Pages

Sunday, July 18, 2010

'not all who wander are lost'

I've just lived through an interesting weekend of sorts. Saturday I spent the morning 'birding' with three members of the local Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas Project, who helped me learn the ropes of collecting data from the bird activity in my 'block.' These women were experts at identifying bird behavior, song, habitat, nests and were unstoppable. You see, I had been, umm, slow at gathering this data because I really didn't know how to find my block which sits several miles north of St. Paul. I listened and walked and made notations. As I was being eaten alive by a huge batch of mosquitoes in a wooded area, one flew into my eye. I've never had that experience! I couldn't get it out, and apparently slept with its remains somewhere in my eye and after some robust dousing, got it out.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we had a huge storm pass through last evening with tornadoes dangerously close to the Twin Cities, one landing just a couple of miles from me. I'm dodging flying lawn chairs and lightening to remove the hanging pots from their hooks because a pair of house finches have a nest in my geraniums. Little did I know the female was sitting on the eggs when I brought the pot indoors, at which point she abandoned the nest and spent the next hour flying around my house! Long story short, I locked up my cat, and finally successfully shooed her out. This morning when I hung the pot outside again, two more eggs were in her nest and there she sat. I couldn't resist a snapshot before she got back on.

For this week's Camera Critters, I submit the nest with these gorgeous turquoise eggs along with a shot I captured of a rather miffed blue heron forced to leave his fishing hole when I came into view. I could hear him grumbling as he flew away.
Lastly, besides silly animal tricks, I have included one of my favorite summer flowers Heavenly Blue Morning Glories. There are many more beauties to see at Today's Flowers.

9 comments:

i beati said...

special story special photos . it's so hot here my morning glories dried up on the vine..sandy

Dimple said...

Nice story, well illustrated. I'm glad the nest survived and the mom wasn't scared completely away. I hope all the eggs hatch! And phooey on the heron, he could have gone on fishing! :)

Thanks for the visit!

Michael said...

Good luck to mom and those eggs.

SandyCarlson said...

Very wonderful photos, my friend. These are extra special.

Snap said...

Wonderful post. You've been busy! Cool nest -- Mother Nature is something else ... storms and life all at the same time. I don't think I'd like a mosquito in the eye.

DeniseinVA said...

Great post and photos - your words got me really involved. So glad the mummy came back to her unhatched eggs. What a weekend you had indeed. Glad the storm passed over without too much damage and all was well.
An English Girl Rambles

jabblog said...

You really did have an interesting weekend, parts of which you don't want to repeat in the near future (or at all!)
Love the eggs - what a little trooper that bird is, not only to return to her brood but to add to it. Wonderful:-)

Donna said...

Good LORD Girl!! What a time you had with the storm! Glad you're safe!!!
I can't believe the bird went Back to the nest!! Cool!
hughugs

Carver said...

You took some great shots. Sound like a lot of excitement. I have enough trouble with normal size mosquitoes so that part sounds awful. I hope the mother and her babes to be hatched do well.