Follow me on Facebook
My Nature Photos on Flickr
Please don’t release balloons into the sky — they kill turtles and birds!
Author Archives: Kim Smith
Destination: Zero Degrees Latitude
Yep, that’s right, I’m headed for the equator! If all goes as planned, by the time this post is live on the blog, I’ll be 30,000 feet above the planet in a giant metal tube, headed for the Galápagos. If … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
5 Comments
Odes in Winter: Where Are They Now?
Here in northern Ohio we’ve entered a period of the year that I think of as, “Is It Time Yet?” We’ve been through the depths of a frigid winter and have been treated to some brief warmups in which all … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Odonata (dragons and damsels)
Tagged dragonflies, exuviae, insects, larvae, odonata, Ohio
6 Comments
A Visual Ode to the Holiday
These are Familiar Bluets in their heart-shaped mating wheel. These damselflies belong to the insect order called Odonata, and we often shorten that to “odes” when talking about them among other ode lovers. And below is a photo of one … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Native plants, Odonata (dragons and damsels), wildflowers
Tagged alternate perspective, heart shapes, insect love, mating
7 Comments
Monday Blues are Fake News
I don’t keep my bird feeders out in the summer, but I do feed in the winter. With all the recent snowstorms, I’ve been putting extra nuts and seeds out in the yard to help the birds survive the extreme … Continue reading
Posted in Birds
12 Comments
Quick, Make Like a Statue!
I’ve got an interesting series of photos to show you today, sort of a follow up to my recent post titled The Hunter and the Hunted. The other day I glanced out the kitchen window and saw a red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta … Continue reading
Focus on Yard Birds
When I started birdwatching, my photos were almost exclusively shots of birds on feeders in my yard. When I began to venture out for birding at places away from home, I gradually got better at taking photos of birds in … Continue reading
The Hunter and the Hunted
There’s been a young Cooper’s hawk frequenting my yard recently. I see this species in my neighborhood throughout the year, but their visits become more frequent in the winter when I have the bird feeders out. An active bird feeder … Continue reading
Posted in Birds
Tagged accipter, Cooper's Hawk, hawk, house sparrow, hunter, predation, predator, prey, sparrow
19 Comments
Brain Food or Useless Fruit?
A few weeks ago I was counting birds in rural Marion County in central Ohio. My count partner Jim and I were participating in one of the many Audubon Christmas Bird Counts that take place all across the country each … Continue reading
Finding the Joy, Redux
I’ve written here before about how birds helped me discover a love and appreciation for the natural world rather late in life. They gave me years of enjoyment and also led me to my current passions for native plants, dragonflies, … Continue reading
Posted in Birds
Tagged buteo lineatus, Christmas Bird Count, melospiza melodia, mimus polyglottos, Ohio, sialia sialis
6 Comments
Happy New Year!
Thanks to all of you who have remained faithful readers of my blog this year. I’m grateful that so many people find value in what I share here, and I hope you’ll stick around to read about more nature adventures … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness and Gratitude
Tagged big things, carpenter bee, gardening, learning, little things, milkweed, Native plants
5 Comments
