winter

     Winter has slowly snuck up and the nature around the creek has changed immensely. These changes bring on a brilliant new beauty. There were no birds in sight and I wondered why that was. "Most ducks, geese, and cranes migrate to warmer climates as temperature in their natural habitats drop."(Fluther)  There were a couple insects but little to no other life at all. The creek looked a little dull without the feathery creatures there but it gave me the ability to focus on other aspects of the creek. It was almost completely silent besides the sound of a couple cars passing by. Shivers kept running down my back due to the temperature. Every once in a while I would feel a trickle of rain on my face. Most of the trees shed all of their leaves except for the Evergreens. "Evergreens store units of essential water in their leaves in preparation for winter, and foods necessary for the trees; growth are manufactured in the leaves in cells containing chlorophyll, which gives the leaves their green color." (Clarke-Brown) What I was seeing wasn't dull at all, there was so many beautiful and unique colors winter brought with it.


     Regrettably this is the last blog post I will be doing. This project has really changed my perspective of nature. It has showed me how to see things that are unseen by most eyes. Its given me the ability to see something simple and make it beautiful.

"Fluther"Fluther n.p.12/14/2014

Carmen Clarke-Brown "Why do evergreens stay green in the winter?"ehow n.p n.d.

bird sanctuary

     I just found out a couple days ago that the creek is connected to the bird sanctuary which is located next to creek side apartments. The bird sanctuary is a pond filled with mud in the winter and filled with water and reeds in the summer. I decided to explore by walking further along the creek until I made it to the sanctuary. First thing I saw was the bleak atmosphere due to the lack of life. The sanctuary that I thought was filled with birds had little to know life at all due to the cold weather  and birds migration south. A bird sanctuary is "an area of land in which birds are protected and encouraged to breed."(collins) I made my way back to the area of the creek where I normally do my observation and along the way I saw ducks and I wondered why there were still birds at the creek but not the bird sanctuary. I thought it was because there wasnt much water at the bird sanctuary just a whole lot of mud.




     I've been starting to see more and more birds heading south for the winter, its interesting in a way because their instincts tell them to leave their current habitat in order to survive. However; I'm also a bit disapointed because they were very intriuging to observe as well as the creek. This project has really opened up my eyes and changed my perspective but I can only hope that this perpective will stay in tact when the birds start coming back so I have a chance to enjoy their beauty once more.

def 1,collins dictionary online, collins dictionary,n.d.2014

 

Surroundings

As I’ve been observing the creek I decided to focus a little more on the nature surrounding it. Most people look past the little things nature offers.

            By the time I get to the creek around 4pm the air looks like its thawing out. It’s slightly steamy but the ducks don’t seem to mind, their beaks glisten with perfection after they dip their heads in the chilly clear water. The clouds dance and the suns bright light fades in and out. It took a while before I noticed there was a blue bird in the tree closest to me; it looked at me intently with curiosity. I tried to stay completely still so that it wouldn’t become frightened by the unknown

            One day I went to the creek slightly later than usual. I was amazed at what I saw, a group of starling almost directly above my head, they swayed back and forth in sync as if they were dancing to a relaxing tune. I never really noticed them before but it was truly amazing, just when I thought they left they would sway back into my view.
          Before I started observing the creek I took It for granted. I never noticed the amazing creatures it held. My perspective has changed greatly and now I can enjoy nature as it truly is.

shivers

     The weather has been changing drastically in the past week, it has been getting quite a bit colder and nature has been changing drastically with it. At the creek  I find more and more leaves on the ground. The ducks have been coming out later.

     Many say that winter makes nature look dull, I disagree, winter reveals a different perspective of nature in a beautiful way.  Natures vibrant colors change perfectly with the seasons. The ground becomes colder and so does the water. The water glistens in a different light as the sun hides behind houses and clouds. The ducks are rarely coming out at the time I'm observing due to the cold weather. The mosquitoes are attracted to the water which I thought was odd because mosquitos tend to attract to warmth. Often I flinched trying to swat them away.

      There is so many interesting things nature does to adapt to harsh climates and I'm glad I can observe and be a apart of it.

    

Drought

I've been observing the creek by my house for my English AP class. I was upset when I noticed the water levels were lowering. The sun burned my back as I watched the water and it looked sad because it craved rain. The water only stirred in sections and I could only hear the slight gurgles that the water made. Water is one of the most important building blocks of life. The ducks swam in the parts of the creek with the most water. The tops of the rocks turned white because their blanket of water was no longer warming them. I walked further up stream where there was more water and I found that there were more living things in those areas. They adapted to the lack of water down stream and moved to a different location.

            

Wildlife adapt to situations, like lack of water. I later researched how birds usually adapt to drought and I was very intrigued about what I found. I found that birds usually migrate when there is a lack of food, water or a shelter and I'm still puzzled by the fact they've stayed here for so long.

Beauty Close to Home

I've been observing the creek by my house for my English AP class and I was very impressed by how much beauty was so close to home. I had always taken it for granted but since I've been observing I've been seeing the  beauty in everything. I could hear the water flow, bees buzz, and birds sing, making the perfect melody. I never actually listened so closely to something so simple before; it was calming and peaceful and sounded like the ocean in a seashell. The wind, unseen, whistled a tune in my ears. It messed up my hair so perfectly. The wind attacked the trees and wrestled them, making a swaying sound as the leaves peacefully shed off, hitting the ground softly. The birds, like a choir, rehearsed the same song while the noisy gurgles of the water surrounded them.


Beauty doesn't necessarily have to be seen; there's beauty in the sense of hearing as well. If you just close your eyes you can become a part of nature, see the aspects of beauty with your ears.