What good it does, I’m not sure, but as my old exercise routine is not exactly possible anymore, given that my body won’t comply, I ride an exercise bike every afternoon.
Yesterday I had an audience, sitting out there no doubt making rude comments about the poor old soul and her antics.
So I took their picture. Now, all other birds flee at the sight of my camera. Which goes to show what cheeky little buggers starlings are.
This little gang has been hanging about off and on all winter. Usually just two or three squabble over the suet feeder, but the flock has only recently approached.
They think I don’t see them in the trees beyond my property, but I know they are there. I see their little shapes. I use the word flock because “murmuration” would require a few more participants and is far too grand a description for this lot.
It’s possible they will come. Maybe this gang is the organizing committee. Last year, you see, on March 3rd, there was a great bird interchange. I don’t know what else to call it.
Birds suddenly arrived from everywhere. The trees were so full, I’m sure the branches were bending.
It wasn’t just starlings, there were red-wings and bronze headed cowbirds, maybe even grosbeaks and towhees, and I’m sure all the regulars joined in as well. Sparrows, goldfinches, juncos, cardinals, I daresay even the crows added a raucous “AKKK”.
It was the greatest cacophony we’d ever heard.
It was mesmerizing and it went on and on.
We decided that the migrants were returning with all their stories and exchanging over-winter tales with their northern friends.
And deciding who was to occupy which portion of territory.
And then they all bogged off.
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It’s possible, though, that the reunion may be delayed a week, if the organizers have passed on the weather forecast.
Beautifully sunny, but way too cold for a southern bird.
8 degrees farenheight it was this morning, when I went out and walking was about as treacherous as it’s been all winter.
Grant looked out and asked “where did those shards of ice come from?”
Actually, it was solid ice. We had wind howling like a freight train last night, which blew away any loose bits of snow and nicely rounded all the surfaces, which picked up the bright morning sun, blinding us and making the morning tour just a bit slidey.
Trying to capture pictures was literally shooting blind, what with the glare and the dark glasses, but I liked this picture best because there is a little red cardinal in it. See if you can find him!
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Now it’s time to prep for an afternoon appointment at the vet for Lily, Lucy and Sasha. Just routine. They have to have their shots as we’ve got one cat that tested positive for feline leukemia. That was several years ago. It was an “oops” on our part, after we’d always been so careful, so paranoid. Which goes to show that everyone can screw up. The cat in question remains in good health. The others religiously get inoculated.
Penny is driving Grant mad with worry at the moment. She is prone to UTI infections but we had some left over medication that seems to have knocked it on the head, however when it comes to Penny, Grant goes into over-drive with anxiety. She makes trips to the box, stands there and then seems to change her mind. So Grant thinks she may have a blockage.
Last time this happened she went to the vet, returning with no clear diagnosis, but the minute she got home it was obvious what was wrong. She had a gigantic abscess in a very delicate place, that had just burst.
Until it did, it had been unnoticeable. Poor Penny. She is the cat equivalent of my age and has arthritis. So we do keep an eye on her in particular.
Penny has an appointment next Monday, so Grant is going to be following her around this weekend with a bowl to try to get a specimen.
He gets all the fun jobs.