Re: Distractions and old friends

it's really great to see such animal behavior, lynda. one of my favorite things is to observe them doing what they do when mating or foraging or implanting rituals in their young. the mysteries become less mysterious and the behavior becomes much more elegant for it.

i still remember with a kind of smug awe watching the osprey pluck a fish from the nursery's pond. it is not something one forgets soon.


At 09:57 AM 5/5/03 -0500, you wrote:
We worked outside all weekend weeding, mulching and planting accompanied
by the sounds and sights of Mississippi Kites that are nesting nearby.
There were brisk winds both days and the kites were having such fun
playing on the breezes that I kept getting distracted watching them soar
and plunge and catch the winds to coast along.  One really gets the
feeling that they are up there for the sheer joy of the feeling (oh,
don't we all wish we could fly like that!).  One pair chose to mate in
the top of a huge old dead oak at the edge of our yard and we were so
mesmerized by the courtship that we did not modestly avert our eyes.
The female landed on the topmost limb and the male circled high above
her for several minutes as they called out to each other.  Then at the
apex of his circle, he folded his wings back and plummeted to her.  A
magnificent sight that we got to see repeated several times.

Also at our feeders this weekend were old friends we had not seen in
several years.  Two male and one female Rose Breasted Grossbeaks made an
appearance.  They won't be here long, but it is certainly nice to see
them again.

I'd probably get a lot more gardening done if the birds weren't around,
but it would not be anywhere near as enjoyable!

Lynda
zone 7 - West TN

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