Friday Raptors (cont'd) and I flunked the test

A continuing post to my field trip on Friday proves that I don’t know squat! The trail was long and I snapped away without taking notes, so when I uploaded my photos to Flickr this evening, I referenced the trail map that the Raptor Center provided as a timeline for me. I soon realized that due to flooding that day, I was all over the place on the trail and didn’t pay attention… Ooops. Now I am lost. I don' know what I'm calling what! Photographing raptors behind wire mesh and fencing is a challenge behind the camera, so click to enlarge, if you wish. I saw so much – at least twenty-five or thirty different species birds and most of the photos were not good. The eagles looked nice on my previous post, though, and I’m happy about that.

Every raptor had a description of its history with the Raptor Center. I wish I had been able to photograph this small bird with good results.

Harris Hawk. I accept penalty points for wrong guesses.

Broad Winged Hawk, I think…

This is “One Eyed Jack”. Poor thing. He has plenty of roommates to brighten his day, though.

Barred Owls. Incredible.

The history of the Carolina Raptor Center. While I was reading this, I met a delightful lady volunteer. She was tending to the aviaries and told me how much she loves volunteering, especially transporting injured raptors. The highlight of her volunteer hours is transporting them back for a release after healing. How good does that sound? They need volunteer help in every area and my application will be sent soon. I don't have much spare time but I'm willing to devote a few hours a month where they need me.

This is my favorite bird on the trail. So pretty! Can I provide an ID? Nope.

Perhaps a Cooper’s Hawk? Another possible zero.

Long-eared Owl. Cute. I'd love to feel those little ears.

How about a Turkey Vulcher? “Here’s lookin’ atcha, handsome!” Not in the huggable or kissable category, by any means. Eckk. Now I'm wondering why I didn't put a full zoom on that mug.

American Kestrel or Mississippi Kite. I am so screwed up. I’d love to take some time to research this one, but my loads of laundry are calling me… We’re running out of socks around here.

This weekend was bad for being outdoors. The wind tore me up. Our temperatures dropped from 68 degrees yesterday to 25 degrees overnight. I rescued this poor, confused frog from the pond skimmer today. It took him a while to warm up in the sun and gain consciousness before he traveled to his favorite spot.

The raptors are fascinating but it would be more thrilling to see them in the wild as opposed to seeing them in captivity. Great birds, but me still loves ma little bewds! The only bird photo of the weekend.

Note to self: when with camera, clip hair back during gusty winds.

This post exhausted me...I'm happy to click "publish"!

The End.

Friday Fun with Raptors!

The storms were severe in our region last night as shown by the sunrise I saw this morning on the way to work. Those are not mountains below. They’re leftover storm clouds. Small tornados, flooding, and power outages made a mess of things and I’m thankful that I was spared of any trouble.

A song was stuck in my head this morning. Most of us are familiar with it… "I….don’t wanna work. I wanna bang on a drum all day.” Other Friday songs were in my head and I knew early on that I needed to get out of the office. I arranged the piles of tasks on my desk and worked feverishly to gain control of the load. The sun was high, the breeze was cool, and I decided to hit the road at 1:30 p.m.

In my car with the window down, the radio station pampered me with “Love Shack” and Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do (is have some fun)”. That was quite appropriate! I had three hours on my own. 'Twas heaven.

This is where I landed. My first visit to the Carolina Raptor Center. I’m so glad I visited and it’s not far from home, located at the base of Lake Norman. The walking trail was over a mile long and I saw at least twenty-five raptors in aviaries donated by large corporations as well as private donors. There’s so much to do and see in this preserve called Latta Plantation Nature Center. It includes wildlife habitats and an equestrian center, as well as the Raptor Center. Mary will be visiting often. She also might sign up to volunteer some hours per month.

Two bald eagles were born last Thursday at the Raptor Center. I was wondering why the news media was in the parking lot. When talking to a volunteer I learned that last night’s storms killed both the babies – they probably died of hypothermia. The nest was on the ground and they were swept away in rushes of water. The Center was sickened by the tragedy.

My reflection can be seen on the trail map.

In low-lying parts of the one-mile trail, I sloshed through a few inches of water. It was worth it. This photo is loaded with different reflections on the "water trail". My feet were sopping wet but I was able to see raptors that looked me over as I did them. I must admit I was so surprised at the sweetness in their faces, knowing how fierce they are in the wild. Some perched pretty and some hid farther back away from me.

At the end of my hike, I visited the eagle aviary. The size of it shocked me.

Bald Eagle. Wow. It’s hard to focus through fencing and wire mesh. Most of my photos were trash-worthy but I have many that are OK.

Bald Eagle with an itch. I counted four of them in their aviary.

Golden Eagle. Gorgeous. At least four in their aviary.

There are many more photos to come! I’ll offer more over the weekend.

The coral and pink pastel sunset reflects the way I feel ~ serene but tired, knowing the weekend is ahead of me to included scrubbing toilets. But I called the shots today and I'm worth it.

Conversations with Pets

Saucer Magnolia blooms this morning under cloudy skies.

I’m putting my reputation on the line tonight. Actually, I don’t even know what my reputation is, generally, so I shouldn’t really care. Friends and family have raised their eyebrows in confusion at some things I do from time to time, especially when they witness one of my quirky little habits. With a deep breath, I’ll continue…

Lots of people talk lovingly to their pets like I do. Other than hugging them and giving belly rubs, the soft and cheery tone of your voice along with direct eye contact communicates your love for them. I think they get it - and understand the way in which you hold them in the highest regard, sometimes even higher than your human family and friends.

Gulp.

I not only talk to my dogs but I carry two-way conversations with them - out loud. Yes, they answer my questions and ask me questions. They make random comments out of the blue. They talk to each other. A Boston Terrier face is so expressive that you can speak for them! If that’s not enough to raise your eyebrows - my dogs have their own voice. Bella, the sweet sister, sounds much like Pooh’s Piglet. Chloe, the sinister sister, sounds more like Pooh’s Rabbit. I use those voices because they have similar personalities as their voice characters; Bella being easily intimidated and soft-spoken and Chloe being intelligent and sharp-tongued. Mr. Biggins has a voice, too, similar to Deputy Dog. If you are rolling your eyes now, that’s OK because I’m rolling mine, too.

For instance, on my way home from work yesterday, I stopped at the heron’s pond and parked on my man-made shoulder of the road to see some red-winged blackbirds. Poof! Gone. I looked to my left and there was a Downy Woodpecker in plain view. Poof! Gone. I don’t think I can use my camera any faster and grumbled all the way home. Have you ever felt you might soar into space and explode into bits and pieces, if you didn’t tell someone about your plight? That’s why I have Bella and Chloe.

Me: “Hi Girlie Girls, Mommy’s home! Gimme kisses! I can’t believe I just lost two photo opportunities of birdies in thirty seconds! Can you believe that?” Dogs are boinging and giving sloppy kisses.

Bella (sweetly): “C-c-c-an we have a cookie?”

Chloe (tersely): “Tell her we have to go outside on our business trip first!”

Chloe the supervisor, disapproves.

A little later, they followed me outside with a container of sunflower seed for the feeders. As I do every day, I hang my camera around my neck and head out there. This time I stopped about six feet away from the feeders and raised my camera to get a nice shot of a female cardinal in a tree. I leaned on the fence for a minute or two and, lo and behold, a Chickadee landed on the feeder, close enough that I could see the light in its eyes! Could I get the perfect shot in less than five seconds? Of course not! The damned camera can’t keep up with me! Thirty seconds later, a fluffy Tufted Titmouse landed there. We were staring at each other, motionless and eye to eye…until…Bella came barreling along with her hula hoop, crashing over the pond rocks. Poof! Gone.

Me: “That’s it! Bella, I’m taking that blasted hula hoop away from you! I’m sick of it!”

Bella cringes: “B-b-b-b-ut! I didn’t m-m-mean it. Please, play with me?”

Chloe: “Put her in the house, mommy. She's annoying."

I quit the photography battle and played with them in the yard until their tongues curled as tightly as a party blower. “Dog Talk” – it floats my boat and makes me laugh.

There are a few nice things I saw today and yesterday.

The Robins have arrived in great numbers. Starlings seems to be habitual birds and perch in the same places at the same time of day.

I’m surprised that the focus in this shot was on the Chickadee instead of on the top fence rail. This is the same bird that was almost within an arms length from me. Oh, the pain...

Too bad the tail feathers are cut off in this photo.

Munching away with her eye on me.

A new visitor at my house last night. I sat with her and let her purr and slither all around me. Then, I firmly told her to “go home!” (She didn’t reply.)

Yep. Spring has arrived here but March can be ferocious. The weather around the country is so severe. I wish it would relent and let everyone feel the warmth of sunshine on their backs.

I'll be back.

Two years ago I quit caffeine. Tonight, I should have brewed a pot of coffee and sipped all evening, or, I should have run out for a cold Red Bull or one of those new caffeine explosive drinks. In about five minutes, my head will be resting on my cool contour pillow if I can stop sneezing. I’ll be back. The female talent on American Idol wore me out when I was already exhausted after a long day. I'll be back!

Thinking and Looking Up

The Robin is the One

That interrupt the Morn

With hurried - few - express Reports

When March is scarcely on -

The Robin is the One

That overflow the Noon

With her cherubic quantity -

An April but begun -

The Robin is the One

That speechless from her Nest

Submit that Home - and Certainty

And Sanctity, are best

Emily Dickinson

After the morbid but funny post I wrote yesterday, I awoke this morning and forced myself to look upwards. What inspired me more was to see my first bird of the day, a Robin - the sign of Spring arriving and perhaps a new beginning.

I came to two conclusions for myself today. First, greet the birds in the morning. That’s when they are most active and brave. Second, make time everyday to feel at peace and smile, as I'm responsible for my own happiness.

I never tire of bluebirds. I know this is Millie, and next comes Johnny. Yeah, I’m on the verge of being a cuckoo, but I love these birds.

and heeeeere’s……….JOHNNY!

I postponed my budget meeting today until tomorrow. Guess what? I still won’t be ready but that’s alright because no one else will be ready, either. I’m not going to lie awake at night and worry anymore. There’s just too much going on right now, the workload is overwhelming for many of us, and I need to study for my “Whodunnit” trial tomorrow. But I did make time for a long stroll around the campus today and visited places I haven’t seen before. I thought the sun’s reflection on the pines were pretty.

The Forensics team has a pig pen at the base of the campus and I’ve heard about it but never saw it with my own eyes. This is where dead pigs are caged for observations on body decomposition, flies and maggots. Sad, but true. I’m glad there were no pigs today but soon, when the weather warms, they’ll be there.

I’m not a plant expert but I think this is a Rose of Sharon that’s hidden on the back of the campus. What a shame that it’s hidden from view! I’ll visit it more often. While I was looking around in these hidden areas, I decided that I won’t let the injustices and inconsistencies in the office make my eye twitch anymore. For my own sake, I’ll look the other way and concentrate on my own business and learn to say, “No” to all of the invitations for help I receive that cramp my style. For most women, saying “No” is a difficult decision to make.

There was a wide variety of birds at the feeder tonight when I got home and many of them were my favorites. Ten minutes later, I saw they were gone, and the freeloaders were “hanging out” like teenagers at a burger joint. Just sitting there, hogging the space. But I forced a congenial “smile and nod”…

Will this clear sunset resemble my thoughts and attitude in the morning? I hope so. But already, I gritted my teeth tonight while Michael sat at the computer when I have a post to finish before American Idol airs. Note to self: get your own computer. Am I fooling myself throughout this post? Probably. I’ll be back to a weekly rant in six days - a gentler and kinder one. :o)

Mama said there would be days like this.

I’ve heard the words of wisdom, “If you work hard, you will go far.” It’s a very true statement. In my case, however, I’m tired of working hard because the more hard work I contribute on the job, the more hard work I receive. This scenario has followed me for the past thirty-plus years and now I’m at a point in my life that I just want to do a good job without the stress and go home. I’m not focusing on career moves anymore because I’ve been there and done that. A year ago, I accepted this job in NC with a forty percent cut in pay from what I earned in Delaware. Because of that, I don’t want so much pressure in this low totem pole job I have. My character won’t let me slack off, though. It’s just in me to be dedicated to volumes of quality work.

Today, I just couldn’t take it. This afternoon I broke away for a short hike on the trail.

I thought I was looking at another Pine Warbler fifty feet up in a pine tree but it turned out to be a Titmouse! That was quite a surprise to see one in the wild.

Trying to hide from me, as usual. I’m getting better at having my head cranked back and looking up without falling backwards.

This bird looked foreign to me as I saw brown in the sunlight from where I was standing. I refuse to call it a mockingbird, because I'm sick of them and I’m irritable. I’m going to call it something like a Southeastern Overgrown Brown Phoebe Morph and be done with it.

At noon, I went to the Food Lion to get some lousy chicken strips for lunch. You don’t need to drive miles away from home to see birds. Just go to the grocery store with your camera.

I heard bird noise but the trees were bare. This is what I found in an “O” at Food Lion.

Another in the “A” at Huntersville Family Haircutters.

A pair of them on the parking lot.

As I was focusing my camera, cars stopped and people watched. My words to them were, “It’s OK, carry on.” “Oh, excuse me, I’m sorry, I’m in the fire lane, just ignore me.” In my mind I was thinking, “I’m just taking photos of the low-life scum of sparrowdom.” I’m glad the house sparrows are living in a grocery store parking lot and not at my house. What a thrilling LIFER.

Wow. Another scavenger.

A perfect ending – a blurry, but new visitor at the feeder.

I’m due for another exciting post I was able to share on February 14 - “Valentines Day and Cedar Waxwings”. I am dying for a thrill. Now, I guess I'll be off for a glass of wine or two or three and I’m calling it a day! Despite everything on this miserable account, I’m laughing. A sense of humor is a true blessing.

Photo Driven Post

There’s no theme or subject in my head today so I’m going to record my weekend by referencing the photos I’ve taken. Saturday was bright and beautiful but today it’s wetter than wet and quite dreary. I’m not complaining, though, because we need a day of soaking and steady rain.

Pelting rain. I regret topping the pond yesterday as it’s overflowing as I sit here. The birds are enjoying the bath and I’ll don my raincoat later to refill the platform feeder for them. This post is coming earlier than usual because a warm front will move in later today with forecasts of thunderstorms and damaging winds. I admire the power of gas and electricity. It’s a blessing we take for granted until it’s gone!

This is the goofy face of a Boston Terrier who is inviting you to play! What you can't see is her butt wiggling back and forth, challenging me to take her new rawhide stick. She's back to her puppy ways after having her bad teeth extracted and her nails cut to puppy length. She must feel so much better, as seen in her face. Her personality radiates mischief in the purest sense of the word.

Michael bought Chloe and Bella some dental puppy sticks at Target this morning. Neither of them have had puppy sticks in years and anything new to them creates a riot!

“Anybody gotta light?”

Bella: “Chloe, I didn’t know you smoke…”

The Carolina Blue Skies are amazing. Maybe they were just as blue in Maryland and Delaware and I didn’t notice. That’s probably the case since I didn’t carry a camera around my neck then. This blue background is what I see nearly every day. Some people might wonder if my photos are edited. For one thing, I don’t have time to edit them (plus, I’m too lazy) and what I see is what you get.

It was glorious yesterday. The temps hovered around 60 degrees and I worked outside for most of the day. The cracked seed got raked under the feeders and the pond pump and filter housing got washed. The Koi and goldfish are beginning to beg for food again and are racing around in mating behavior although it’s quite early for that. This male House Finch watched me for the entire time I worked.

A Tufted Titmouse teased me for at least thirty minutes…a constant source of frustration for me but when I can nail a photo of any quality, I’m happy. Yahoo!

Standing way too far in the distance and afraid to move in closer, I waited to get that little bird! I read on Julie’s blog about her rehabilitating a titmouse and how vocal they are. It’s true. Look at this bird in the photo, shouting and screaming obscenities at me, possibly… I could hardly contain my giggle when on full zoom. Even the Cardinal turned its back on the fool, “I don’t know you…”

Another frustrating bird but sweeter than a Titmouse. Not my best Chickadee photo, but it was a pleasure trying. Their "steal and run" technique drives me crazy.

If I were driving on the interstate and saw a vehicle like this one, I’d wonder who on earth would drive something like this? Maybe I’ve been living under a rock but I’ve never seen a Hershey's Kissmobile! It was parked on a grocery store lot on Friday afternoon raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network. For a donation, I received four Hershey Kisses. They were unfoiled and gobbled before I drove off the store parking lot. Mmmmm. Just what the doctor ordered.

Missing Dad

During my drive to work this morning, I saw the sun rise and remembered that I dreamed of my Dad. Perhaps he was in my dreams because I’m planning to drive up to Maryland to see him in the next few weeks since the mid-Atlantic weather has calmed down. I haven’t seen him in a few months and I want and need to go soon. He won’t know me as his daughter but I’ll enjoy hearing him laugh with me.

Nearly twelve years ago, my Dad had a major stroke that paralyzed his left side and he’s been in a wheelchair since then. He lost his wife of nearly fifty-four years last May and sadly, he doesn’t remember her. He didn’t even remember her on the day she died, after her two-month stay in the hospital. Maybe it’s good for him that he doesn’t grieve for her…

Tonight I looked back on posts I have written about him and the two most recent ones are here and here. The first one breaks my heart and the other one makes me laugh out loud.

My brother lives near the nursing home and keeps me informed of Dad’s days there. He stops by to see him quite often and other than his progressing dementia, he’s doing well without any major health issues. Whenever my brother drops in to see him, he’s never in his bed but is out and about in his wheelchair, either enjoying the view or participating in the activities. I picture him sitting with a group of patients, telling lies on top of lies and believing every other lie he hears. He enjoys music and I know he has belted out a few tunes with the piano player!

He is 81 years old and I hear he wants to eat ice cream with his fingers but is working on trying to remember to reach for the spoon. What makes me happy is that he still craves a treat!

I’m giggling as I write this and picturing him exhibiting one of his most outstanding traits as a younger man. He never met a stranger. My Dad was a social man who thrived on interaction with people. That’s why after he retired from the Baltimore City Fire Department he gained employment at BWI, driving the airport bus and taxi. On the day before his stroke he delivered meals by “Meals on Wheels”. He participated in every church activity that needed him, and, ironically, his stroke made him fall on the Church altar while he was lighting candles for the 5:30 a.m. Mass.

This photo was taken last April while my Mom was in the hospital. I cared for him for a few days and we got along wonderfully even though, at times, he knew me as his sister Patsy. He wanted to watch the History Channel before bedtime that night but I encouraged him break away from his same old routine and watch American Idol with me. He loved it! That’s “Ditty Kitty” - his constant companion.

What I saw today:

White Throated Sparrow, off the ground. Peek-a-Boo!

Are you a King? Or are you having a bad hair day...

A surprise on the way home from work. Trees with color! Pink! Must have happened overnight!