I saw my first ever badger in real life! I was driving and it was crossing the road in front of me. At first my mind was trying to figure out what it was; too big to be a possum and not quite like a raccoon. As I approached, I saw the face and realized it was indeed a badger! Here is a link to what he looked like: American badger.
We have seen two adult raccoons in our yard (and trees) plus two adorable and entertaining young raccoons.
One evening they were playing in our front yard and were just as curious about us as we were about them.
My husband has been telling me about the river otters that live right near our house but I didn’t see them until this past week. They are really good swimmers so I didn’t get to see them for very long because they swam upstream from where we were kayaking.
We regularly have deer and fawns in our yard. There was a mama and two little ones that made an appearance at my birdfeeders. I’m sure they’re the ones that keep tipping the seed out.
Or, it may be one of the many squirrels that scurry around from tree to tree. We have several kinds of squirrels here but the most prominent one is the gray squirrel.
We have lots and lots of little frogs in our yard! Every time I go out to water I have to be careful not to squish them when walking in the grass.
The most interesting insect sighting has been the hundreds of California tortoiseshell butterflies that made an appearance all at once in our area. They’ve been seen flying in mass over the roads. We felt bad as we ran into so many of them on our way to a hike. Then, the next few days they were all over our yard. I definitely need to do more research into their lifecycle.
This nature loving mama is having a fantastic summer of wildlife viewing right in my own yard and then my neighborhood.
You may be interested in reading the other parts in this series:
There is so much to relate that I am splitting my entry into three parts!
Picture postcard perfect! That pretty much sums up July in Central Oregon…at least that has been my experience. Longtime residents here say that July and August are the short summer season so we have tried to soak in as much outdoor time as we can before it passes.
I can’t help but compare living here to my California home. It doesn’t get as hot in the afternoons and it’s MUCH cooler at night. My new house is perfectly situated to view the sunrise each morning because there is a large pasture sloping down to the river. This makes a perfect vantage point to watch the sunrise each morning up over the distant mountains and peaks.
Each new day I wake up to open the blinds to see the colors and clouds….the Grand Creator’s morning artwork. Many times I try to take a photo, but each time I am disappointed in the results. My iPhone camera just doesn’t capture the magnificence I see with my eye so most days I am content with enjoying it in the moment.
The wildlife show starts early around here. I don’t even need to get out of bed because the view from my bedroom window allows me to see a great sweep of landscape behind our home.
The arrival of the black cattle to the pasture down by the river was on July 8th. I woke up one morning and there were, not exaggerating, two dozen cows who appeared overnight right behind my back fence. There are some pine trees and tall grass that they seem to enjoy both in the early morning and then later in the day. Seriously, they have 108 acres back there and many times they are right at my back door, looking at us with big, wide cow eyes. Their curiosity was at first with our big black Labrador dog and then the Woody wind twirly. They stand and watch the wheels go round. So very funny!
I have come to love the sound of a distant cow moo and the sight of adorable young calves that follow their mothers around the pasture. I will not think about the time they’ll be absent from my back pasture and what that will mean for them. For now, they are a welcome addition to my animal viewing.
Summer so far has brought a different set of birds to the feeders and surroundings. Many of the birds that were here in May and June have moved on and they have been replaced by some new birds. I’m still working on learning all their names but there is such joy in the discovery.
My new friends here have realized I’m a bird nerd, sort of an oddity. What they see as common, I many times get super excited about seeing. I’m spending a lot of time filling feeders and birdbaths. The more plentiful the food and water, the more birds come to visit. I have a hanging pot of flowers outside my bedroom window and the hummingbirds come a visiting each morning.
Sometimes one and many times two hummingbirds are busy sipping nectar from the colorful flowers in the pot. We had a switch in hummingbird species early in July, from rufous hummingbirds to calliope hummingbirds. The gorgeous rufous colored birds are all gone, migrating further north I’m suspecting. This is something I want to research further because it fascinates me that they can fly so far over a wide migration route.
I’m keeping lots of notes and taking lots of photos to help me start to learn the patterns of flora and fauna here in Central Oregon. I purchased a new field guide that is more specific to this area to help me know what things to expect and to look for as I’m outdoors exploring. Summer is a time for being outside and I’m really taking that to heart.
I’m going to split this really long entry into three parts so you’re not overwhelmed with reading it all in one sitting.
Look for Part 2 – Wildlife Viewings
Look for Part 3 – Travels
How Do You Join?
Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.
During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
The academic school year is drawing ever closer and with it will be some changes here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Since my move to Oregon last spring, I have barely kept my head above water as far as writing new challenges, keeping up with blog posts, and creating a monthly newsletter. It is not a good feeling.
I want to bring some joy and passion back to my work here so I’ve made some hard decisions.
Things to Note
I will no longer be creating a monthly newsletter. This will free up my time to write more about what I am learning and experiencing here in my new Central Oregon home. I realize that most of what I’m doing in my monthly newsletter can easily be shared in blog posts so the content will still be there for readers but not in the form of a newsletter.
There will continue to be 2-3 new printables per month for members. Those printables are usually either a notebook pages or activity that can be found in the Ultimate and Journey level membership libraries.
I have one new ebook in the works for spring 2018 and possibly another one for summer 2018.
Nature Study Plans for October 2017 to August 2018 – Ebooks to Be Used from the Ultimate Naturalist Library
Note: I am going to list the ebooks that will be the basis for the next year’s nature study here on the Handbook of Nature Study. It is advantageous but not necessary to have access to the ebooks. The ebooks contain custom printables (notebook pages and coloring pages) that will enhance your nature study but you can just as easily complete a page in your own blank nature journal.
October 2017 to December 2017 – We are going to use the Autumn Nature Study ebook plans from 2010. Many of you have not worked through this ebook in the past and I am anxious to complete these challenges again in my new habitat. You can find all of the challenges listed on this page: Autumn Nature Study.Scroll down and you will see the specific topics for the Friday challenges during this period of time.
This series of Outdoor Hour Challenges was written to help your family learn more about each topic by using comparisons. I explain how to make comparisons and then use a Venn Diagram to help see the topic more in detail. (Venn Diagram instructions and printable included in the ebook.)
January 2018 to February 2018 – I’m super excited to use the ideas in the Winter Wednesday series here in my new Central Oregon home. These cold weather and winter related challenges are going to help all of us get to know more about our winter world.
March 2018 to April 2018 – Outdoor Hour Challenge Learning About Birdsfrom 2016. Let’s use the bird challenges this spring to learn more about the birds in our yards and neighborhoods.
May 2018 to June 2018 – Summer Nature Study – Using Your Sensesfrom 2010. We are going to be using eight of the challenges from this ebook. It is going to be a lot of fun to revisit so many of these older challenges once again.
July and August 2018 – Outdoor Hour Challenges – Getting Started ebook! This is the ebook that started the whole thing around here. I would love for newbies and veterans to join us working through the first ten nature study challenges before the next school year starts.
So there you have the plan for the year to come! I became very excited as I made these plans and I hope you will consider joining us for all or part of the nature study journey this time around. As always, make these plans work for your family by adding or subtracting things to customize your experience.
If you have any questions, you can comment here on the blog or send me a direct email: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com
Just as a sidenote: I miss the community we had built here using the blog carnival and Mr. Linky system from times past. I yearn to hear from families once in awhile to know how your nature study is going. It fuels me! So, if you have a moment over the next few months, shoot me an email or leave a comment. I love to hear your stories from your nature study time.
You can follow me on Instagram (Outdoorhourchallenge)to see my day to day nature study photos. I follow many of the OHC families so share your Instagram name and I will pop over and check your images out too!
Use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership!
We are finally getting some real summer weather here in Central Oregon with temperatures up in the 90’s. It doesn’t seem so bad because it’s a very dry heat. Plus, every night the air cools off and if you sleep with the window open, you wake up chilly in the middle of the night.
This week take a look at the summer weather you are experiencing using the suggestions in the Outdoor Hour Challenge from the archives. Create a nature journal page after you make some observations with your children. Look for the link in the challenge above to the free, printable weather chart. I have used this chart for many years to record my daily temperatures and rainfall. It may help you keep track of your weather as well.
Enjoy your August summer weather!
Please note I am an affiliate for NotebookingPages.com and I receive a small commission for every purchase you make after clicking my links. I hope that you find their products as valuable as I do!
This month was a crazy busy traveling month for me! I had to travel light, so I just had a small notebook to record some of my thoughts and observations in while they were happening. Once back home I was able to create a few pages and I have a few more in the works.
I didn’t reach my goal of a page a week but I’m okay with skipping a few weeks while I’m outside having some amazing outdoor adventures.
Here are my two pages for the month of July.
As we learn about our new habitat in Oregon, I am realizing I need to learn a whole new pattern of birds and flowers. Creating a monthly list will help me remember from year to year what to expect.
This page came from having a fantastic East Coast experience. Every evening, the fireflies would light up the yard! It was magical. This page helped me to do some research after making my own observations in New York.
The month of August should be better as far as being able to keep my “page a week” goal. I also have lots of notes for future pages once I do some research on the topics.
Don’t forget that I am sharing a nature journal page each week on my Instagram account if you want to see the pages as they unfold. Follow me here:Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge.And, if you want to create a page and share it on your Instagram for me to see, use the hashtag #OHCnaturejournal
Please note that I am an affiliate for NotebookingPages.com. I have used these pages with my own family over many years. They are truly a simple way to get those nature journal pages done!
Please read the following explanation outlining how to get this month’s newsletter.
The newsletter link is not in this email but will come separately. Members should have received their link already.
If you don’t receive the separate email with the download link, you probably aren’t subscribed to the blog yet. This will take less than a minute to do if you follow the steps below.
If you are a subscriber and you haven’t received your newsletter email yet, check your SPAM inbox. Some subscribers have found the email buried in SPAM inbox.
If you need to subscribe:
You will need to go to the Handbook of Nature Study, look to the top right corner for the box to type in your preferred email address, and then confirm the email that comes to your email inbox.
Once you subscribe, you will receive a thank you email from me with the download link for the current month’s newsletter.
This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of August so be sure to download it before 8/31/17.
Contents of this edition of the newsletter include:
This month we are going to think about zoos and zoo animals. I wrote two articles for you to enjoy, including one with lots of tips and suggestions to make your zoo visit more enjoyable.
Printables this month: August nature study planner page for mom and a mammal nature journal ideas printable.
Please note that Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level members have access to members only printables each month in addition to the newsletter printables. You will need to log into your account and then go to the “Other Releases” section.
New printables are now posted in the Member’s library!
Zoo Visit Notebook Page: Use this page to record some of your zoo observations.
Mammal Tail Study: This activity will help you compare mammal tails.
Print a complete list of printables available to Members for easy reference: Printables for Members
Use the information on the following websites to learn more about the two major kinds of columbine you might encounter.
Eastern red columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis): This plant is found east of the Rocky Mountains. Read more about it here: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflowers. The range map is found here: USDA Plants.
Use the chart on page 7 of the ebook to look up columbine in the suggested resources.
Sidenote: “Aquila” means eagle in Latin. Aquilegia refers to the spurred petals people think look like eagle’s talons.
Outdoor Hour Time:
Look for columbine in moist open woods, on banks and seeps, and in the sun or part shade. Look for columbine blooming anywhere from May—August.
Use the suggestions in this challenge to make careful observations of your columbine.
Follow-Up Activity:
Create a nature journal page with information about the columbine. You can use the suggestions in the ebook or use the nature notebook page and/or coloring page included in the ebook.
Create a buttercup family notebook page. Record any flowers you observe that are in the buttercup family.
How do you get the new Wildflower Nature Study ebook?
Members of theUltimate Naturalistand Journey levels have access to the new ebook in their library. You need to click the “Members Area” button at the top of the website, sign into your account, and the ebook is there to download and save for your family to use when desired. If you don’t have a membership yet, I am offering a $5 off discount code that will be good towards your Ultimate Naturalist membership.
If you are looking for a variety of wildflower, weed, and garden flower notebooking pages to use in your nature journal, I highly recommend this set from NotebookingPages.com. I have used them with my own family in the past and love them. Please note I am an affiliate for NotebookingPages.com and I will receive a small commission if you eventually purchase any of their products after clicking the link above.
Here is a recap of my goals and the progress I’ve made in accomplishing them during the second quarter. You can read my thoughts on reflection at the bottom of the post.
Create monthly entries for my Outdoor Mom experiences as I share our nature studies using the Outdoor Hour Challenge, our travel experiences, and any of my family’s nature adventures. This was accomplished. You can read my entries here: April, May, and June.
Focus on my nature journal and create at least one page weekly. I only missed one week this quarter!
Post images of my nature journal pages on Instagram each week. If you follow me on Instagram, you get to see a new nature journal page every Wednesday.
Read and review 6 nature journal related books. I started reading The Nature of Bend by Leeann Kriegh. What a great visual field guide and informational book about my new area of Oregon! It lives right on my kitchen table because I am constantly browsing and reading it both morning and night.
Books on hold at my library!
The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs by Tristan Gooley
The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
Nature Goal Reflections
I am sincere in saying that this is the most successful year of goal keeping that I’ve ever experienced. Making the time and then getting out into nature has been the key to creating both the monthly blog entries and the weekly nature journal pages. I seem to have an endless list of topics to write about when I sit down at my desk. I’m having a fantastic time working on keeping my nature goals for 2017!
Do you want to create some goals for your family? Use the free printable planning page in this entry to get started: Nature Goals 2017.
This website has awesome images and lots of information: Cow Parsnip.
Use the chart on page 7 of the ebook to look up cow parsnip in the suggested resources.
Outdoor Hour Time:
Look for cow parsnip in moist soil in meadows, along streams, and along roads. Look in full sun or partial shade. Bloom time is anywhere from February through September.
This plant is easy to identify once you study its traits. Use the observation suggestions in this challenge to make a careful examination of the cow parsnip.
Advanced study: Look for the anise swallowtail butterfly near your cow parsnip since it is the host plant for the larvae.
Follow-Up Activity:
Create a nature journal entry using the suggestions in the ebook if you have access to it. There is a custom notebook page and coloring page in the ebook for you to use if you wish.
Start a parsley family notebook page and add any plants you observe in this family to the list over time.
Advanced study: Research the origin of the Latin name for this plant.
How do you get the new Wildflower Nature Study ebook?
Members of theUltimate Naturalistand Journey levels have access to the new ebook in their library. You need to click the “Members Area” button at the top of the website, sign into your account, and the ebook is there to download and save for your family to use when desired. If you don’t have a membership yet, I am offering a $5 off discount code that will be good towards your Ultimate Naturalist membership.
If you are looking for a variety of wildflower, weed, and garden flower notebooking pages to use in your nature journal, I highly recommend this set from NotebookingPages.com. I have used them with my own family in the past and love them. Please note I am an affiliate for NotebookingPages.com and I will receive a small commission if you eventually purchase any of their products after clicking the link above.
Purchase the Ultimate Naturalist membership this week and receive a $5 discount.
Use the code SUMMERBIRD at checkout.
Code expires on 7/20/17.
I am hoping that many of you already have this new ebook that features 28 different birds from the Handbook of Nature Study. You can read all about this ebook and download a sample here: Learning About Birds.
But if you don’t already have a membership, I hope the $5 discount will help you decide to join and receive not only this ebook but all 20 ebooks available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library!
