“A sweet summer afternoon. Cool breezes and a clear sky. This day will not come again.” – Thomas Merton
Barnegat Bay
Some of the wildlife on or near Barnegat Bay in New Jersey include Canada Geese floating at dusk and a red fox roaming at the nearby beach.
Catchin’ the Sunrise
Seaside Park, New Jersey. A peaceful place of sand, waves and sky, where the new dawn greets a fisherman catching the sunrise – and maybe more.
“How often, then, we miss the sunrise and its simple blessings. These blessings are not metaphorical. They are more than merely beautiful; they are a reminder from God: ‘Look what I bring forth out of every dark night; such is the work I shall do within you.'” – Marianne Williamson
Happy Dance
Juvenile Green Herons appear to be celebrating as they gather together in Irvington, New York.
“Keep Calm and Bird On!” – Daniella, a Yonkers, New York fifth grade student
Singing Our Song
“Sometimes I get nature to pray when I don’t have the words – I let a rushing river say my prayer. I let the mountain wind be my whisper. I let the chirping birds be my song. A day in nature is never wasted.” – Jared Brock from his book A Year of Living Prayerfully
Spring Migration Jubilation
“It’s raining birds!” wrote a particularly enthusiastic birder after recently spending a day in Central Park. Dave Taft of the New York Times described the birds as “colorful, frenetic migrants” and “tiny bundles of nerves, flitting through treetops in near perpetual motion, their gorgeous colors a blessing for the eyes.”
Photographed this May at Rockefeller State Park, top to bottom: American Redstart (male and female) and Yellow Warbler.
Four Mouths to Feed
After constructing her nest, this robin patiently sat and warmed her four, blue eggs for two weeks, rarely leaving her nest. This photo is for my Mom who personifies patience as well as all of the other virtues that mothers need most.
“Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.” – Barbara Kingsolver
Blue and Bold
A belligerent Blue Jay made it quite clear that a Red-tailed Hawk was not welcome company at Rockefeller State Park. It made four or five “sneak attacks” before the annoyed hawk finally flew away.
Small Pond Bounty
Walks around a small pond near our home provide access to an abundance of wildlife. This week, a Great Blue Heron missed and then caught a fish, a Black-Crowned Night-Heron waited his turn and an Eastern Chipmunk found a cozy hideaway. Halsey is a small pond but so full of life.
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” – John Muir
