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Home » Play Ideas » My Nature Journal

Babies, Butterflies, and Bird Nests

New playground post going up tomorrow, but this sunny day is calling me outdoors! Maybe you can take your little one out and see what you can see?

Have you seen those butterflies? They are so friendly. They fly so close you feel like they are going to land on you. I've watched both my daughter and nephew do dances with these butterflies. The kids jump, the butterflies dip. They flit around on the lawn in perfect synchrony.

Here are more very unexpected nature sightings:

We saw these ducklings along with 6 brothers and sisters on our trip to Legoland.  I got a chuckle watching them swim under the LEGO Golden Gate Bridge! They look like giants next to the LEGO kayaker.

What kind of bird nest  is this? We saw this one on our walk to school. I hope the birds didn't need it anymore.

My son took this photo of a Great Blue Heron in flight with my iPhone while we were enjoying our 2nd Nature Club activity in the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine.

Noel is a friend and also happens to be one of our official photographers for the site. She also blogs for OC Family. She's sharing Mommy iMoments from phone photos.  She has great tips about how to edit with the free Photoshop application.  My son and I edited the photo above together. I'm amazed at how it turned out. Much better for sharing! Noel must be a great teacher.

Finally, I'm rushing around last night on my normal errands. I get out of the car near a hedge to hear the sound of baby birds. I spot Mama Starling feeding them a worm. An actual worm! She flies off and I grab my phone to snap a pic. I wish my camera was faster, because the little guy in the front opened his beak thinking I was mom with another worm. [Check out those double mohawks.]

There's unexpected nature all around. Hope you get a chance to slow down and look.

More My Nature Journal

  • Sharing My Mother's Mom-isms in Celebration of Mother's Day
  • Noguchi Gardens (California Scenario) in Costa Mesa
  • Practice 2 Simple Parenting Strategies and Never "Entertain" Your Young Kids Again
  • 10 Ways to Find New Places to Play

About Michele Whiteaker

Writer mom and nature guide promoting play and empowering families to prioritize outside time since 2008. Park information gathered through my personal experiences and provided as a FREE community resource to millions of Orange County families over the past 17 years via blog and social media. Subscribe to my FREE weekly email inspiring you with park tips and play ideas.

"The Park Lady"

My name is Michele Whiteaker and I'd love for you to think of me as your personal Play Concierge. When I used to search online for family-friendly activities, nothing quite fit my playful outdoor interests or tight budget.

More about me

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