You're so vain...

"Who is that handsome guy looking at me? And why do I hear that Carly Simon song in the background?"

Have you missed me?

Doesn't Bob look pleasantly plump? His missus is laying on the nest again which leads me to sadly conclude that the other baby didn't survive and they have laid new eggs.

I have taken down my feeders for right now since that brings the Blue Jays in. I will wait till after the Mourning Dove babies can fend for themselves before I hang them back up. Someone had mentioned on a previous blog post about Blue Jays eating the babies - they don't. They just peck them to death probably due to nest competition.

I am headed out to Tennessee for business and will be back to check your blogs on Monday. By the way - I'm meeting Betsy & Leedra for lunch on Friday! Watch out Ladies - here I come!!!

Barred Owl

Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another.

~Juvenal, Satires

Have you seen my mommy?

* I know it's time for these baby Robins to fend for themselves, still I feel a wince of sadness when they are looking and calling for their mommy!

Bird Humor

I'm headed to the cabin this weekend and participating in a craft show on Saturday (in downtown Gaylord, MI in case you're in the area!!) I thought I would leave you with some bird humor! I'll catch up with all of you on Monday.

Burkett's laws of birding

*The First Law of Birding: The greater the time spent searching for a rarity, the greater the chances it will be sitting on your car when you return to the parking lot.

*The Second Law of Birding: There are two sides of a tree; the side facing you and the side where the bird is.

*The Third Law of Birding: When you see the bird that you have always wanted to see, it will be in the last spot you thought of looking for it.

*The Fourth Law of Birding: The best bird seen during a trip is usually seen in bad light, isn't calling or singing, is seen for less than a second, and is the last "trip bird".
-- by Cody Burkett, Phoenix, AZ

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You just might be a bird lover and squirrel hater if... (#6)
1. You always wait for all of the birds to fly away before running outside and chasing squirrels from under your bird feeders.
2. Sometimes you forget to put on your slacks before running outside and chasing squirrels from your feeders.
3. You chase squirrels from your feeders by standing at your open patio door and barking loudly at them.
4. Squirrels run away when you bark at them but the birds at your feeders have learned to ignore the barking.
5. Your neighbor asks how you trained your dog to scare the squirrels away from your feeders by barking loudly at them from the patio door and you don't have a dog.
6. You chase squirrels from your feeders by running through the yard, yelling wildly, and squirting them with the water pistol you bought for your grandson's birthday next month.
7. You decide to keep the water pistol you bought for your grandson's birthday and get him another gift because squirting squirrels is both effective in chasing them away from your feeders and a whole lot of fun.
8. The birds in your backyard have become so accustomed to seeing you chase squirrels that they no longer bother to fly to nearby trees.
9. When running after squirrels and squirting them with your water pistol, you never notice you've forgotten to put on your slacks until you're in the far back corner of your yard.
10. It's laugh-out-loud funny to see a squirrel running away from the feeders and falling head-over-heels over the bird water dish that you placed in the grass between the feeders and the tree.

--- from Anita Riechers, retired pre-birder from the greater St. Louis area

Feed Me!!

This baby Robin was relentless! He chased his mom all over the yard begging to be fed.





She complied but told him he needs to grow up and get his own food!

Angy Goldfinches

Is it just me or do all my Goldfinches look angry????