for blankets, sweaters, and other clothing the past 2 years. This is the first time I have seen a barn painted in a plaid pattern. This definitely stands out. It is far from the normal worn wood or red colouring. Get out an explore! You will be surprised what you may find out there.
Can you tell if these are male or female snowy owls? At the website Allaboutbirds.org it says “Male Snowy Owls are barred with dark brown when they’re young and get whiter as they get older. Females keep some dark markings throughout their lives. Although the darkest males and the palest females are nearly alike in colour, the whitest birds—including the ones that played Harry Potter’s Hedwig—are always males and the most heavily barred ones are always females.“
These four separate owls were all in the same general area , not far apart, on a beach one day. Some of these owls may be juveniles, born this year in the Arctic and may still be changing in colour. What do you think? Which ones are female and are any male?
It was not a good day light wise, but we are having cloudy and rainy conditions all this week it appears. However, this trip I saw four snowy owls. Below are pictures of one of them. I know there were four because I was watching one not far away, then two flew in to hang out at opposite ends of a jetty, shortly thereafter a fourth flew in and hung out on a nearby tree.
Even when you think the weather may not be ideal get out , explore, and enjoy nature. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Which owl is a year round NY resident is tiny, and it is well camouflaged and hard to spot in the wild? It’s the Eastern Screech Owl.
This is one owl I have yet to come across in the woods and would like to see. However, I know it will be difficult, so when given the opportunity to see one up close I jumped on it.
These owls are short and stocky with almost no neck. They can be mostly gray or mostly a reddish brown colour. Notice the one above is about the size of a pine cone.
They camouflage well against tree bark. Their size and colouring make them difficult to spot. People have been able to sight them at the hole in the tree they reside in. They tend to block the tree hole and blend in well with the bark.
According to Birdfeederhub.com their diet includes songbirds, mice, rats, moles, squirrels, insects, earthworms, and lizards. The ability to take down a squirrel or rat surprised me given their size.
I viewed this owl at the Greenburgh Nature Center. This nature center has a variety of trails, programs, and events on a 33 acre nature preserve. They take care of some birds of prey. They currently have eagles, hawks, a screech owl, and a great horned owl. These birds cannot be released into the wild due to an event such as a collision with a car. Sites such as the Greenburgh Nature Center receive birds determined to be non-releasable from wildlife rehabbers who cared for them right after the event in which they were injured.
The Greenburgh Nature Center is located at 99 Dromore Road in Scarsdale, NY. It is a short drive north of New York City in Westchester County. To learn more click on the link below:
It is the season of giving. Support your local wildlife rehabbers and places like the Greenburgh Nature Center. These places help us learn more about wildlife, provide us an opportunity in some cases to see wildlife up close, and help animals in need. Happy holidays!
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