Caper

This one was pulled off in broad daylight.

One of our resident red squirrels had his head inside the bird feeder when we first saw him.

He had gone to a lot of trouble to pull off this larceny. He climbed a 12 foot "squirrel-proof" pole, negotiated two "squirrel-proof" baffles, twisted off a "squirrel-proof" lid, and helped himself to a treasure trove of sunflower seeds. Ever watch a caper movie and find your self rooting for the thief? We watched this creature with a certain grudging admiration while he cleaned out the vault and dismounted. Now there's one more obstacle on the feeder lid, and we'd like to think that's the end of the story. What are the chances?

Ok, there's not a bird here, 

but I'm hoping a bird cage qualifies me

to link with Wild Bird Wednesday.

Also linking with Saturday's Critters

Hunger Pangs

The cold continues.  Snow has been on the ground for over a week.

Bluebirds frequent their heated birdbath.  Two or three arrive first...

...and the rest follow in close succession, splashing down like a winged waterfall.

In the hollow, a red-shouldered hawk soars in broad circles, 

his piercing eyes scanning the ground for some hapless creature 

to warm his belly and help him get through the winter.

 Near the house, he perches in a craggy oak...

pivoting his head to all points of the compass.

The deck, so recently a living carpet of birds, is strangely vacant.  

Red takes a pass, but comes up empty.  But hey,

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Wayne Gretzky 

Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday

Wintry Circuit

Between the snows, the winter earth is bare 

Its fleeting beauty shifted to the skies

Where Plieades blushes at a candid stare   

But casts her splendor on averted eyes.

The moon is briefly just a crooked smile

Content to share its glory with the stars

Then swells to take the spotlight for awhile

Until it rises waning under Mars.

Now dawn is gray; the stars have lost their shine

Cloud cloaked, the radiant moon has vanished   

Flakes fall and drift and make the land benign    

And take the stage until the snow is banished.  




About the photo: The moon was added in Photoshop, but it is about how I remembered it.  
This isn't intended for scientific accuracy, but instead, to illustrate the poem.


Linking with Skywatch Friday

Long Run

Click on photo for a larger view.

There are a lot of extraordinary birds around here, but the roadrunners are in a class of their own. We're on the northern edge of their range, and we don't see them often, but occasionally one will go sprinting through the yard.  It seems they'd rather run than fly.

A few summers ago, there was a roadrunner at Don's office for four days.  Most of the bird's time was spent in front of the glass door, admiring his spiky hair and wild yellow eyes, and when visitors would come, the bird would run off with a growl.  He didn't seem at all frightened, just disgruntled that someone was disturbing his mirror time.

We saw the one pictured about a week ago on a balmy afternoon.  I've thought about him since then on frigid nights, and hope he's found a warm shelter.  Alternately, he could go south, but in this winter of crazy weather, it would be a long run from here to a warmer climate.

Then again, maybe they do this once every four years, sorta like a Roadrunner Olympics.

Linking with Camera Critters
Wild Bird Wednesday