Wild Encounters

The Chipping Sparrows fledged and I missed it.  Sunday afternoon I managed to see babies being fed and captured a few distant photos, counting four hungry beaks.  Monday ~ not a peep from the nest, no activity.  Monday morning brought this hungry visitor to my yard.  From the size, I would say a Sharp shinned Hawk.  It hopped around the rocky banking near the edge of the road and before I could snap had snatched something and flew off to this same tree branch.  For the dining shot, the hawk had it's back to me and I couldn't make out what it had grabbed.  Mouse, chipmunk?  I hoped not a fledgling sparrow.

This photo I took with my iPhone.  I was picking raspberries early Tuesday morning, a terribly muggy morning.  I startled a rabbit and was enjoying the company of an adult Cat Bird, although I wasn't happy sharing the berries with the birds.  The adult bird was not leaving.  It flew off but flew right back each time.  I continued to pick, down the long row, rounding the corner where the bird was and heading down between two rows.  Some beautiful big berries in the middle caught my eye but I couldn't quite reach.  I adjusted my angle to try again and my heart stopped as I spotted this little one a berry's width from my fingertips!!!  It was so very still, barely blinking.  I backed away and moved to the far end of the row.

It's been "wild" taking my turn staying overnight at my mom's.  An old farmhouse on a dead end street, close to 6 acres abutting conservation land.   Rabbits were here during my growing up years but disappeared for a good 20, 25 years.  They are back.

 Monday night was hot and humid.  With no ceiling fans or air conditioning, I gave up and opened the upstairs bedroom windows.  About midnight I heard the most curious noises!  I tried to capture a voice memo on my phone, but the sound wasn't loud enough to record.   Wide awake, I was trying to figure out what in the world could be making such strange noises!  The only thing that came close was the sound for "rabbit" on a couple electronic baby toys.  I never believed that it was an actual rabbit sound and thought it was just a filler because they didn't make a sound, other than screaming!  My husband found this sound bite on line and that is exactly what I heard, but multiplied as several rabbits were "purring" (I would say chortling) at once.   http://www.soundboard.com/sb/rabbit_bunny_sounds_audio

I've Lost February!

I'm a bit shocked to see I haven't posted anything since mid-January.  It's been a busy time of helping the babyMomma adjust to a young puppy in her home.  Accidents are getting fewer and fewer as we get this little one on a schedule.

It was a busy early February helping the babyMomma and Grampy get ready for travels.  Grampy headed out for a week in Vermont and then ten days overseas.  The first week he was gone, I was mostly ok.  It was short, the babyMomma was off to NYC to study for 9 days at the American Ballet Theatre Company.  What a grueling, stretching, incredible learning experience for her.  Physically, mentally, and emotionally tough 9 days.  Her mother-in-law came up to take care of puppy, Charlie, and the babyDaddy.  I spent a week working on quilting therapy, covering for my sister's job while she was away for the month, trying to visit my folks.  This quilt top needed a few spots taken out and redone.  Now it will wait for some batting and backing and quilting inspiration, then a binding and some tabs ..... and a hanger for a spot high on my living room wall.

 The last three days the babyMomma was away, I lived at her house taking care of puppy and Charlie.  What an exhausting and busy experience that was!  No wonder there are days I find that she hasn't had a complete cup of coffee or even eaten!  By Sunday it was getting better and I've been over there to help while she transitions back to home.  Very lonely existence.  Being a special needs parent can be so isolating.  Because her babies are medically fragile, people just stay away.  Winter time especially!  So, her only getting out of the house is grocery shopping with hubby and Charlie, if Charlie is healthy enough, and then her ballet teaching on Thursdays.

It's been a very emotional February.  Nine months without Amber and I am still finding it so hard to breathe.  On a more positive note, January gave me a Bobcat sighting, and February a Red Tailed Hawk.  The picture is not great as it was snowing and I was shooting from inside the house.

The babyMomma's mother-in-law spotted it from across the street.  Much larger than the Sharpie I've seen catching birds from my bird feeder in years past.  I have about 75 picutres.....none of them very clear.  The joy of digital instead of film!   

 Hubby and I did get out on snow shoes one rare day he was home and it wasn't snowing!  The shot above and below are taken from the rock looking back at my viewing spot!  You can't see our house through the trees, but our neighbor's house is visible.  The pine tree in the shot below is right where my viewing log is.  I often lean on the pine tree for balance.

 Underneath one of the Great Blue Heron nests.  There are only two left now.  These foot prints were in a single track that we found frequently throughout our trek around the swamp.  I know, I should have a dollar bill with me when shooting track shots.  The single track looked like a drag, almost like a single ski.  I am stumped!!  Hopefully, we'll get back down there.  No deer runs through our back yard where they usually are.  We did find them at the north end of the swamp.  We also discovered our town had purchased some acreage that abuts us and is now Conservation Land.

Prowling Predators...By Land and By Air

This morning has been quite distracting.  My cats kept running to windowsills, from one side of the house to the other.  I finally joined them with binocs and camera in hand.  I wasn't able to capture the action, only the culprit...a solid, black cat with a white bib and socks, trying to take on two turkeys!  He had them on the run   but he finally got tired and left.

 Next up was this Sharp-shinned hawk, I believe...it could have been Cooper's, but I think it was smaller.  I ran to an upstairs window that doesn't have a screen so my shots wouldn't be too terrible.