Anything Goes!

Eastern Bluebird in Athens, June 1

Those of you who have read my blog for a while (and thank you for that!) will know that every June I participate from afar in the Alachua County Audubon June Bird Challenge. I joined in this fun activity when we lived in Florida and have tried to continue it on my own since moving away some 11 years ago. The object of the June Challenge is to see as many species of birds as you can within the county from June 1-30. You can work in teams and in fact, teamwork is encouraged. But you must actually see the bird for it to count. It was always fun for me, and although I never came close to winning, I enjoyed seeking target birds and exploring all the best nature spots in the county with my birding friends. When I moved away I was sad to leave that behind, but I took the opportunity to create my own version, in a new county, with a new target list. At first I tried to cajole some friends into joining me, but June is hot and steamy in Georgia and no one took me up on my invitation. So for 11 years I have done the June Challenge on my own. A couple of years ago I decided that, since I didn't have extra eyes to help me find the stubborn hiders, it would be ok to count birds I knew I heard, even if I didn't see them. It felt a little cheaty, but I'm not going for the win anyway, and it's my list, so there. This year presented a new, bigger challenge. We had a lot of travel scheduled and I would not be in the county, or the state, or even the country for long stretches. In addition, the days that I was in town were packed with preparation for being away. But I really wanted to do the June Challenge. So, in addition to allowing birds heard but not seen, I decided to count any bird I saw, regardless of location. I was in Athens-Clarke County for about 1 week in June so I missed my chance to find a lot of the good reliable birds, like Mississippi Kite, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Breasted Chat, and Yellow Billed Cuckoo, but I managed to get a good start at home. With my new "Calvinball" rules (from Calvin and Hobbes--the rules change as you go!) I got an Osprey in South Carolina, a Starling in Roanoke, a Bald Eagle in West Virginia, a Great Egret in Susquehanna, a Black-capped Chickadee in New Jersey, a Louisiana Water Thrush in the Hudson Valley of New York, and a Gull in Baltimore. I did much of that birding from the car so there were no photos. But I felt happy to still be playing along.

A week after returning from our road trip up the East Coast and back, we hopped a plane to Buenos Aires, and I was able to add a whole slew of good birds, never before seen on the June Challenge list! It was actually winter down there, but with the help of Merlin and the internet, I identified some good city birds that were just out and about in the parks, such as Monk Parakeets, Rufous Thrushes and Rufous Horneros. A juvenile Harris's Hawk sat in a tree outside of our hotel room and let me get some good long looks. We took a side trip to Colonia, Uruguay, and I added Red-crested Cardinals, Great Kiskadees and Picazuru Pigeons. While we were in Buenos Aires we also got caught up in World Cup fever. They sure love Messi down there! Vamos Argentina! 

Monk Parakeets in a park

Harris's Hawk outside our room

Great Kiskadee

Red-crested Cardinal

Picazuru Pigeon

World Cup in Argentina

Cattle Tyrant waiting for a bus

At the end of the week we spent a couple of hours in a fantastic urban nature preserve, the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve. It's a preserved wetland area on the edge of Buenos Aires. We took an Uber there. It is very popular with walkers, runners, birders, photographers, and families with picnics and the place was loaded with great birds for my list. I could have spent the whole week there. I added Crested Caracaras, Southern Screamers, Wattled Jacanas, a Roadside Hawk, White-faced Whistling Ducks, Black Necked Swans, a Golden-crowned Warbler, and more. I even saw turtles and some nutria swimming. It was very satisfying. In all I counted 33 species in Buenos Aires. Added to the five I saw on the road to New York and the 58 I counted in Athens, my total came to 96. I can live with that! 

Costanera Sur preserve

The preserve is right next to the Porto Madero part of Buenos Aires

White-faced Whistling Ducks and Rosy-billed Pochards

Crested Caracara walking along the beach near picnickers

Southern Screamer

Wattled Jacana

Nutria

Golden-crowned Warbler

One other thing I'd like to note. The world seems so unhinged and crazy these days, and it would be easy to give in to the fear and hype and just stay home where it feels safe and predictable. But if you have the chance, I urge you to take a step away from home and experience life in a different culture. It broadens your perspective and adds to your collected experience. Taste the food, walk the streets, listen to the conversations, see families play and interact and go about their days just like we do at home. It is a character building experience to feel how humbling it is to try to get by day to day, performing the most basic transactions in another language. I think the world would be a much kinder place if everyone had to try to figure out how to ask how to find the bathroom or to get change for the washing machine in a different language. For that matter, to figure out what soap to use! But just get out there and give it a try. You will find that most people are kind and happy to help if you make the effort to step into their world.

I guess the big message here is that it's not whether you win or lose, but whether you have fun and get out there see some birds and wildlife and enjoy the world. Which I did this June. And I can't wait for next June!

Here's my June 2026 list. Out of county birds have an asterisk:

Acadian Flycatcher	X
Barn swallow	X
Black and white warbler	X
Black vulture	X
Blue gray gnatcatcher	X
Blue jay	X
Bluebird	X
Brown headed nuthatch	X
Brown thrasher	X
Canada goose	X
Cardinal	X
Carolina wren	X
Catbird	X
Chickadee	X
Chimney swift	X
Chipping sparrow	X
Common grackle	X
Cooper's hawk	X
Cowbird	X
Crow (American)	X
Downy woodpecker	X
Eastern kingbird	X
Eastern phoebe	X
Eastern wood pewee	X
Fish crow	X
Goldfinch	X
Great blue heron	X
Great crested flycatcher	X
Great white egret	X
Green heron	X
House finch	X
*House sparrow	X
House wren	X
*Louisiana waterthrush	X
Mockingbird	X
Mourning dove	X
Northern rough winged swallow	X
*Osprey	X
*Pileated woodpecker	X
Pine warbler	X
Red bellied woodpecker	X
Red eyed vireo	X
Red shouldered hawk	X
Red tailed hawk	X
*Red winged blackbird	X
Robin	X
*Rock pigeon	X
Ruby throated hummingbird	X
Scarlet tanager	X
*Song sparrow	X
*Starling	X
Summer tanager	X
*Titmouse	X
Towhee	X
Turkey vulture	X
*White breasted nuthatch	X
White eyed vireo	X
Wood thrush	X
*Cattle Egret	X
*Gull	X
*Black-capped Chickadee	X
*Bald Eagle	X
*Yellow Warbler	X
*Harris's Hawk	X
*Rufous Hornero	X
*Chalk-browed Mockingbird	X
*Yellow-chevroned Parakeet	X
*Maroon-bellied Parakeet	X
*Monk Parakeet	X
*Great Kiskadee	X
*Picazuro Pigeon	X
*Grayish Baywing	X
*Rufous-bellied Thrush	X
*Red-crested Cardinal	X
*Narrow-billed Woodcreeper	X
*Southern Screamer	X
*White-faced Whistling Duck	X
*Black-necked Swan	X
*White-winged Coot	X
*Wattled Jacana	X
*Rufescent Tiger Heron	X
*Cocoi Heron	X
*Roadside Hawk	X
*Green Kingfisher	X
*Crested Caracara	X
*Cattle Tyrant	X
*Rufous-collared Sparrow	X
*Shiny Cowbird	X
*Golden-crowned Warbler	X
*Masked Gnatcatcher	X
*Southern Lapwing	X
*Brazilian Teal	X
*Rosy-billed Pochard	X
*Blue-and-white Swallow	X
*Bare aced Ibis	X
*Nanday Parakeet	X

Attractions, not Distractions

Stand Up for Science Rally in Washington D.C.

I am a caring person and I take my personal responsibilities as a citizen (locally, nationally, globally) very seriously. I try to stay involved and informed. I vote in every election and I follow the news. But since the new administration took over this January, it has been pretty overwhelming. The cruelty, waste and wanton destruction in this administration is hard to fathom. They have done amazing amounts of damage in a very short time. Things I once took for granted--the constitution, our relationship with the rest of the world, our social safety net, citizenship and immigration, vaccines, veteran's care, scientific research, universities, national parks, history, language (to name just some)--are being destroyed before my eyes.  It feels like we are descending into a dystopian science fiction novel. It makes me feel sad and hopeless for the future, and some days I want to just turn off the news, curl up in a ball, and ignore it all. But I can't do that forever. So I pay attention. I write and call my representatives. I donate to causes I believe in. Last month I traveled to Washington D.C. with my husband to attend the Stand Up For Science rally. I plan to attend more rallies. But I still feel pretty overwhelmed. It makes my heart hurt. 

Lichen on a twig

So what's a person to do? How do you keep going with this constant onslaught of chaos and destruction? How do you re-charge? I've tried some of the distractions that we turned to during the this president's last administration, and the scary months of COVID shutdown. I've tried comfort eating, but then my clothes don't fit. Drinking away my sorrows works for a couple of hours, but then I wake up with a headache in the morning. Binge watching shows and movies helps me escape for a while, but when I turn off the TV and, nothing has changed.

Fading Hepatica flower next to green moss

I was thinking about a friend, Susan, who died many years ago. In her last days when I talked to her she told me that she was looking for Attractions, not Distractions. It took me a long time to appreciate what she meant by that, but I think I get it now, and I think that is what I need in this moment. I don't want to cover up or block out what is happening right now. I need to feel that. But I also need something that draws me and enriches and fills my hurting heart, something that can exist beyond this moment that I can tap into when I need it in the future. 

Ocean of Bloodroot leaves. The flowers must have been glorious a few weeks ago

One last Bloodroot blossom 

Nature does this for me. This weekend I walked in the Lake Herrick woods and after I was able to get my brain to turn off the inner commentary--about politics, litter, loud cars, drones over the lake, invasive plants--I started to connect again. I heard my own breath and the sound of my footsteps on the path. I heard birds song, saw wild flowers, noticed colors and shapes, smells and the greenness of spring. I spent 10 minutes or so watching a red-shouldered hawk that landed on a tree near the path. I think it was hunting for food for its mate that I heard calling from across the woods. It watched me as I slowly walked closer. It didn't fly away when I raised my camera. I walked on, and the hawk stayed put. The peace of that moment stays with me still. 

Red-shouldered Hawk encounter

Family. Friends. Pets. Music. Art. Service. Creativity. Love. These are all attractions that can give us strength for another day. And they build us up rather than covering up, or tearing down. Go find the Attractions. 

Journey in Place: Healing

Lake Herrick Memorial

It's been almost 2 weeks since Laken Riley, a young nursing student, was murdered in the woods a few blocks from my home in Athens, GA. After a little more than 24 hours of uncertainty and fear for public safety, the police announced that they had arrested a suspect and that there was no longer an immediate threat. It appears that the crime was a terrible, random act. Laken was a runner and was out on the trails in the woods where she often ran. She told a friend where she would be, and then she didn't come home when expected. It was just a random and needless tragedy. Grieving UGA students held a vigil early last week for her and for another student who had taken his life the day before. The community is still in pain. The crime has become an issue much bigger than Athens because it is believed that the suspect is an undocumented foreigner. In these highly charged times, immigration is a white hot topic and politicians have seized on it. I don't want to go much further into that here, but I have to say that it has been very distressing to see our local tragedy playing out in the national, and even international news over and over again and I find it to be opportunistic and exploitative. 

Bloodroot Meadow

When I wrote my last blog entry I was in shock. I was in mourning for the death of a joyful young woman, for her family and friends, and for our community's loss of its sense of safety. How could this happen in a place that I and just about everyone I knew considered to be safe space and a refuge? And how could such an awful thing happen in a park I had come to love, right in the spot I had been writing about for weeks in an exercise about exploring place? I wasn't sure at that time that I would ever be able to go back. I didn't know if I would be or feel safe, or how it would feel to be there knowing that a young woman's future had been violently snuffed out, right there. 

Round Leaf Hepatica

A number of friends who read my post commented, wisely, that the danger is always there, especially for women, but that we can't let this stop us from living and enjoying our lives. And I know this is true. Deep down I knew I would I would eventually get back to Lake Herrick and continue to hike and explore as I have done in the past. But this really shook everyone up, especially before a suspect had been charged with the crime. Several kind people offered to accompany anyone who felt unsafe on runs or bird walks, walking to the parking lots, etc. The University and the City of Athens are taking measures to improve safety, and I'm sure it will make some difference. Now, 2 weeks later, I am pretty sure I will feel ok walking alone, but I will take more precautions. My husband wants me to carry a whistle, and I won't go out owling at night or do early morning birding without someone with me. There are some remote places that in the past I have explored on my own. I will bring a buddy with me now. Not because things suddenly became unsafe, but because this murder reminds us of the ever present danger. The police may have arrested this particular man, but as long as there are other violent or desperate or mentally ill people out there to seize on an opportunity, they will do it. It sucks but it's reality. 

Trail Through the Flowers

Several readers commented about this "wounded place", a term I feel is especially appropriate for Lake Herrick. That's what this is to me now--a place that has absorbed trauma and sadness. It will take a long time to overcome that wounding. I was able to go back and walk the trails in the woods this week, first with my husband and later with a friend. Though the trails had re-opened days before, we were hesitant to go there too soon out of respect for the young woman's family and friends who were still in deep mourning. When we did go, the whole place was unusually quiet. We went during the first weekend of spring break and there were very few people around. It was peaceful and reverential. We felt a little apprehensive walking the trail so near where we think the violence occurred, in case we encountered some bit of police tape or tracks or some other evidence of what had occurred there. But we did not see any of that, and soon our hesitancy was replaced with appreciation for the blooming wildflowers and birdsong and a beautiful blue sky. My husband and I walked and smiled and even took a selfie in the bloodroot meadow. When we walked, my friend and I chatted about life and watched a turtle tromp down the creek to a dead end. It felt almost normal. But if I let my mind stray away from the nature and beauty, I immediately remembered where I was and what had happened there and it made me sad again. Nature is a wonderful healer, but it will take time. We won't forget but our community will heal. 

Bloodroot Blossom

SunningTurtles

Fall Colors: Purple

Purple is a restful color. Not fiery red, not cool blue--but a pleasant and tranquil mix. We need more purple in our lives. Just a month ago, the color purple was everywhere. Purple asters sprinkled among the goldenrod that carpeted the roadsides, and clusters of purple berries and grapes hung ready to be gobbled by hungry birds and deer. But in December, the flowers are mostly spent and the beautyberry fruit, and poke and virginia creeper berries are mostly gone, save for a few that escaped the cold and the herbivory. Their days are numbered. Too late for Red-spotted Purple butterflies, and too early for violets. But walking around the woods and in my yard, I still was able to find a few bright purples flashes holding out before winter turns the landscape all brown and tan and white. 

In the fall, Sweetgum leaves come in all the colors. This one is purple, but I've found
yellow, orange, red and brown too.

Moss Phlox blossoms in the Playscape at the Nature Center

A clump of Beautyberries that made it through the first frost

A few Georgia Aster blooms are hanging on in our sheltered pond garden

The flowers of Muhly grass are like soft purple clouds in the front yard

The underside of a Crane-fly Orchid leaf (Tipularia discolor) is bright purple surprise

Spores from big white Puff Ball fungi leave purple/brown discs on the grass

 These Purple Cort (Cortinarius) mushrooms were so lovely that I had to include them, even though
I saw these  a few years back on a hike with the Ramblers

Purple Finches came with the migrant warblers and a few have stayed around,
now hanging with the Robins and Cedar Waxwings

Violet Toothed Polypores, I believe. I don't know my fungi. My only clue is the purple edge. 

Fall Colors: Red

 I have been hoping that things will start to feel like normal one of these days soon. But I'm not so sure anymore. So I walk the woods and watch the colors and try to clear my mind. The world feels red hot and chaotic, but in the woods red is a calming, soothing color. Red leaves glow from across the lake, making warm reflections in the water. Red berries from Dogwood trees shine from branch tips, tasty meals for birds or squirrels. A handful of red Salvia blossoms linger after the first frost. Red mushrooms pop up after rain, only to be munched by the snails and slugs. Red Cardinals splash in the birdbath. Red Georgia clay, preferred building material for ants, is all over my hiking shoes and the floor of my house after the rains. The hot pink belly of an exotic Jōro spider hanging in her golden web with her mate, made it through the first hard frost. They won't survive the cold of winter, but their eggs will. Cedar Waxwings who arrive in huge flocks each fall, eat their weight in berries throughout the winter, their red wax tipped wings and yellow tails bright in the trees against a crisp blue sky. Fuchsia Maple leaves, changing from green to pink flash out along the trail like a beacon. Robin Redbreast is here for the winter and he brought a few hundred of his friends. A Red-tailed Hawk pair hunts from the top of a tower. Red leaves of Virginia Creeper climb a tree at the Nature Center. The brightness of red grabs my eye as I walk, pulling me into focus with nature and away from the worries of the world. Stay safe. Wear your masks. Be kind. 

Oakleaf Hydrangea leaf turning

Red Oak Leaves

Red, Red, Red leaves

Red Sweetgum Leaf

Brilliant Dogwood Berry

Scarlet Salvia flowers just before the frost

Red Mushroom munched by snails

Red Male Cardinal in the bath

Pink belly of a female Jōro spider and her mate who made it through the first freeze

Ant chambers in the Red Georgia Clay

Waxy red tips of Cedar Waxwing

Hot pink Maple

Robin Redbreast

Red Tail of the Red-tailed Hawk

Virginia Creeper climbing a tree