Friday July 6, 2012

 

 

Birds and Critters

 

 

Last Saturday, when working on the patio, I noticed movement on the ground, and saw this baby robin. I quickly located the nest and a step ladder and put it back where it belonged.

 

 

Mama robin was not happy with me at the moment, but soon returned with a worm.

 

 

The bird bath has been a popular place recently due to the heat – it was in the mid-nineties today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On most hot afternoons I add a few trays of ice cubes so the birds can bathe in cool water.

 

 

They seem to appreciate it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other evening there were mourning doves in many of the feeders.

 

 

 

 

I like the pattern on this one’s feathers, and learned that it is probably a young dove.

 

 

It almost looks like a ragged quilt.

 

 

The basket feeders have been popular this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still see a wood thrush or two every day.

 

 

 

 

I was wondering what is clearing out this area of one of our flower gardens until one morning I noticed a wood thrush bathing in dust. It went through the same motions as the birds do in the bird bath.

From the Internet: Dust smothers skin and feather parasites and absorbs excess oil that’s removed as the dust is preened away.

 

 

A praying mantis on our car

 

 

Though this isn’t a great picture, I like the shadow.

 

 

Our grandson Josiah bought some natural peanut butter that he didn’t like. He wanted his mom to take it back to Maine, but she didn’t like it either. I was going to throw it out when Cerwin suggested that I feed it to the critters in our feeding area. It didn’t take long for the squirrels to find it.

 

 

 

 

It is quite amusing to watch them stepping in it, and licking their feet.

 

 

 

 

I was just ready to enter this post when our grandson Nathan left to go home. He quickly came back inside saying, “There is a skunk in your bushes.” I was able to open a window to get this photo, and he didn’t seem bothered when we opened the door, so Nathan soon took a chance on going to his car. The skunk didn’t move until he started his car – then he ran, without leaving a scent behind.

 Something ate peanut butter during the night the other day. I wonder if it was this critter.

About an hour later, when checking the feeding area, I startled a raccoon.