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By BILL DANIELSON
I’ve been living in my house on the hill, my house above the meadow, for almost 20 years and ever since the day that I moved in I have been feeding the birds. It all started out small, as these things tend to do, and then the feeding program grew and became more elaborate. Today, I have a total of eight different feeders, of various types, that hang in highly curated positions around my deck. A lot of thought has gone into the collection and to this day there is always room for minor, but essential adjustments.
By BILL DANIELSON
Last Friday morning I woke up with a splitting headache and bloody sinuses. Every muscle in my body ached and I was utterly exhausted even after a full night of sleep. I walked out to check on the wood stove, then sat down and contemplated my next move. The threat of inclement weather and my general physical state combined to convince me that going to work was not an option. So I filled out the paperwork for a sick day and then went back to bed.
By BILL DANIELSON
It was a Sunday and a big storm was on the way. The morning was fairly calm, but clouds had moved in and there wasn’t much time before the snow started to fall. In a perfect world I could have simply kicked off my shoes and settled in for a quiet winter morning, but we don’t live in a perfect world. Instead, we live in a world that requires firewood to be moved from time to time, and, like it or not, it was time.
By BILL DANIELSON
Anyone who has ever dabbled in the art of photography will understand that you find yourself at the mercy of your environment. Of course, I am speaking of outdoor photography in this case. Studio photography is an entirely different organism because in that particular endeavor the art lies in manufacturing an environment. If you are outdoors, however, you have to find ways to make due with what you’ve got on any particular day.
By BILL DANIELSON
Anyone who makes a regular habit of watching birds will recognize that there is a predictable rhythm to the seasons. Winter is the harshest time of year and as a result there are fewer species to look for. At my house, in the month of January, I have managed to see a maximum of 31 different species. Different people living in different places will probably see a smaller number than that, but there may be the occasional yard that has more species to offer.
By BILL DANIELSON
The final week of 2024 was particularly calm and delightful for me. After the hustle and bustle of hosting a family gathering, my wife and I were able to nestle down into the “holiday bunker” and enjoy some much-needed R&R. For one solid week we were...
By BILL DANIELSON
Happy New Year everybody! I was delighted to have a snowy celebration for this iconic winter holiday and I hope that you are sitting happily with your feet up and a warm beverage in your hand. I am just finishing an hour of bird watching at my kitchen...
By BILL DANIELSON
It was just another morning at the kitchen window. During the school year I am a prisoner of “teacher time,” which means that I wake up at 4:30 a.m. every morning, whether I want to or not. Weekends, holidays, you name it, I’m up. So, rather than...
By BILL DANIELSON
My last visit to the Thinking Chair occurred on Sunday, Oct. 20. It was a bright, sunny day and there had been a frost during the night and this produced some interesting effects on the remaining leaves down in the meadow. The following Saturday was...
By BILL DANIELSON
It was the morning of Thanksgiving Day and I was up early. Guests were still asleep and I was done with the morning chores. A pot of fresh coffee had been brewed, a fire was crackling happily in the wood stove (front doors open so the fire was...
By BILL DANIELSON
Thanksgiving is here and I couldn’t be happier. 2024 has been an “interesting” year and I, for one, just need a break. Even the hustle and bustle of the holiday (the shopping, cooking, traveling, or hosting) can be a delightful distraction from the...
By BILL DANIELSON
It was Veteran’s Day and I was sitting at my kitchen window. I had a delicious mug of freshly brewed coffee, a comfortable seat to sit in and freshly washed windows to look through. The feeders had been stocked and I was all ready for a session of...
By BILL DANIELSON
Stress. Anxiety. Panic. Sound familiar? Well, don’t worry because it’s not just you. Everyone is feeling it. You are not alone. That being said, the feelings of stress, anxiety and even the occasional rush of panic is no less real just because others...
By BILL DANIELSON
September and October are months of farewell and I spend a lot of time trying to squeeze in a last visit with each species of bird before the they finally decide to pack it in and head south. Great friends that have spent the entire summer with me...
By BILL DANIELSON
For a good chunk of the summer I was able to monitor the activity of one particular visitor to the feeding station down by my Thinking Chair a little more closely than most of the others. Simple behavioral observations allowed me to hypothesize the...
By BILL DANIELSON
The American beaver (Castor canadensis) is one of those mammals that everyone has heard of. A humongous rodent capable of cutting down trees and damming up streams, the furry brown creature has been represented by plush toys and has long been a...
By BILL DANIELSON
I realize that I wrote a column on the yellow-rumped warbler just last week, but I had an encounter with this species that was as wonderful as it was unexpected. I very rarely feature a particular species in consecutive columns, but this was an...
By BILL DANIELSON
The month of September was one of the most beautiful stretches of solid gorgeous weather that I can remember. There was very little rain last month and whatever rain there was seemed to fall on weekdays. As a result, there was ample time to get out...
By BILL DANIELSON
One of the hazards of working in a school is the annual reunion of large numbers of people in small, confined spaces. The students get antsy and the adults get antsy, but this is just a temporary annoyance. The bigger problem is the confinement of...
By BILL DANIELSON
On Sept. 22 we observed the official change in the seasons from summer to autumn. This was the Autumnal Equinox, the day when we technically saw 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. With each passing day we will now see less and less of the sun...
By BILL DANIELSON
Long-time readers of mine will be familiar with my tales of the Photo Gods. These are those supernatural beings that look over me during my photographic endeavors and either smile down on me benevolently, or take issue with something that I have done...
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