Sani continues, as before. Stumbling, affectionate, hungry. Piper seems to have fewer side effects. He's larger, and that probably accounts for it.
After the dog took herself for a walk, I was on the porch calling for her. Four sandhill cranes flew over. They're cool.
Went out to call the dog again, a little later. Some sort of small raptor flew past, being urged (at a careful distance) by Redwings, to depart their nesting area around the pond. Couldn't see what species, because I don't know raptors and it was backlit, but the silhouette is distinctive.
Later, after the dog returned, I replaced the cat's window ledge in the master bedroom (old one broke after years of "reverse-diving-board" landings). Looking out the window, I notice a good sized something moving in pond's east-end. With the binoculars I keep next to the window (I am not a birder. I just happen to like watching them. And have a few convenient tools. And books. And write blog entries about them. But I'm not a birder. Mostly.) I could see that it was a spectacular Great Blue Heron. Brilliant yellow beak, black & white head, black plume, blue-grey body -- and enormous legs and feet.
After the dog took herself for a walk, I was on the porch calling for her. Four sandhill cranes flew over. They're cool.
Went out to call the dog again, a little later. Some sort of small raptor flew past, being urged (at a careful distance) by Redwings, to depart their nesting area around the pond. Couldn't see what species, because I don't know raptors and it was backlit, but the silhouette is distinctive.
Later, after the dog returned, I replaced the cat's window ledge in the master bedroom (old one broke after years of "reverse-diving-board" landings). Looking out the window, I notice a good sized something moving in pond's east-end. With the binoculars I keep next to the window (I am not a birder. I just happen to like watching them. And have a few convenient tools. And books. And write blog entries about them. But I'm not a birder. Mostly.) I could see that it was a spectacular Great Blue Heron. Brilliant yellow beak, black & white head, black plume, blue-grey body -- and enormous legs and feet.
http://www.backyardnature.net/birdlist.htm
I'm afraid of the whole "listing" thing. I've read about people who have a life list, a backyard list, a vacation list, a specific-travel list, a photographed list, an identified-by-song list, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Not to mention all the angst that goes with them -- Would I list American White Pelican under "vacation" or "specific travel"? I suspect I would obsess about collection & identification protocols. I started looking at them because I had feeders in the front yard and wondered what it was I saw. That was all. I'd rather not become entangled in what is mostly a pleasant diversion.
On the other hand, it'd be an excuse to build a database . . .