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Squirrelly Wrath

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 Dec 8, 2024 Well, how did this happen? I actually captured it on video (see below) This was a rough ride to the ground, but the bounty was worth it! After using zip ties to repair the feeder, and several iterations of re-positioning the baffles, a modification to the upper dome baffle seems to have done the trick. The hook attached to the wire on top passes through the small flange (mini-dome) on the top of the baffle. It was designed to be loose and could easily move, and allowed the weight of the squirrel to tilt the entire baffle vertically, so they could steer themselves down the side of the lower torpedo baffle in freefall, and latch onto the feeder with a paw while on the way down. Several of them got quite talented at this, but Super Glue around the small flange cemented it to the larger baffle and the offenders can no longer tilt the baffle anywhere close to the vertical that they could do before. There have been no intrusions since then; in fact it appears that they've gi...
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See Ya in the Spring, Godot!

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 Oct 17, 2024 It appears that Hummingbird season has ended here in our area of North Carolina. The feeder is still out for now, but we haven't seen Godot for about 2 weeks. Since then there have been a couple others, presumably stopping during their own migration. Their behavior was much different from that of Godot - a pair that flew along together in a leisurely manner. An alert reader asked how I can tell them apart, since, let's face it, they all look pretty similar. My answer was that they all hum different tunes, but in reality the appearance can differ due to male vs female (as with other birds) and adolescents. There was another hummer (never captured on camera) that sometimes chased Godot from the feeder; that one had a full ruby throat and was clearly an adult male. That left possibilities of Godot as actually a Mrs. Godot (or, Godot and Godon't ?) or an immature male, since he didn't have a ruby throat. Maybe the same bird will return next spring, and more ob...
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Chipmunks(s)!

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 Sep 7, 2024 Unlike squirrels, I've never felt that a chipmunk wanted to kill me. They exact their carnage on the wallet, not the flesh. During my years in New Hampshire (the last time I saw chipmunks!), there were hundreds of them in my yard. I also had chipmunk babies dropping on my back as I dragged fallen branches back into the woods. I only ever named one of them; he was "Bob", because he had only a nub of a tail (it was bobbed). The reason why was never clear, but it made him recognizable and he looked like an old chipmunk who had been through the wars. The extent of their destruction became clear every spring when it was time to restart the irrigation system. Every single year, this involved hours of debugging and repairs due to the chipmunks chewing through the wires that controlled the valves for each zone. Good times! Now, here, there is so far only one chipmunk (not yet named), and no irrigation system. So I'm hoping for a better outcome this time! That p...
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Waiting for Godot ....

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 Aug 3, 2024 I don't recall ever seeing a hummingbird in FL, although I'm sure they were around. Based on Facebook posts in the NC area, I knew they were here and one first appeared in the yard when these tiger lilies began to bloom. Early photos were taken through the LR window pane or a screen, and I soon began sitting outside to wait for this little bird to come by for a photo opp with no optical interference. The first time I did that, I waited about 1/2 hr, and that was long enough for me to name him "Godot". And although I say "him", I can't say I'm sure about that - it could be a female or an immature male. This is a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, with a paucity of "ruby"! This one is the only one who regularly comes by. I've seen 2 or 3 others traveling together, who zip by, often distract Godot, then zoom off. It's unclear what that's all about, possibly some bird taboo being somehow violated. These lilies have finished blo...
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From FL to NC!

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 May 21, 2024 In March of this year, we moved to North Carolina. The lead photo above is an example of our new denizens around here.... specifically in the backyard! There are at least 2 cardinal nests near the house and they are all over the place - enough cardinals for a Papal Conclave! But alert readers will wonder what happened with the GBH nests in FL. I didn't see the end of the story, but here is how it was when we left in late Feb. These were the 2 new chicks, from the old standby nesting area (location #1 ) - the latest offspring of Ma and Pa Kettle . No names! The newest nest location (#3) was taken over by anhingas, who started their assault by ambling by and glomming onto the softest nesting material. The furthest nest (#2) had no chicks the last time I saw it, but was still being tended. There are several nature reserves nearby our new home in NC, and hope to see more of the shore birds that we've seen for years. But for now, the backyard songbirds are providing ...
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3 of a Kind GBH Nests !!

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 Jan 26, 2024 For the first time since I've been watching this nesting activity, there are multiple Great Blue Heron (GBH) nests in progress. Not just 2, but 3!! These birds tend to be solitary, but they also like to nest in colonies and we're seeing local evidence of that now. The photo below shows the relative locations of the nests.... #1 is in the middle, so called since that's the location of the sole nests from the previous years. Location #2 is the second one I noticed, and activity on #3 (one mangrove closer to me) just began last week. It's not possible to get all 3 in a single telephoto shot with my long lens, but the next photo shows the closest nests (#1 and #2 ), and the photo after that shows only #3 . This is a male in the above image from #3 , performing a neck stretch that (I have just read) is part of a mating ritual. I've never seen this before. The next image shows a closer up look at an occupant of #2 : The nests are deep down into the bushes...
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Whistling Ducks !!

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 Dec 20, 2023 An alert reader suggested that we take a holiday break from alligators and focus on some critters that are less toothy and more cuddly. In so doing, it seems like a good opportunity to talk about ducks. The above photo is of a Black Bellied Whistling Duck (heretofore to be known as a BBWD). I never heard about BBWD's until about a year ago. I don't why that is, but now I hear about them a lot. To my knowledge, there are none in the condo community where I live. I first saw some this year at a golf course, and the photos in today's post were all taken at a different golf course in Tarpon Springs. I've looked at their ranges in the Audubon Guide (the vintage of mine is late 70's), and there is migration up into Louisiana, but nothing north of Fort Myers in FL for year-round residency. Latest range graphs are further north (including Tampa Bay), but vary so much that I wonder about the accuracy. Nevertheless, they are here now, and I never heard of them...
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