Grief, Compassion, Fright, Confusion, & a bit of Silliness...

Events that happened over the weekend in Charlotte have created a somber mood at the office. Two Charlotte-Meckenberg police officers responded to a domestic on Saturday evening and were shot and killed on an apartment complex parking lot. The suspect, a twenty-five year old male with an assault record, has been taken into custody and so far the investigation finds no relation to the call on which the officers responded. Two young officers with families died over the weekend and the community mourns. One of them has a baby on the way. This is a story too commonly heard around the nation. Working in a law enforcement atmosphere, I am seeing men and women outwardly grieve for their counterparts. They are strong individuals with heavy hearts and show more compassion than the general public will ever see. Here is a poem that was passed through e-mail today, written by an officer in Delaware County, PA. It’s not Henry David Thoreau material, but comes from the heart of a law enforcer.

I fight not for glory or fame,
For they are momentary,
I fight for those who can’t.
I fight for the oppressed and the down trodden.
And if I should lose my life for these just causes, then I have no regrets,
For I serve to protect the innocent.
It matters not where or when,
For evil knows no boundaries.
Be it fire, flood, or the threat of tyranny,
I will not flee.
Justice is my weapon.
Faith is my shield.
Hope is my armor.
Cry not at my passing,
For it was my Honor to fight for you.
Shed not tears of sorrow,
But tears of joy,
For now,
I stand with God.

Ptlm. Mark Marchesi #2528
Parkside Police Dept. (Delaware Co, PA)

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Fire ants (click to enlarge). Until I moved to NC, I never knew of the danger one might encounter with them. Last fall, our college conducted a fire drill and herded our group to an area with 8-10 inch tall mounds of volcano type ant hills – the homes of ants that will tear you up. We pranced around those hills of doom and I wondered what would happen if we would have mistakenly stepped on one. This is what might happen. Lately, I’ve been taking walks around campus with safety in mind! The untreated, open areas I gingerly pass through are now loaded with these horrendous hills of doom. At first, I was considering poking my finger in the hill but luckily gained my senses and tossed a stone on one of them to see how angry fire ants can be. They were HOT!




Parking lots are always filled with new finds and I'm still slowing down and stopping. Through my drivers’ side window, I saw a few of these congregating. Sparrows drive me crazy with identifications. The best guess I have is a juvenile Song Sparrow but what do I know? I spent twenty minutes with my field guide and I GIVE UP. The next time you fill your gas tank, be sure to have your camera with you! I always see something new and different.

Millie and Johnnie showing their bluebird bellies.



There is an undercurrent of strange behavior going on at my feeders and it’s freaking me out. During the past week or two, I’ve seen new birds at the feeders including grackles bathing in the pond, red-winged blackbirds devouring the BOSS, one house sparrow last week that I haven’t seen since, and the above large squawker, only once. I don’t know what happens during the day and I wonder why I haven’t seen goldfinches or titmice at the feeders lately and a few others I can count on. This large black bird visited my neighbors' yard and I rushed outside to get a shot two doors away from me. My reaction was to call in the dog army and I sent them out in an urgent mission before I took this photo, of course. It flew out but returned in less than five minutes.



"Squawk!!! Look what I have and I didn't need you! Nanny Nanny Boo Boo!” A Fish Crow and amphibian. Creep. Yea, I know they have to eat, but...



Are you tired of Mourning Doves? Join my club. Sick and tired, but this one was ready for a dive into the pond and watched me photo its lovely self.

There is something nice I saw today, though. I’ve seen nervous ground feeders and wonder what the brown bird could be. Not a wren…



Female Towhee. How cute! I saw a male once in January but she’s a lifer at my feeders!

To my birding mentors: Tell me if I’m wrong about these IDs. I'm getting quite used to my own mistakes. I can take it…

Ruth talked about her young nephew who is a bright naturalist. I’d like to mention Trixie’s daughter, Zoey, who I think is elementary age and has created her own birding blog. Check out her sketches, especially the “Jumpin’ Junco”