I am starting to notice plants that I see growing close together and also notice animals that I regular see visiting certain plants. In my own yard, I am seeing a tufted titmouse visiting the same tree regularly. I wonder if it is building a nest? Is there something about the tree that draws the bird in? Is there something in the other trees that deters it?

I also notice form and function in birdwatching. Different birds have different beaks that aid them in finding the food they want.

I want to notice change more - I don't always revisit the same sit spot, but this makes me want to - if I went back, what would I notice? Would different times of day change the animals that I see? Would weather or time of year change the colors that stand out to me?

Birds of the dawn chorus drive questions about patterns in time, size, and number!

My questions during an observation:
I saw a dark orange frog.
What typ of frog was it? Why is it orange? What's the use of its colour?

Saw a potential beaver lodge.
What does a beaver eat? Wood only?

Saw frog eggs in a small pond next to the river.
What were these with little larvae which swam near the eggs?
Were these tadpoles or something else?

How long do brimstone butterflies live?

Cada invierno visita a mi casa un ejemplar de Melospiza melodia, lo escucho cantar en las mañanas y por la tarde. ¿por que viene por acá? sino estoy cerca de un cuerpo de agua. ¿Por qué canta en invierno?

I am intrigued by the strange shapes that nature takes as it progresses through the cycle of life.  I often find myself drawing flowers as they are producing their seeds for the coming year.

I heard lots of sounds, but my attention was drawn to 2 bugs joined end to end on the bench next to me...maybe assassin bugs mating? They were patterned exquisitely, with gold markings and flecks along their backs and head, amongst black, fawn and tan colourings and markings. They were joined together mating for the whole time I sat on the bench and were still connected when I left.

With reference to form and function, I wondered about how they mated and reproduced? Which of the pair was female and which was male as there appeared little difference in size or colourings, whereas there are often visible differences between male and female mammal and bird species, and also other species of insects - for example spiders. And why a simple insect took so long to mate and how they exchanged genetic material?

I'm starting to get a clearer understanding of the environment around me, but I still need to practice my observation skills. I noticed a lizard on our porch this afternoon, but the difference was that I didn't simply say "Oh, cool." I looked at it and saw the life, the struggle, and the beauty of it! I was able to sketch some of it and ask myself a few questions. During this, I could feel the true power of immersing yourself in the habitat and everything in it around you. I definitely look forward to sharpening my skills and experiencing more exciting moments!

This morning at my Sit Spot, I watched Kildeer and Piping Plovers forage and move about the river.  Both shorebirds have a similar shape and moved in similar ways.  The Plovers seemed to be a small version of the larger Kildeer.  Their movement at times reminds me of a wind-up toy and I wondered if that is related to their ovoid  body shape that has legs that are right in the center of their body front to back.

Their was a high number of both birds than I typically see at my spot and I am speculating that this may be a reflection of the fall migration - will the BirdCast Migration statistics allow me to answer that questions, or perhaps the Rowe Haikubox will shed some light on that.

There is a flock of wild turkeys that wander through my yard.  The patterns of their foraging are fun to watch .  There usually 5 young ones and 3 adults - as the wander the yard, there is always at least one adult with her head up watching over the flock.  The adults are also spread out with the youngsters within a perimeter of the adults.  When the young birds notice they have drifted out of the group, it is amusing to watch them run to get back within the group, nearer an adult, perhaps their mother.

I'm thinking back to my sit spot exercise. I noticed yellowing leaves near the tops of a caragana and an elm, while other trees around me were still green. Maybe caraganas and elms share a characteristic that makes them turn yellow earlier. Maybe there's something about the location or condition of these individual trees that caused them to start to yellow before the other trees around them. I wonder: What environmental and individual factors determine the timing of leaves yellowing and dropping? Do trees always begin to yellow at the top, or was that a coincidence? What is actually happening in a tree during the transition to fall?

It answered me when I imitated its call.

The hike was to laughing falls.🍄‍🟫🍄‍🟫

Saw this yesterday.SO CUTE!!!😍

I spotted this guy on my deck railing. He was SO VERY TINY ( 1/4” or less) that I’d have never even noticed him were it not for his vicid green color and prominent orange eyes. My observation led me to many questions as to his purpose and the purpose of some strange looking bristles on his back end.

I saw this in my backyard.

I watched a woodpecker feeding the other day. I got quite close for a photograph and it did not seem bothered by my presence.  I wondered:

- Why this tree?  How does it know there are insects here? How do they pull the insects from the bark? How often do they feed? When they carry food back to the nest, do they feed it to their young as whole insects or regurgitated? What makes their beaks so strong?

I’m a birder, so it comes natural to always ask myself loads of questions about birds, especially in my usual birding spot on the hill at the end of my street. Now, I’m a big winter fan so I’m enjoying this very cold February, but part of me can’t wait for spring and all that it brings: new leaves, flowers and, of course, returning summer visitors.

I am a science teacher by training. These themes are part of the Next Generation Science Standards which guide science educators in many states. In that context, the themes are called crosscutting concepts which exist across all branches of science. I like seeing them here.  https://thewonderofscience.com/ccc

Despite our brains being wired to recognize and work with them, I think patterns is the one of the most under appreciated themes. It requires us to pay attention across multiple time scales, from being in the moment to observe in the moment to slower, more phenological observations. This is why the practice of nature journaling is so appealing to me.