(INTO THE WOODS AND BEYOND!)
Someone came for just a bit this morning. It was a VERY short visit, it saw me and ZOOM, the squirrel ran back to the woods.
I promise I did nothing to discourage it from spending time outside the window. I may have to put on a squirrel costume in order to reassure the poor thing that squirrels are welcome here.
I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not a bird behavior specialist…although I have been mistaken for one at cocktail parties.
I am just a bird observer, a mere mortal with an uncanny ability to be wrong about a lot of things.
In the spirit of keeping my track record very blemished, I would like to offer my thoughts on the interaction above. The wide spread wings of the bluejay above may mean, “STOP”. Perhaps little bluejay birds were crossing the branches on their way to bluejay school, crossing guards are always needed and heeded.
I didn’t notice any traffic or construction, but the commanding posture of the wings could indicate that oncoming birds should take an alternate route. I’ve been told that these worker birds take a lot of verbal abuse from frustrated fliers.
One last possibility for this behavior is some kind of weird attempt to find a date for the “spring fling.” Personally I think this move just smacks of desperation and I suspect this bird will be shunned and become the catalyst for an urban myth about a creepy, inappropriate bird that lurked in the woods.
I came across this picture of Oliver when he first came to live with our son. So sweet looking, so adorable…so hyperactive. Most kittens have lots of energy, but Ollie was…Ollie.
We spent the night at our son’s on an inflatable mattress once. I don’t think we slept a wink, Oliver would launch himself onto us out of the dark and puncture us with his little claws. Normal kitten behavior…hanging from the beams in our son’s basement, taking mini-cucumbers and putting them in shoes. Dragging a pizza slice onto the bed and snacking on it. Ninja attacks on the sleeping roommate who lived in the basement.
He’s six years old now. For reasons unknown, possibly because little Max is no longer around for him to torture, he reverts to predator mode and goes for me. (I find it pretty interesting that I’m MUCHHHH larger than Max was and that still doesn’t deter him.) Two days ago he nipped the back of my leg as I walked by, he did the same thing to Max.
I may have to rent a lion costume and growl at him a lot. I’m also wondering how old a cat has to be before he loses his teeth.
I have probably posted this before, but I had mentioned to a fellow blogger that I would post another image that I took in the National Bison Range in Montana.
I kept a VERY safe distance from these beautiful elk, this is not the kind of animal you want to get close to.This was one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever experienced.
