Friday, May 31, 2024, 10:20 am —Orange creamsicle cat is back! … Two observations … 1. His tail is permanently bent to the left … 2. He looks suspiciously non-neutered …
… Screenshot from video below …
One year ago … Feb 19, 2023 … Looking in the deck window … Who are you? … First-time visitor … Half orange tabby, half white … Your face (the eyes!) looks just like Perky! … from My Haiku A Day blog, Haiku #7, Feb 15-21, 2023 …
Wednesday, May 29, 2024, 7:55 pm ––What to cats’ wondering eyes should appear … but the most graceful stroll of an evening deer … [bedroom window … Lumix Z300 camera … video screenshot] …
Sunday, May 26, 2024, 7:11 am —Breakfasting rabbit … from kitchen window … Enlarge photo … it’s munching a tiny yellow flower … See video below for further flower mastication! …
Rabbit moved to right, near sidewalk by garage … See video below …
Red arrow points to rabbit … On left, neighbor’s outdoor flowers … arrangements change for different seasons, holidays … Thanks, neighbor! …
… Hippity-hop … away they go! …
… at the same time … up above … a bird flies due north …
… Enlarge photo … it’s carrying a few twigs in its beak …
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 1:25 pm —Another day … another worm … Fledgling robin … following its parent around on a worm hunt … eager to eat the newest squiggler … Eventually it will be able to hunt by itself … Video and screenshots below …
Sunday, May 19, 2024, 2:09 pm —Robin … feeding suet to its ever-hungry adult-size fledgling … First year I’ve seen robins make regular use of the deck suet holder … Video below … followed by a few screenshots …
Such dedication … robin parent … possibly male … feeding suet to fledgling … (suet holder is above them, to right) …
“After around 13 days, the nestlings are ready to fledge. For three further weeks, the chicks continue to be cared for on the ground by both parents. In many cases the female American robin has already started incubating another clutch of eggs, so care of newly fledged chicks is undertaken solely by the male.” — Baby American Robins
Incoming! … such a wide wingspan … What is it? …
Surprise! … the newly landed robin, left, isn’t an adult … but a sibling of the fledgling in the middle … “Towards the end of their first year, it becomes harder to distinguish juvenile American robins from adult birds. Some streaky plumage remains in yearlings and younger birds tend not to be as bright in color.” — Baby American Robins …
5:22 pm … the two siblings … “By the time they gain independence, juvenile American robins have started to clearly resemble the adults of the species, although the spotted markings persist on their bellies, throats and throughout their wings.” — Baby American Robins …
Sunday, May 19, 2024, 11:20 am — Fledgling robin … on top of shepherd’s hook, corner of deck … stops in the middle of preening and stretching … See video below for all its acrobatics …
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 12:05 pm — Perkins, Teeny Tuxedo … sunny noon … just right for napping cats … little yellow flowers … tiny blurry brown bird, flying toward the back trees …
4:30 pm … Teeny Tuxedo … on comforter, grooming her face … not needed at night for past few days of warmer weather, Thursday-Sunday … 80°s … 91° on Friday … 78° today …
Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 2:53 pm — Male Western Tanager … Like clockwork, they return every May … always stopping at the suet … Colors look a bit washed out in the not-so-kind sunlight …
THESE are the true colors … vivid flame red and yellow … two years ago, 7:23 am … see more photos, Bright Day, May 12, 2022 …
Friday, May 3, 2024, 2:56 pm — Female Northern Flicker … eating suet … but something’s not right! … Her upper beak is bent, curving way down beneath the lower beak … Luckily, it hasn’t hampered her tongue … She was in the same spot two weeks ago … Good to see she’s surviving …
Thursday, May 2, 2024, 10:56 am — Perkins … “It’s been over a year! … WHEN are we restarting our Perk and Teeny blog??!! … Last post was New Year Sunrise 2023 … I’m tappin’ my tail in anticipation!” …
We’re restarting NOW?! … Whew! … Finally able to relax! … Catnaps ahoy! …
11:16 am … Teeny Tuxedo … just heard the good news … “We’re Perk and Teeny bloggin’ again! … Hurry! I’m blurry! … Take more pics of my adorable face! … Post ’em, Dano!” …
11:45 am … Teeny … a sunny, celebratory catnap… red arrow points to robin hunting worms in the grass … Behind Teeny’s right paw, what’s left of the once bounteous butterfly bush … pruned too harshly by the lawn guys … For a glimpse of its glory days, see Butterfly Bush Cats, July 20, 2018 …
1:30 pm … The Black Oil Sunflower Seed Cafe is still open … male Black-Headed Grosbeak …
Sunday, December 18, 2022, 6:23 pm — Perkins … does some of her best Finnish learning while she sleeps … red spiral notebook for Finnish notes …
… 8:29 pm … discovered Google translate works on smart tv, livingroom … What’s “tram” in Finnish? … raitiovaunu … Had been watching a YT video by “asitis” … quiet, snowy walk in Helsinki …
“Most trams (raitiovaunut) running in Helsinki traffic are of the Artic type … specifically designed to meet the requirements of Helsinki’s tram network and the Nordic climate.” … “Artic on suunniteltu erityisesti Helsingin raitiovaunuverkon tarpeisiin ja kestämään pohjoista ilmastoa.” – kaupunkiliikenne.fi …
Wednesday, October 5, 2022, 1:04 pm — Female Northern Flicker … keeping her eye on …
Below, video … Bird feeder on deck table … blue Steller’s Jay in front … sharing with male Northern Flicker, hidden on other side … Halfway through video, the male Flicker (red “whiskers”) rushes to chase the female away … No sharing with HER! …
Saturday, September 24, 2022, 4:14 pm —Squirrel is VERY busy … front lawn, from kitchen window … looking for previously hidden nuts … and re-hiding them … See backyard squirrel do the same, 3 weeks earlier, Seek and Hide Squirrel, Sept. 4, 2022 …
… racing to a new spot …
… surveying the scene from giant rock …
Below, video … Squirrel on the hunt … stops to scratch its nose with both front paws at 0:38 seconds …
Neighbor’s autumn flowers … tiny tomatoes … Squirrel was scurrying through grass on right …
Sunday, September 4, 2022, 4:43 pm — Fall is around the corner … the squirrels have a new activity … looking for previously hidden nuts in the back lawn … and re-hiding them …
“Scientists have observed gray squirrels frequently burying and reburying their nuts. The scientists posited that this behavior was to help always keep a fresh memory of the nut’s location. However, it’s not only memory that squirrels need to combat in order to find their nuts! The gray squirrel community is rampant with nut theft. Squirrels can lose as much as 25% of their cached nuts to such thieves! Luckily, squirrels have developed some clever tactics to protect their nuts. Scientists have observed squirrels creating false caches in order to trick thieves.”
“While it might be frustrating for squirrels to lose their carefully hidden nuts, it can be beneficial for other organisms. In particular, it can help the forest itself! A study done at the University of Richmond cites that squirrels fail to recover up to 74% of the nuts they bury.”
Saturday, September 3, 2022, 10:46 am — Teeny Tuxedo … chattering at birds in the butterfly bush … Unusual … She’s more of a silent watcher … Too slow with the camera … caught only one little chitter at beginning of video …
Perkins and Teeny Tuxedo 