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Posts tagged with "birds"

The first night...

Wednesday, January 2, 2013 2:59:19 AM

We returned from dinner, turned on the porch light and found "Buddy" the house finch bedding down for the night. I turned off the light, and then returned for a quick peek an hour later. He was sleeping peacefully. I made a point of not turning on the light for the duration of our stay and Buddy came back each night to his safe home. Safe and quiet from the madness that is Cabo San Lucas.

15 comments

George Reifel Bird Sanctuary

Saturday, March 24, 2012 4:10:48 AM

birds

Finally the rain subsided so we decided to take the long drive to the George Reifel Bird Sanctuary out in Delta. Though there were mostly Mallards and Canada Geese we did manage to see some less common birds. It's still not high season for bird watching but we were not disappointed.

A pair of Hooded Mergansers

Pretty little Pintail and her entourage of suitors.

Sandhill Cranes. They were so tame! We saw some Black Headed Cranes up in a tree later on. They are very rare.

Lesser or Greater Scaup, I'm not sure. Cute though.

And the best! A Wood Duck. I've never been so close to one before.

Other birds we saw: Two Pileated Woodpeckers, Juncos, Chickadees, Red Winged Blackbirds, Bald Eagles, Harriers, Red tailed Hawks, Snow Geese, Flickers, Numerous types of sparrows, American Widgeons, Marsh Wrens, Coots, and a Golden Eagle.

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A little excitement...

Thursday, August 19, 2010 2:42:08 AM

birds

I was just taking some pictures of my home office mess when I was interrupted by a huge bee or wasp buzzing around the living room. Wait! That's not a bee it's a bat! No! Not a bat. It's a...a...hummingbird! What the? It must've come in through the door which was wide open. There is a small flowering bush right outside and I often watch them feeding on it. Anyway, it buzzed around, hitting the ceiling, wall, and the window before it conked out under the coffee table. Where was Cleo during all this? Well, she was fast asleep on the couch but when that hummingbird flew in she went crazy and started jumping, leaping up after it. I quickly grabbed her and threw her in the other room while I set about rescuing the poor critter.

So tiny and weightless!

It's little heart was beating so fast as it just lay in my hand.

It rested for only a couple of minutes then turned its head to me and zoomed off. I remember one of my Chinese students telling me that it was considered very good luck to save a bird and set it free.

I have this quote on my fridge...

Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation.

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Good luck

Saturday, September 5, 2009 12:00:27 AM

luck, karma, birds, birthday

Today I hiked down to Cosens Bay again to go for a swim. I set up my camp and was about to sit down for

a rest when I saw something splashing in the water. No, not a bear this time. Much smaller. I went closer and found a mourning dove floundering in the shallows. I picked it up and examined it. It seemed to have no injuries but was very weak and couldn't fly or walk. So I just put it in a shady spot and watched it for awhile. After half an hour I went to check on it. It still couldn't fly but it did hop further into the bush. I was really worried, more for me than her. What if she was really ill? Should I help put her out of her misery?

Anyway, I went for a long swim and then came back to check on her. She was still huddled under a scrubby bush. I reached out to touch her and voila! She flew away!

I kept thinking that if I hadn't been there, if I hadn't come to the beach today that little bird would've died. Well, I know I can't save everything and everything has its time, but still, it made me feel good, useful.

When I was in Thailand a few years ago I set a bird free because it's supposed to bring good luck. I'm hoping this is true because I'm going to the casino with my mom tonight! It's her birthday, and she is the luckiest person I know! Happy 29th birthday mom!

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Well!

Sunday, July 12, 2009 2:30:45 AM

birds, cats

Look what the cat dragged in!

Ever tried taking a picture of a bird while you are holding it and trying to lock the cat in another room?

Happily, birdee was okay and flew away. Not sure what it was. Sparrow sized but longer tail. Juvenile.
I'm also happy that Cleo brought it back to me. Lola always did that, and as far as I know she never killed a bird. She had a soft mouth like a bird dog. She caught a hummingbird one day and brought it back to me. It fit neatly in between her teeth. It was smaller than my thumb. I held it in my hand for a couple of minutes as it looked up at me with one eye. Then, without a breath it flew away. I always gave Lola a treat when she brought me a bird alive. I think it prevented her from eating them

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Eagle News

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 5:05:33 PM

good news, eagle cam, birds

If you haven't already, you really must check out the growth of the eaglets. There are three now, one was hatched much later and so is smaller. But how they have all grown! I just finished watching them being fed for 1/2 hour. Now they are resting. It warms my heart! Some good news for this mixed up crazy world.

Sidney Eagle Cam

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