I wish the hawks around here would take a liking to squirrels!
.... oops, did I really say that?

I feed the squirrels, too! I like all the critters, even the hawks. I just don't like mosquitoes!

LOL, the squirrels are well fed here too. I'm with you on the skeeters! We need more mosquito eating birds!

Bats, Lin, Bats!!! They produce good fertilizer too!

The night has a 1000 teeth. Some of the bat type got my papaya.



It also has a 1000 eyes. The curlews saw all.

Oooh, someone really did enjoy that papaya fruit ... and if the Curlews saw it all, I bet they aren't telling. They're probably just glad the critter didn't get them!

I'm still waiting for the brochure for the trip to Iceland to be finalized so Mom and I can pick our cabin on the ship. But in the meantime, The Audubon Society had a fun and educational Puffin cartoon on Facebook today! I really like these comics. I learn stuff, and they're adorable!



FYI, the Audubon Society called yesterday to ask for money and the guy was really nice. They only had a record of my first donation so I had to tell him I had donated about two weeks ago because I wanted the Puffin blanket! I told him I was going to Iceland next year and I was going to tell everyone where I got it. That seemed to make him happy.

Was outside yesterday afternoon with Gus when I saw a Brown Creeper on the neighbors tree. I decided to go grab the camera and hope it would still be there. It was gone for a minute then reappeared for one bad photo before it took off again!

I want BATS!!!!! Seriously .... I want a bat house and a Purple Martin (colony using gourds) in my yard. I am so NOT kidding!!!

Glen - What species of bats to you get there? Love that little curlew!!

Claudia - It took me a moment to spot the Brown Creeper in your photo! It sure does blend in with the tree trunk! I'd never heard of that bird before. I learn something new every day!

Melanie - Are you taking a cruise trip to Iceland? If so, how awesome! I know you will take lots of photos to share with all of us!

Claudia, I had to look twice to see the bird, too! That's bird has good camo.

Becky, yes Mom and I are taking a circumnavigation of Iceland cruise next August through my alumni group. We put down the deposit and we're just waiting for the finalized brochure to come out.

Becky, the common one is Black Flying-fox. Grey-headed Flying-fox is here too. Both have a joint roost down at the golf course with nesting Royal Spoonbills, Cattle Egrets and White Ibis. I must go and photograph again. The Royals are gorgeous with their breeding plumes.

The smaller ones I must get identified. I think there are at least 9 species of microbats here.

Melanie, are there butterflies in Iceland? Make sure you start going through your bird plates early so they get easily imprinted in your memory for sure and quick identifications. Do you have a chance at Musk Ox, Polar Bear and Narwhale? What a wonderful trip to do.

I don't know if Iceland has butterflies so I better do some research! They have plants so something must be pollinating them. And I know there are butterflies that live in the Arctic and their life cycle can last as long as 12 years because they basically hibernate for a long time. I think the flyer did mention whales. True story - I recently bought a shirt with a cartoon narwhal and a unicorn on it and I had to tell Mom that narwhals were real. Looked them up on Google and everything. I know there are some botanical gardens I'd like to visit and I believe one is listed on the itinerary. We're also going to be doing a lot of herring tasting and schnapps tasting. I think I might like one of those things more than the other.

I was driving out to get food and I saw a dead bird on the sidewalk in front of the neighbor's house. It didn't look like the usual suspects and I couldn't tell by the feather pattern what it was. When I came home, I walked over and looked at it. I described it to Dad and my brother because it was pretty clearly a duck. My brother got it right - it's a female Wood Duck. I confirmed it on All About Birds. Now, I'm bummed. It didn't help that I had just watched a story on the local news about someone who shot a Sandhill Crane to death (at least three shots from a pellet gun). The FWC is investigating because they are a protected animal in Florida. Plus, it was in between two houses and the lady in the one house had taken pictures of the couple just minutes before. And then the mate was walking around freaking out, she said. I'm not feeling so good about humanity today. Also, I physically don't feel well. Post some pretty pictures or baby birds, if you've got any. I need hugs.

Melanie - I hope you start feeling better ASAP!

Here's a cardinal picture to cheer you up, they always make me feel happy. Truth be told I'm not seeing the cardinals so often these days. Think I have a hawk hanging around. I'll have to go out and see if I can scare him off. I promise I'll use the hose, not my pellet gun! I had parrots coming around on Tuesday, and sprayed them with the hose, too. Haven't seen them come back again, thankfully. They are not native and can be very destructive to gardens.

Thanks, guys. I haven't seen my Cardinals lately, either. But I've been sleeping a lot. I think I need to shake some bird seed on the ground, too. That always seems to bring them in. I've seen them on the feeder, but they seem to prefer eating on the ground.

Baby birds

How cute! Do you know what kind of bird they are, and when was the photo taken? Isn't it too near winter for them to survive?

I'd guess they were Sparrows...photo was taken 6-29-14 at a local large summer plant retailer in Springfield, Il. (that's where my wife bought our Golden Dew Drop - Durata erecta).

Thanks, Jack!