Invisible Woman

Daily Bird & Bunny Rescue: May 16

    This morning began with a rescue. Our poolman Paul came for his weekly visit and immediately retrieved this wee Desert Cottontail from the bottom of the pool. It was still alive, so Paul set it under a nearby shrub and then alerted me.

Initially I searched for a rabbit nest, but then realized that if it had gotten water in its lungs, it needed medical treatment. So I consulted Liberty Wildlife's information page which said to put the animal in a box on a warm heating pad. I brought in the baby, dried it as thoroughly as I could, and placed it on clean towel in a warmed shoebox while I awaited a callback for dropoff instructions from Liberty.

By the time I got a call with directions to bring it in, the baby bunny had perked up considerably. It took about an hour to get to the Scottsdale facility, so I kept the warm heating pad under its box during the drive. One last peek showed the little bunny dry and hiding in the corner, which told me it was well enough for its self-protective instincts to have kicked in.

I hope it survives and has a happy, hoppy wild life.

Upon returning to the car, which I'd parked on the street in front of the facility, I noticed a dark shape in a huge neighboring pine. I moved up the street a bit, grabbed camera and binocs, and discovered today's daily bird...

a spectacular Harris's Hawk, in Scottsdale near Liberty Wildlife, 5/16/12.

It felt like Mother Nature was patting me on the back.

 

Daily Bird: April 14

Mourning Dove on the new entryway nest, 4/14/12.

Yes, I just posted about this new duh-dove nest the other day.

But today our weather was freakishly windy, and birds were pretty scarce. So I finally went outside around 6 pm, desperate for a decent bird shot, and not having much luck.

But in reviewing the few photos I took, I realized that the head feathers on this bird definitely look different than the doves that nested with us last month.

So maybe if this is a different couple, they'll have better luck.

Fingers crossed.

 

Daily Bird: April 12

    Mourning Dove on its nest in the front entryway, 4/12/12.

Today is the first day of incubation on this newly built clay pot nest.

I'm not sure if these are the same doves that had the prior nest across the entryway, which they faithfully incubated for three weeks last month to no avail -- the eggs were infertile, and they finally gave up.

But hope springs eternal, and we had great fun watching several broods of dove babies in this nest location two summers ago, so we'll keep our fingers crossed.

Good luck, Mr & Ms Dove -- may your efforts be fruitful.

Meanwhile, enjoy your clay pot with a view.

Daily Bird: April 6

Abandoned Mourning Dove nest in our front entryway, 4/6/12.

The dove parents have faithfully incubated this nest for 3 weeks. But this morning, they left the nest and didn't return all day.

It appears that these eggs were infertile, just like several of last year's broods. I assume it is the same dove couple going through these reproductive motions that nature drives them to pursue.

They will probably refurbish the nest and try again, as they did last year. I wish they could be successful, after their very diligent efforts.

It would be fun to watch some baby doves again too.

Good luck, Mr & Ms Dove.

 

never too old for new birds

 The last few weeks have brought a number of new-to-me birds across my path -- some have been shared here already, but here's the whole group...

 
Elf Owl.

 

 
Black-chinned Sparrow.

 

 
Calliope Hummingbird.

 

 
Spotted Towhee.

 

 
Orange-crowned Warbler.

 

 
Painted Redstart.

 

 
Black-throated Gray Warbler.

 

 
Pacific-slope Flycatcher.

Such new discoveries in familiar places always make me wonder -- how much am I not yet seeing in the world right around me on a daily basis?

through my window: sunshine

 

This morning, through the window

 

Unexpected sunshine caught my eye.

 

Dancing in the shadows.

 

Tiny joy.

 *     *     *     *     *

A good omen, I hope --

The first Wilson's Warbler I've ever seen in our yard in 5+ years of birdwatching here.

He's probably just passing through, migrating south.

Sharing his sunshine here for a morning.

 

through my window: doves' nest, relocated

The mourning doves out front patiently sat on their two little eggs in their flowerpot nest for about a month, to no avail.

Finally, they gave up and flew off, and a few days later I found the undeveloped eggs had been broken by a predator.

 
Soon after, the doves got busy in a different flowerpot across the entryway, just outside the window by my desk. It's a much pricklier location than I'd have chosen, but they were not deterred. They built a new nest beside a euphorbia, thorny trunk and all.

 
We had to temporarily relocate the hummingbird feeder, so as not to have nectar-mooching woodpeckers continually scaring the expectant parents.

Things seem to be going well in the new location.

We're hoping to see some baby doves any day now.

 

united in joy & sorrow

 

This morning, less than a day and a half after the mother eagle from the Norfolk Botanical Garden nest was accidentally killed by an aircraft, her nest is empty and her longtime mate is likely trying to make avian sense of his losses.

Virginia wildlife officials decided to remove the eaglets for care at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro, VA. It was feared that the father eagle's solo burden of feeding himself plus three fast-growing offspring would be an insurmountable challenge, and that some would perish. The eaglets' removal to an expert wildlife facility increases the likelihood of survival for all. The eaglets will now be raised for release to the wild as a family unit, barring any unforeseen complications.

Earlier today, as I read through the Eagle Cam website discussion, I was struck by this insightful comment from Robyn in western NY:

This morning it occurred to me that this eagle family has brought so many people together and today we're mourning together without thought of religion, nationality or politics. What a legacy for Mama Eagle!

What a beautiful legacy, indeed.

In a world that is so often bitterly divided for one reason or another, people from around the globe joined together to celebrate and learn from this magnificent wild family.

And now, united by loss, we mourn together.

Imagine our world if only we could find such compassionate common ground in other aspects of our lives. 

 

remembering Lauren, with love

 

Last night, multiple myeloma, which is an incurable cancer of the blood plasma cells, cruelly stole my sister Lauren's life.

But the myeloma did not conquer Lauren's amazing spirit, so loving and feisty and funny, which now soars free as a beautiful bird to a world beyond this one we know.

We are relieved that her physical suffering has ended, but her passing leaves an enormous aching hole in our hearts. We love her and will miss her more than words can ever express.

saturday afternoon solace

This afternoon, I headed next door to my brother & sister-in-law's backyard, where they've created a peaceful enclosed haven for humans and critters alike.

 

Chickadees were one of my favorite birds when I lived in Virginia. Don't think I've ever seen one in Phoenix. They're abundant here in western PA in the cooler months.

 

A little red squirrel was happy to discover some fallen birdseed beneath the feeder. S/he kept me company from a watchful distance for a long time.

 

Another of my old favorites, the tufted titmouse, is abundant here too. But they're much more shy than the chickadees, so I had a hard time catching a clear photo. They rarely perched for longer than it took to grab a seed.

The soothing sounds of my brother's backyard waterfall and the chirping of birds hidden in the tall evergreens were just the music my sad heart needed after visiting my sister at hospice earlier today. My sister's condition has deteriorated significantly this week. She was admitted to inpatient hospice care last Monday. Our hope now is that very soon her spirit will be free and at peace.