Bird of the Week

 

I’ve been seeing this handsome and thoroughly disreputable looking bird on my way to work each morning this week. I finally stopped to take a shot today. This was through my windshield which explains the poor quality of the shot. He flew away immediately upon my taking this shot. I guess my car as a blind trick didn’t food him long. Sigh. There are often a couple of others as well along the road. One morning, I saw a couple of blackbirds taking one of these guys on — guess it posted itself too close to their nest. I believe this is a Red-shouldered Hawk. Please correct me, Susan, if I am mistaken. It seems a little small for a Red-shouldered but nothing else looks right.

A local birder (Steve Gerow) posted about the most amazing series of photos he got recently. A Great Egret eating a Purple Martin. It caught the martin somehow and then repeatedly held it underwater to drown it and then ate it. Here is a link for those who can’t resist the lure of nature with tooth and fang unfurled. Pretty amazing stuff. {click!}

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Grapes

And hope springs from the smallest of things
In a house were the spectre of death lingers
Grapes grow on the arbor
Offering the promise of continuing sweetness

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Grosbeaks like Zick Dough

You were fledged at this feeder
Brought by your parents
How nice that you still return

This
workis
licensed under a
Creative
Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.