Fall

The Chickadees are flitting to and fro
The Plums are ripening by and by
The Maple leaves are turning orange
And the nuts are getting brown
I have a feeling that soon Fall
will be around...

Poem By: Kaylie Brown
September 1 , 09

Guess Whom?

Can you guess whom this might be?

The King of the river
A mighty fisher is he
He wears a collar around his neck
An augur that is quite long
He stirs to and fro
He is one of natures fellow hand.

Guess who I am?
( A Belted Kingfisher)

By: Kaylie Brown

A little information for you on the Belted Kingfisher-

A common waterside resident throughout North America, the Belted Kingfisher is often seen hovering before it plunges headfirst into water to catch a fish. It frequently announces its presence by its loud rattling cry.

• The breeding distribution of the Belted Kingfisher is limited in some areas by the availability of suitable nesting sites. Human activity, such as road building and digging gravel pits, has created banks where kingfishers can nest and allowed the expansion of the breeding range.
• The Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly colored than the male. Among the 93 species of kingfishers, the sexes often look alike. In some species the male is more colorful, and in others the female is.
• During breeding season the Belted Kingfisher pair defends a territory against other kingfishers. A territory along a stream includes just the streamed and the vegetation along it, and averages 1 km (0.6 mi) long.The nest burrow is usually in a dirt bank near water. The tunnel slopes upward from the entrance, perhaps to keep water from entering the nest. Tunnel length ranges from 30 to 250 cm (1 to 8 ft).

My Visitor

My Visitor

I walked outside along the brook
and in the bushes I did hear a stir,
surely I did not budge, eagerly
did I wait, patiently and knowingly
that something must come out
to see me. Suddenly, to my surprise
a young spotted fawn did come
out to play.

Poem By: Kaylie Brown
September 1, 09