Musings

I loved the sun today. I loved that the park* was (almost) mine. Other denizens included carousel horses (very quiet), a wide assortment of birds, and, over about sixty-five minutes, nine people. No lie. The park was dehumanized. In the sun, cold (for ATL), but only breezy, and not too bad—if you could keep moving and had “the right” coat, hat, etc.

* Piedmont Park, of course. Birds included mallards and muscovys, sparrows, robins, cardinals, mockingbirds, and those are the ones I remember.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Park demography, brief sample

I noticed a fluffy ginger cat sprawled atop the neighbor’s red car across the street, alert not sleeping.

Then I saw a black-and-white cat cross my front yard, stopping at the far right to take up a post on a low wall.

Aha, I figured out, they are aware of each other. I went out to watch the soap opera.

I quietly took a seat on the porch.

Soon, fluffy hopped down and I lost track of him (probably a him given the color).

After a bit, black-and-white headed back across our yard, staying amidst the azaleas, protected from cat—and my—eyes. Less than a minute later, fluffy popped up just where black-and-white had been sitting.

Like any soap opera, that’s the installment I witnessed. I didn’t hear any caterwauling or hissing, so I think they must have gone their separate ways….

Posted at 2:21 PM | 1 Comment »

We walked out of the cafe after lunch (mmmmm, catfish and hush puppies), and I spotted this spider…and learned that two of the ladies who I lunched with also liked spiders (in their place).

Posted at 10:16 PM | 4 Comments »

I scrutinized Lake Clara Meer’s shoreline, looking for the GBH (Great Blue Heron). Yesterday I watched her/him fishing for quite a while—meaning standing still as a statue for quite a while, then striking, with success, and retreating to a sheltered location, I assume to digest. Today, I didn’t spot her/him.

On the other hand, I felt like there were more Canada geese…looking for handouts.

Posted at 6:10 PM | Comments Off on Wildlife report (thin)

Patient Reader: after a long string of mostly plants, I thought I’d shift to the critter kingdom and give you some…variation.

Loving loving loving the 5s camera.

Posted at 6:05 PM | 2 Comments »

Kind readers, here’s a second Sunday post: bluebirds and waxwings dining on the barberries (of last Thursday), accompanied by a monitoring bluejay and happy chipmunks gathering pieces that fell to the ground.

Dining? We went to Manistique for lunch. Followed by groceries….

Posted at 12:06 PM | 3 Comments »

I watched the birds feasting on these barberries (Berberis spp.) like the cold is coming, but not yet here. I thought I watched a chickadee, but not according to Sibley. Didn’t take the time to page through and figure out what that little bird was.

Posted at 10:22 PM | 1 Comment »

I would have sworn when it was just me and the iPhone that this shot was in focus! Not one bit. (I mean the spider.)

We made and changed plans seventeen times today. The house is clean and we are enjoying it. This is good.

Posted at 6:56 PM | Comments Off on oof = out of focus

I think the spider noticed the infrared (or maybe just a misleading red dot), and went into hiding behind the…silk blob. Or maybe I’m just not the wildlife photographer…I hope I am.

Posted at 9:29 PM | 2 Comments »

Long story (maybe) but, we’ve (royal “we”) got some natural history-chops, and…hmm, this carbon-caterpillar, however beautiful, is…mysterious. Taxonomically. (And maybe more.)

Posted at 11:00 PM | Comments Off on Mystery-pillar