Quilting & UFO's

After I finished the top in my previous post I got out the top I had planned to finish in 2009. I orginally was going to make the top for a double or queeen sized bed but now maybe I'll make 2 twins quilts. I have 24 blocks sewn together with about the same amount made and another 10 blocks or so in the works.

Changing focus - back to some piecing/quilting

I started a quilting group about a year after I moved to Cape May County back in early 1987. My husband, Russ named it CAMACO (first 2 letters of the county) Quilters. We have been a fun and active group. We give back to the community by making quilts, placemats and quilts for different organizations.
Our meeting was Wednesday andd I came home to dig out a project. The first one I found is from at least 15 years ago - wild animal squares I had cut out but were languishing in a box. Yesterday I finished the top. It's the perfect size top for another organization I am active in called an online group Sunshine Quilters. We make quilts for Wrap-A-Smile and Wrap Then in Love. I make the tops and send them to a quilting angel, Bev in Alaska to quilt and bind the tops.

Northern Mockingbird

No birding today as I wait for the UPS delivery of a new telephoto lens. The anticipation is killing me. I hope they come soon so I can get out and go walking. In the meantime I have some pictures of a Northern Mockingbird I took on the beach in Avalon.

Lake Lilly

Today's adventures took me to Lake Lilly in Cape May Point. There were 5 Double-crested Cormorants feeding at the lake along with a Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret and some Coots.

Cattle Egrets

I frequently read the blog on http://cmboviewfromthecape.blogspot.com/ which highlights birds in my area. It is maintained by the Cape May Bird Observatory. The blog showed that cattle egrets are at Willow Creek Vinery on Stevens Street in West Cape May. Of course, I needed to run over, watch them and take some pictures for myself. I love their colors.

Birding VWMA April11

Today's walk was at the Villas Wildlife Management Area. New birds included a
Pine Warbler, a Flicker (though we saw 4 species of woodpecker), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Chipping Sparrow, and Eastern Bluebird.

Cape May Point Bird Walk - April 10

I had a lazy Saturday not doing much so I decided I would go on the walk at the State Park. I am a new birder and the birds are migrating right now so I thought this was a good time to go spot some new birds. The walk was really great and the volunteers leading it did a great job. New birds for me included 3 Kestrals, Great Horned Owl sitting on a nest with 2 babies, Purple Martin, Red-tailed Hawk plus Barn, Tree and Northern Rough-winged Swallows. I also had some closer looks at some Osprey and a Bald Eagle. After the walk I went out on the beach and saw 2 Oystercatchers flying and landing along with some Forster's Terns. Then I headed over to the pine trees where a Brown Headed Nuthatch was seen earlier. I got to see him and also a Red Breasted Nuthatch.

Blackbirds displaying

The blackbirds have been around for a few weeks setting up territories and are now calling and displaying

Birding, Nature at Villas Wildlife Management Area

Villas Wildlife Management Area - This is an estate that was owned by the Hober family for 4 decades that had an 18 hole public golf course on it. It is a 250 acre property. The owner died years ago and the property was bought by the State to use as a wildlife area. There are talks of putting a college on the grounds which is good and bad in my opinion. The bad is the current buildings have been destroyed by fire, kids and are dangerous. There are windows broken with jagged glass edges where boards are put up to keep the kids out but they just take them down and get inside anyway. There was a beautiful lodge there along with houses for the workers of the golf course and all are very damaged. The good would be the repair or teardown of the buildings but the bad would be losing more land to building crowding out yet more widlife. There are quite a number of ponds that are old water hazards along with a large lake. The lake has an island with a gazebo but no way to get to it anymore. It would have been beautiful for wedding pictures, family pictures and such. It is a place that many walk their dogs or walk to see all the nature. While walking there I saw many turtles sunning themselves along with many species of birds.



Birds pictured are a Downy Woodpecker and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Killdeer

When walking the meadows on 4/2 I decided to see what birds were on the beach hoping to see some Piping Plovers or some other birds. I found this pair of Killdeer with one of them digging out a nest on the hillside dunes with their back feet. I would assume the female was digging with the male standng guard but at this point I'm not acknowledgeable about birds to be certain.

Oystercatchers - Black & American

I first saw an Oystercatcher in CA in early Feb. It was a Black Oystercatcher. Then this spring I have seen around 10 of them here in Cape May County, NJ. Ours on the East Coast are the American Oystercatcher.

Black-necked Stilt

Seen March 27th and March 31 at the West Cape May impoundments.