Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Every time I pass a stream or a river I gaze downstream (or upstream).  To me the body of water represents mystery.  If I am on foot I want to see if I spot any fish or other creature in the water.  By car, I am on the outlook for any kind of duck or egret or other bird.  I am always curious what I will see.  There is a marsh nearby and I am always looking for a snowy egret or the much larger great egret there.  I could not believe it when I flushed a blue heron who was drinking the water of the small creek less than an hundred yards from my house.  I face nature with a sense of wonder.  There is always the sense of mystery.  I know the Almighty has instilled that in me and every child has it and far too many lose it.  To view this universe without a sense of awe is a great loss.  With it, you will discover wonders and beauty all around you.  All you have to do is open your eyes with a sense of expectation.

Tags: bird-watching, birds, blue heron, body of water, discover wonders and beauty around you, duck, egret, fish, God, great egret, marsh, mystery, nature, open your eyes, river, sense of awe, sense of expectation, sense of wonder, small creek, snowy egret, stream, The Almighty, this universe, water birds, wildlife
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We flushed a blue heron in an unlikely spot–just down the block at my neighbor’s far corner of his property, where there was a little creek.  It must have been drinking its water.  It just surprised me.  I never would have expected to see one there.

I mentioned it to someone I “bumped” into at the local supermarket and he declared they are everywhere and eat the bass in the river and also trout in other streams.  He complained the state will fine you $200 if you kill one.  And said they are so numerous they do not need the state’s protection.  I just shrugged my shoulder and continued walking down the aisle.

Tags: bass fish, birds, blue heron, creek, fish, river, streams, supermarket, trout, water
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I praised the Lord For the drizzly day.  I drove up the River and stopped at several landings.  I still remember how uncomfortable the heat waves were.  They were not too far from my memory–the ninety degree days and accompanied (???) high humidity.

I flushed one blue heron at one landing and a bat darted out above me into the road, which was kind of unusual since it was nine thirty in the morning and bats are nocturnal.

Anyway, I am going to to enjoy the rain and lower temperatures today.  I know the heat and humidity will come back.  Summer was not over yet.

Tags: a bat, bird-watching, birds, blue heron, drizzly day, enjoy the rain, heat waves, high humidity, praise the Lord, river, summer
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The River and the mountains and sky are ever changing.  Every time I go to the river everything changes.  The light hits the water differently.  Shades of gray and blue are ever present.  I am awed every time.  And thank God I am able to view this beauty.

Sometimes I view the River from a passing car other times I am standing at its shore.  I never know what I will see exactly.  This week early in the morning I flushed a blue heron and watched it fly to the other side joining another one in flight there.

I feel blessed living so close to such a magnificent River and Mountains.  Every day I am reminded of that.  There are many people who do not live so close to a major River.  And a good part of my life I did not either.

Tags: awed, bird-watching, birds, blue heron, feel blessed, God, light hits the water, mountains, sky, thank God, The River, view this beauty
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I made a few discoveries today.  When I drove to the post office and passed the meadow nearby I spotted two male red winged blackbirds dive bombing each other.  I am not sure what they were doing except they may have been fighting for their own territory.

To see two at one time was a real treat and so close to home.  Then when I was driving to Newport along the Juniata River I saw what appeared to be a blue heron perched on a branch on this side of the river.

Later in the distance at the mouth of a tributary a great egret was wading in the water.  I also used to see a blue heron always in the same pond, same spot.

I realized last winter something was wrong when it was still in the same spot after the pond froze over.  To my chagrin I was looking at a statue of one all along.

Those were a few of my bird discoveries today.  A turkey vulture reluctantly left the road and his prey when I came across it.  I watched it fly away slowly.  I never know what bird I will see and always have my eyes open for the next discovery.

Tags: bird discoveries today, bird statue, bird-watching, birds, blue heron, discoveries, great egret, Juniata River, meadow, nature, Newport, pond, red-winged blackbird, river, territory, tributary, turkey vulture, water, winter
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Someone must be feeding it.  I can’t imagine it can catch fish in the almost completely frozen pond.  Every time I visit my friend I can see there.  The fishing must be awfully good or maybe it is really a statue.

And I am just too far away to determine that.  Or someone is feeding it.  I just marvel that it is always in the same pond and almost in the same exact spot every time I have passed there.  I only go on that road every few months but it is always there.  And now it is the middle of winter.

Tags: bird-watching, birds, blue heron, catch fish, fishing, frozen pond, my friend, nature, statue, winter
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I still watch birds after all these years.  I love identifying them and seeing a new species for the first time.  I have four feeders which I can view from my large living room window.

The one filled with suet is placed near the trunk of my large white pine tree.  I still get a kick out of watching the downy woodpeckers come and go up and down the trunk of the tree seemingly at attention.

The beauty of the larger red bellied woodpecker still takes my breath away.  Other species of woodpeckers have come but usually it is only the downy woodpecker and the occasional red bellied.

I spotted a grosbeak feeding on the ground the last two days but I am still trying to pin down the exact species.  I had never seen one before.

I was driving once on a major highway and a ruffed grouse literally “exploded” in front of me missing my windshield by inches.

Every time I visit a friend there is the same blue heron wading in the same spot in the same pond as if it had not moved an inch in weeks.

It was not until I had moved to this state did I see a great egret, a big majestic white bird.  Now I search for a glimpse of him every time as I travel along the Susquehanna River.  They migrate South in the Fall.  The egrets usually can be found wading at the perimeter of the islands.  Usually I see the smaller white snowy egret, though.

God has made so many types of birds and I glory in his creations.  When I least expect it I see a new species.  I still love watching and identifying birds after more than a half of century.  I feel old now.

Tags: bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, blue heron, downy woodpecker, Fall, God, God made birds, great egret, grosbeak, His creations, identifying birds, love watching birds, migrate south, new species of bird, pond, red bellied woodpecker, ruffled grouse, suet, Susquehanna River, view feeders from living room window, wading near islands, white bird, white pine tree, white snowy egret
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