HAPPY NEW WEEK!
Last week's Chat thread is here.
I had a funny bird experience a week or so ago. I put it on my Facebook page, and I thought some of you who like corvids might enjoy it.
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I heard something drumming outdoors on the sill under my kitchen window. I assumed it was one of the woodpeckers again. Both the Red-Bellied and the Hairy woodpeckers have persisted in pecking there this year. (Some delicious larvae must be under that wood.) I said, "Stop that!" The bird quit briefly, and then started again. I shouted, "Now, quit that. You know you can't do that!" A head popped up at the bottom of the window!
A huge Blue Jay stared at me. He was sitting on a small branch that rests against the wall of my house. He was so cute! I told him he had to stop damaging the window. He climbed up the branch and looked in at me, cocking his head. He didn't screech. He just put his face as close as possible to the glass. He looked so comical that I was laughing. I stood still, but I talked to him for several moments. At one point, he started warbling like he was trying to imitate me. (Blue Jays are corvids and are great mimics. They're known for imitating hawks, so they can clear the vicinity of other birds and have all the food.)
This jay's head crest was down, so he wasn't the least bit distressed -- just curious, I guess. He walked up the branch and looked back at me once more before he finally flew.
Blue Jays differ in appearance. They can vary a lot in their facial characteristics and coloring. This was the biggest one I've ever seen, and he had an odd look with a larger face and eyes than the other jays on my patch.
He could be a subspecies from somewhere else. He may have been a migrating bird or possibly an east coast bird who flew here to get away from Hurricane Joaquin, which was threatening at that time. I even wondered whether some Green Jays from Texas have found their way here and are interbreeding with the blues. I don't know whether that's ever been documented or is even possible.
I smiled all day thinking about the little fella. I hope he has a good winter with lots of food available.
Everyone have a great week!!! Monday night is the New Moon (the dark moon).
Quiet on here this morning: maybe you're all busy, like me!
Just having a coffee break though, and finding time to play with my photos - at risk of Wedding/Cute Overload, here are a couple you might like:
Tomasz, bored whilst the official photos are being taken - note the dirty knees in his best outfit LOL!!
Matthew, who smiled at everyone, known & unknown to him! If you are sharp eyed, you can just glimpse the Bride and Groom in the background.....
And this little guy was on the hotel bed ready to greet us on arrival! He was to be put outside the door if you didn't want to be disturbed.
Hi Lindy, Lovely photos.
I have been following some of your adventures with Bonnie before I was able to get on to this forum (but that is another story)
I greatly admire you for taking on a puppy. I know from friends that it is worse than having a baby. At least a baby doesn't get up and run around straight away.
I see she has caused a lot of destruction, but you seem good humoured about it.
You are obviously very fond of her, despite all the tribulations. She must be adorable. I have never had a dog, being more of a cat person.
Out last cat died two years ago, after twenty years. We still miss her. She moved house with us twice.
Hi Rosy: I adore cats, and have had many, but for various reasons, we don't have one at the moment. I do love Bonnie enormously, as of course she has stolen our hearts, but she has been a real trial and my house looks like a war zone. Hopefully, it will all come to an end soon. You're right about a puppy being as much trouble as a baby, I have often said so!
I try to be good humoured about most things: its the only way to be!
Sorry about your dearly loved cat: that was a long time to have her sharing your life, and you must still miss her a lot. I treasure all the memories of mine, even the ones I have forgotten the names of which my Mother used to have, as she always had at least one cat at home, all of her life. My last cat who died just before we moved to this house (so I was glad he didn't have the upheaval of it) was called McCavity, after the famous cat in the poem - he was a real character, black & white and the terror of the neighbourhood.
Went away to have a cuppa and fill up the bird feeders......
Trying to read back on what I've missed:
So sorry to hear of your loss, OG. You must be even busier now, with this trip to the funeral to organise, too. Will be thinking of you.
Annette: Sounds really really hot there - so glad I'm not there as I just wilt when its not even a relief when night falls.
George: What a super meal you had, and how nice for you to be asked to join them. I hate breaking in new glasses: they can give you a sort of headache as your brain tries to cope with the newness. Hope you get your test results soon.
All this talk of Marmite I see, reminded me to go & smear some on to the inside of Bonnie's favourite bone - she loves to try & get her tongue in & lick it all off! She's having a good go at it now, as I write this! I always have Marmite in the house as it's such a treat on hot toast or crumpets. As you gather, I'm one of the Marmite Lovers! I spread it on quite thickly. Sorry, AQ, but I tried Vegemite once as I thought it might be the same but Oh! No!! quite different and no way could I finish the jar - had to throw it away.
Got my laundry done and now my OH has gone off to meet his cousin at the airport - she is staying at sis-in-laws but we are all pitching in and having her over for various visits so that sis-in-law doesn't have too much to do: she will need ear defenders by the end of the visit as cousin chatters constantly, and we've noticed that now she's older she now repeats herself, too :-( Tomorrow we hope to take her out for the day so I shall have to have my patient face on.....
Lindybird I have a tablet that runs Windows and have found it
really reliable. It is also synced to my desktop so that you do not have to repeat thing that you put on either. It is a LYNX and I have found that Sainsburys are the cheapest. They do both a 10ins and a 7ins. This is only my opinion as now I only have one OS to worry about.
Hope everyone is keeping well.
george g
OH and I decided to go to LaE today so phoned a friend to see if she wanted to join us. She and her OH have been away this weekend at a Husky meeting. She now does bike jour (bike pulled by sled dog) and she had come a cropper. She fell face down, broke her nose, has 2 black eyes, a stiff neeck and a split lip, not to mention the possibility of a broken forearm. She would have joined us but for the fact that her OH was in A&E Raigmore having his broken finger seen to!!!!. This was done falling down stairs at work rather than an accident firefighting, which was what we had assumed. We breakfasted at MC and bought 2 pieces of white choc, bounty and cranberry cake. We had a great walk round the loch in beautiful sunshine and routed home via our friends where we enjoyed a cup of tea with our delish MC cake. They were both in good spirits, they are tough cookies.
Well what a lovely Autumn we are having.
Daisy is not on top form so only took her for a short walk.
Then I headed off to Coylumbridge parked the car and walked the hour and a half to L en E. Which as Dibnlib said it looked stunning. Funnily I did think to myself " I wonder if I would meet them" . Sadly not.
Good hour and a half back to car and a wander around a very busy Aviemore as its half term up here.
Then home for a Daisy walk..so my question is is it bed time yet!!!
Just popping in to say hello.
Linda, Love your son's wedding photographs. Your grandsons' are growing so fast. Dirty knees are not unusual with little boys, especially when you want them to stay clean. LOL You must be so proud of them both. Where is Amber ? I bet she looked a dream.
Wendy, I hope Daisy is ok. What a pity that you missed Dibnlib on your walk.
Dibnlib, Your friend seems to have painful injuries, even if she is a tough cookie.
George, I presume you haven't heard about your scan results yet. I do keep thinking about you.
Margo rang me yesterday. She is recovering from her week of chemo, but she did seem much happier than she has recently. Billie is the boss in their house LOL
It is raining here at the moment.
Brenda thank you for asking about Daisy.
We think she might have had one of her episodes. Last one in August day before I went south. Not the staggers but a flickering eye. It seems it occurs when overtired and both times she had had some full on days. A couple of sleepy days and she will be back to her normal irritating self:-)
Pleased to hear that, Wendy. So good that you know the signs to look for now.