Welcome to my nature connection journal. My intention behind this journal is to keep a record of the encounters I have with non-human species. This is my first attempt at recording these encounters in this format. As a result, I will be using this experience to learn the most useful way to track this information. I welcome any thoughts. ideas, and strategies you have used in your personal nature connection journey.
There are three sections in this journal: Bird Connections, Animal Connections, and Plant Connections. When possible I will link a Connection to a blog post that would have more information. This journal will start on April 22, 2021 in honor of Earth Day.
Bird Connections
| Date | Common Name | Scientific Name | Family | Seen | Heard | Connection Made |
| 4/22/2021 | Downy Woodpecker | Dryobates pubescens | Picidae | X | Watched at feeder | |
| 4/22/2021 | Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | X | X | Corvidae Family–at Feeder | |
| 4/22/2021 | Dark-eyed Junco | Junco hyemalis | X | X | On ground near feeder | |
| 4/22/2021 | Black-capped Chickadee | Poecile atricapillus | X | X | trees, feeder- NW Post | |
| 4/22/2021 | Common Grackle | Quiscalus quiscula | X | X | Icteridae family-NW Post | |
| 4/23/2021 | Red-winged Blackbird | Agelanius phoneniceus | X | X | ||
| 4/23/2021 | Red Breasted Nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | X | X | ||
| 4/24/2021 | American Robin | Turdus migratorius | X | X | ||
| 4/24/2021 | American Crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos | Corvidae | X | X | |
| 4/24/2021 | Common Raven | Corvus corax | Corvidae | X | X | |
| 4/24/2021 | Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | X | X | In neighbors field. Bone found on walk | |
| 4/24/2021 | Hairy Woodpecker | Dyobates villosus | Picidae | X | X | |
| 4/24/2021 | Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | X | |||
| 4/25/2021 | Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | X | X | ||
| 4/25/2021 | Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | X | X | ||
| 4/25/2021 | Ruffed Grouse | Bonasa umbellus | X | X | Drumming, | |
| 4/26/2021 | Common Redpoll | Acanthis flammea | X | |||
| 5/1/2021 | White Throated Sparrow | Zonotrichia albicollis | X | X | ||
| 5/1/2021 | Yellow-bellied Sap Sucker | Sphyrapicus varius | Picidae | X | X | |
| 5/2/2021 | Evening Grosbeak | Coccothraustes vespertinus | X | X | ||
| 5/3/2021 | American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis | X | X | ||
| 5/3/2021 | Wilson Snipe | Gallinago delicata | Scolopacidae | X | Early morning before the sunrises/NW Post | |
| 5/3/2021 | Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis | X | X | ||
| 5/3/2021 | American Woodcock | Scolopax minor | Scolopacidae | X | Early morning calls | |
| 5/4/2021 | European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Sturnidae | X | ||
| 5/5/2021 | Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | Anatidae | X | X | In fields and flying overhead |
| 5/6/2021 | Barred Owl | Strix varia | Strigidae | X | X | Heard on walk/seen driving to work |
Animal Connections
| Date | Common Name | Scientific Name | Seen | Heard | Track/Sign | Family | Connection Made |
| 4/22/21 | Red Squirrel | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus | X | X | X | Rodent/ Sciuridae | NW Post |
| 4/24/21 | Eastern Gray Squirrel | Sciurus carolinensis | X | X | X | Rodent/ Sciuridae | |
| 5/3/21 | Groundhog | Marmota monax | X | Rodent/ Sciuridae | |||
| 5/3/21 | White-tailed Deer | Odocoileus virginianus | X | Sign of foraging/carcass | |||
Plant Connections
| Date | Common Name | Scientific Name | Family | Connection Made |
| 5/1/2021 | Mullein | Verbascum | ||
| 5/1/2021 | Virginia Waterleaf | Hydrophyllum virginianum | Edible | |
| 5/1/21 | Trout lily | Erythronium americanum | ||
| 5/1/21 | Blue cohosh | Caulophylumm thalictroides | ||
| 5/1/21 | Dutchman’s Breeches | Dicentra cucullaria | ||
| 5/1/21 | Red Trillium | Trillium erectum | aka: Stinking Benjamin | |
| 5/2/21 | Marsh Marigold | Caltha palustris | ||
| 5/4/21 | Christmas Fern | Polystichum acrostichoides | Dryopteridaceae | |
| 5/6/21 | Interrupted Fern | Osmunda claytoniana | Osmundaceae | |
| 5/6/21 | Sensitive Fern | Onoclea sensibilis | Onocleaceae | |
| 5/5/21 | Tamarack Tree | Larix laricina | Pinaceae | |
| 5/6/21 | Fox Glove | Digitalis | Plantaginaceae | |
Naturalist Weekly 