Field Day: The Early Spring Edition!

   

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant. If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." (Anne Bradstreet)

It's been an awfully long winter, has it not? And - I fear for many of us (me included) - winter has not quite let loose its grip. But it can't be much longer, my friends. It simply can't.

So let's bundle up (just a bit - leave the parka - grab the fleece instead!) and head out for an Early Spring Field Day! I have many friends joining me on this nature carnival, and we all have spring in our hearts ... if not yet in our yards. :)

We have photos a-plenty to share this time out! Marcie, Robyn and Heather (whose flowers grace the top of my post) have all contributed the most beautiful pictures today! For lovelier artwork, I could not have hoped. Thank you, ladies!

Beautiful Lake Martin, by Marcie

Let's begin up north, where Margaret captures the whims of the season with eloquence and lovely contentment. Snow in the morning, sunshine at dusk? Minnesota sounds a lot like Massachusetts these days!

Our next stop is down south, where Dana is reveling in the beauty of Texas wildflowers. Such warm and vibrant colors! Matilda has similarly beautiful scenes to share, as she waltzes through a spring daze of flora and fauna.

One of my favorite young ladies had a grand time recently looking for invertebrates! In Post One (the checklist) and Two (the results), Marianna shares some terrific scientific discoveries! Excellent lesson, Jennifer!

Spring, of course, means new life ...

Aren't these pictures precious? Please read on for Robyn's story ...

"We rescued a baby bunny from our dog, who found a nest of bunnies in our yard. We aren’t sure how many babies were in the nest but this baby was the last one left, so we found a nice cozy box filled with tissue paper and went to the feed store to get a bottle and food for him. The bunny was so young, his eyes and ears had not yet opened. We were torn between putting him back into his nest in the hopes that his mom would relocate him, and keeping him safe from the dog inside the house. He didn’t know yet he was supposed to be afraid of humans, and he let us gently hold him in our hands--- he was so small (about the size of a mouse). He nuzzled in our hands, drank a little milk and seemed happy enough in the box. The next morning, we searched online to find out more about baby bunnies. This site has a lot of information about wild bunnies: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.html.

We discovered he was actually a hare, not a rabbit. We found out that babies this tiny do not usually survive in captivity and that the mama would come back to the nest up to a week checking for her young if a nest is disturbed.  We decided to put him back in his hole for his mama to find him, knowing that it was his best shot at survival. So we said our goodbyes to our tiny houseguest and put him back on Saturday afternoon. We kept the dog on a leash, knowing that the first thing he would do is to go back to the nest so we protected the baby hare by making sure the dogs could not have access to him. On Easter morning, we checked the nest, and sure enough—the baby was gone, and we are assuming, reunited with his mama and in a new place."

As Robyn's family discovered, we often need look no further than our own backyards to experience the supreme joy of nature. Happily, Meredith's family has rediscovered the breathtaking wilderness in their midst. Oh, to be on that swing - viewing those views!

All about her lovely home, Cay shows us how beautifully spring has sprung in Louisiana. Oh my, I can almost smell those sweet blooms and taste that fresh lemonade!

A turtle sunning himself, by Marcie ...

Angela's family always has lots of interesting things going on in their backyard - and how neat that they tapped their own maple trees this year! What a wonderful learning experience for her gang (whom we had the pleasure of meeting recently)! They also kept a close eye on their feeders (love the chipmunk!) while inside, they worked together on a seed starting project. Wonderful!

Seedlings growing, by Heather ...

Spring's a great season for ducks, don't you think? These fine feathered creatures have certainly caught the attention of a few of my friends. After reading a perennial spring favorite, Michaela and her children made their way outdoors for some sketching by the lake.

Sunny daffodils, by Robyn ...

Lorri's crew also found time to stop and enjoy the ducks - in their own backyard! (Actually the ducks found them  - what a treat!) And, in pursuit of a scouting badge, Lorri's family has been keeping a close eye on the songbirds in their surroundings. Now's the time of year to see lots of new faces, as well as old favorites.

Speaking of birds, Dani shares some gorgeous photos of an egret and heron - white and blue, respectively - from her pier. What a blessing to live by the water - I can only imagine how varied and interesting the nature must be!

A Great Egret, by Marcie ...

Divina and her family have been out to the beach already this year. They've seen a wide range of sea birds - from mallards to a loon, and plenty of other examples of seashore life. But perhaps there's no better nature study than one so hands-on as sand play! 

Playing in the sand is an excellent form of earth science for youngsters, and I'm taking notes for my own little boys. We'll also be studying volcanoes, and we'll need to look no further than Susan's great list of books on that very subject. I always know to turn to Susan for wonderful children's book suggestions.

Flowering tree, by Heather ...

More spring science ideas can be found at Theresa's. Stop by to learn how to make three different kinds of nets for a stream study - the first two posts are here and here, and the third will be coming later today!

Now, on to one of my most favorite nature blogs - Marjorie's Letters de Moulin. She shares three lovely posts with us today. The first takes us on a tour of birds' nests - which are a welcome sight anytime of year, but especially so in spring. Next, it's up the mountain to explore the joys of the butterfly, another sweet harbinger of spring. And finally we look down from the heavens, and specifically under some rocks, to take delight in spring salamanders! Ooh, how I'd love to find one of those shiny little fellas.

A mockingbird - just after a bath! by Marcie ...

Brooke and her boys have a fun and educational spring ritual - birdwatching! They spent an amazing day at a national wildlife refuge - looking for eagles! She shares great tips for spring birding in her post.

And on with the hunt for spring! Joann and her kids spent some time looking for signs of life ... and what did they find? Tune in here to see. Sherry, too, took her gang out in search of spring - and a little patch of nature did the trick. Crisanne takes us on a tour of flowering trees - spring beauties that bring thoughts of God's love.

And speaking of love, what more joyous feeling can there be than a walk in the spring rain with our dear ones? Beth shares beautiful images and feelings from her day.

A Nutria at Lake Martin, by Marcie ...

Spring brings its own mysteries. What will this seedling be? Where did we plant the tulips? What was that flash of orange in the trees? Helen's daughter has made a mysterious treetop discovery - please stop by and check it out!

Yellow Iris, by Marcie ...

Spring sneaks up on us, in fond and familiar ways we must not overlook. From petals to pollen to screen doors wide open, MaryBeth has noticed all those subtle signs, the ones that tug at our heartstrings, and assure us that really, spring has returned home after all.

Robyn's front yard is the pinnacle of early spring beauty.

Thank you for joining us on this Early Spring Field Day! I would like to thank each and every person who contributed in some way - whether by post, by photo or plug. :) I appreciate your participation and I hope you will consider joining me again in another month or so for the Mid-Spring Edition!

For now, let me leave you with these timely words by Robert Frost:

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April Day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off the frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March.

How true!

Comments

[Margaret in Minnesota]

What a beautiful Field Day! I'm feeling warmer already and am almost (but not quite) ready to put my woolen winter coat in storage.

ALL of the photos are lovely but those photos of the baby bunny are something else! My daughters will meet their cute quota this morning!

Thank you for hosting, dear Dawn. Have a blessed weekend and (if you think of it), brew a nice cup of tea and put your feet up for a spell! You've earned it.

[Amy]

Wonderful, as always, Dawn! God bless you and may you have a great weekend!

[Jennifer]

Absolutely beautiful, Dawn! I think it is the neatest thing to see how far "Early Spring" has progressed around the country. I've just freshened my steamy hot beverage and will so enjoy reading these posts.
Thank you, Dawn, for the time you put in on this wonderful Field Day!

[Susan]

Dawn, thank you for the carnival and for including my post. I can't wait until I have some time to read all the others!

[Karen E.]

Beautiful, Dawn, as always!

[Suzanne Temple]

Just lovely, Dawn!

[KC]

Beautiful, Dawn. So many signs of spring everywhere. Thank you for all your work.

[Cheryl M.]

Beautiful indeed!

[Beth TigerMoon]

Such a lot of work you do to pull these Field Days together! Thank you, I always enjoy reading them.

[Mary Ellen Barrett]

Lovely Dawn.

[Meredith]

Thanks for another great Field day Dawn!! Blessings!

[Kira]

Wonderful Dawn! I just love your field days and meant to participate in this one ~ but got too busy this time . . . next time! Great job and wonderful pictures!

[Kristen Laurence]

So beautiful! I have been looking forward to this for weeks. Now I get to sit and soak it all in! Thank you, Dawn.

A mid-spring field day? Perhaps I can organize myself a little better to participate. :)

[Robyn]

Dawn, a wonderful field day! Thank you for including us non (but soon to be!) bloggers in on the fun! I enjoyed reading all your links and looking at everyone's pictures. You have gotten me interested in going on a nature walk and seeing how many birds we can find here.... will keep you posted!

[Dana]

Thanks for organizing this. The photos and other signs of spring were beautiful. It's nice to see what's going on in the rest of the country.

[Alice Gunther]

This may be the most beautiful field day yet--and they are all wonderful!

Thank you so much for doing this Dawn. It was freezing here today, but I'm feeling warm now.

[Donna]

Nice job, Dawn. Aaron and I enjoyed reading through each post, although he especially liked the salamanders :-)

[Holy Experience]

Spring is in the air...
We tasted it here...
Saw Him everywhere...
And stood to applause.

Thank you for the Spring praise tour--we join with creation giving Him praise!

All's Grace,
Ann V.

[Melissa Wiley]

Hey Dawn,

Congrats on winning Super-Homeschooler! You deserve it; your blog is a constant source of delight and inspiration. Contrary to what the award description says, you never make others feel like they don't measure up--your warm, outgoing personality draws us all in and fills us with energy. Well done, and thanks for the daily dose of good blog. :)

love,
Lissa

[Theresa ♥]

You won? Are the results up? I hope you win for best encourager too. I nominated you for that category. You inspire me daily.

[Cay]

Congrats on the well-deserved win, Dawn. :)

I thought I sent you a spring entry but I could be wrong. I'm so forgetful these days.

[marcie]

Dawn,
You did it again!! Another awesome field day! Thanks for letting me be a part of it.
Congrats on your award for super-homeschooler......you certainly deserve it!
You are an inspiring person!

[Karen]

I can't believe I have never seen your blog before! You have inspired me and I am off to create a new blog for our nature study photos!

[Dani]

A wonderful field day! I enjoyed every post!!!

[Dawn]

Thank you, everybody!! Please stay tuned for another Field Day in late May or early June!

Lissa, you can't know what your words mean to me. Thank you for all your encouragement!

Theresa, thank you for nominating me! You are a dear. :)