On a family outing last weekend, Anthony Jancek took a break from photographing bike racers and took a trip to do some wildlife watching. He was thrilled to find this large nest overlooking the bend of a river not far from the New York-Vermont border:

He fired off a few shots, being careful to use his long telephoto so he could keep his distance from this fellow:

Tony and his family were delighted by the stern bald eagle perched in a tall white pine tree. Clearly the bird was keeping an eye on the nearby nest, built to offer commanding views of the river. The sweet aroma of carrion drifted on the spring breeze, which Tony assumed was dinner for the eagle and his mate, who was huddled down in the nest. Look carefully and you can just see a white head to the left of the green out- of- focus pine beyond the nest:

Not wanting to disturb the birds any further, Tony and his family left within 15 minutes. Though their visit was short, the memory of a privileged meeting with the nesting pair of bald eagles will live with Tony and his family for a long time to come.

Let’s have another look before leaving:

Do you have a photo which you’d like to contribute to our gallery? Great! Just email your picture(s) to us and let us know.

 
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One Texas turtle is basking happily this morning thanks to the efforts of Barney Ward of Old Fat Man Adventures. Barney noticed a moving bump in the road as he was driving along a lightly traveled road, and when he got close, he stopped to investigate. Here’s who he found:

Click on the photo above for an enlargement. The turtle (possibly a red-eared slider) was moving briskly across the road, heading straight for a yard where large dogs lived. Barney didn’t like thinking what could happen if the dogs found the turtle, so recalling instructions he’d read here at TN Outside, he carefully lifted the turtle to a safer place nearby. Here’s the turtle heading for a wet weedy area:

Barney checked back later in the day and found the turtle had flattened a path to the water through the grasses. Thanks for giving the turtle a lift, Barney. A happy ending!

Learn more about how to be a turtle taxi by reading our tips in “Help Turtles Cross Roads.” What about you? Have you saved any turtles lately? Send us your story and some photos if you can, and we’ll include them to our “Turtle Portrait Gallery.

 
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Three days ago I was basking in warm sun, riding for fun on a favorite bike route. The sleeves on my jersey were pushed up to my elbows, my jacket was stowed in my handlebar bag, and I was enjoying the feel of wind rushing over my bare skin between the bottom hem of my knickers and my short ankle socks. Sweat poured freely down my back as I bucked the wind and climbed the hills, but I didn’t mind. The air was sweet with the perfume of spring, the leaves were popping out of swollen buds on the trees, and wildflowers were swaying in the breeze. Frogs chorused in the wetlands, white-throated sparrows celebrated the ends of their long northerly journey with song, and a chipmunks played tag in the woods. It was a great day for a bike ride.

 
But even without consulting the weather gurus, it was clear that a change of weather was in the offing. The sky offered the prediction:

As I said. That was then. This is now:

Yesterday morning winter returned with a vengeance, bringing heavy wet snow on northerly winds. Snow plastered against the north-facing tree trunks, it blanketed the ground, and it weighed down the limbs of shrubs which have leafed-out. That’s the crab apple tree outside my office window in the picture above. And here’s the lilac I can see from my chair:

It won’t last. Tomorrow’s temperatures will rise to nearly 60 degrees Fahrenheit. But until then, wildlife will endure, as they have endured winter since October last year. And tomorrow I’ll go for another pleasure ride on my bike. Now, though, I’ll put out sunflower seeds and cracked corn to help the birds make it through this cold, wintery day in early spring.

 
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