Doo-dads, Tid-bits and Turkeys

I thought I'd just tie up some loose previous-blog-post-ends today...

But first, does anyone remember Doo-dads and Tid-bits? (I ate them as a kid in the 70s.)

It was like one minute they were in the grocery store and then the next they were gone (and I somehow had three kids and a mortgage - WTFudge?). Speaking of crackers, I really miss Cheez-its. : (
(Update on 5/25, because some have inquired: I miss Cheez-its because I broke up with them on April 9 so I could fit back in my summer wardrobe. It's tragic.)

Let's see...what else...

Oh, yes, BIRDS!

Well, I told you about all the many nesting songbirds in my yard, and that the baby Mockingbirds unfortunately got eaten. :( I don't believe I've mentioned, though, that the House Finch eggs (4) hatched in their nest (that was in the wreath on my front door), but about a week later, the mom knocked all four of them out of the nest on purpose and they didn't make it. (Do you realize what a miracle it is that there are any birds flying around in the sky at all, friends?)

But then, there are the BARN SWALLOWS! A beautiful and lively little bird. We have three nesting pairs and not a one of them (including babies) have met an untimely demise (yay)!

I took these photos for you a couple hours ago.

Do you see four sets of eyeballs, too? :) This nest, along with one other, is attached (with mud) to a wall under my covered back porch.  These babies are almost ready to fly. (BTW, this is our third spring hosting multiple barn swallow broods.)

Here are mom and dad keeping a close eye on me. About a minute later I got dive-bombed by two other pairs.

Not a good quality photo, but if you enlarge this, you can see the forked tail  of one of the birds (far left). The barn swallow has the deepest forked tail of any swallow species.

I'm really bummed about the quality of these photos, but you might recall that my Nikon s9100 with the awesome zoom lens (among other things) got smashed when we took the dogs to the professional soccer game. Yeah, so the camera is currently at the Nikon factory hospital waiting for surgery. And, even though it's uninsured (who knew accidental smashing on concrete was a pre-existing condition?), the cost for surgery and transportation (to and from the hospital) is only half of what I'd spend to get a brand new model (not sarcasm, gratefulness!). ;) 

Anyway, I just wanted you to know the status of the blog photography...and that these recent photos I got of some turkeys aren't really that great either.

Jive Turkey #1
(Oh wait, no one says "jive turkey" anymore! That went out with my Doo-dads in the 70s.)

I like to eat turkey and I am what I eat. 

Actual wild turkey running through my front yard (a couple weeks ago)!

So, I think that about does it for the loose ends.

P.S. Mashed pumpkin is good for loose ends (aka Hersheys).

;-) (wink)

Also, don't forget to enter, before Saturday if you want a chance at winning, our BlogPaws 2012 full conference pass giveaway!

It Sucks to Be Hungry...or a Baby Mockingbird in My Yard

Warning: Disturbing mental images might occur when reading parts of this post, despite my feeble attempts at humor. Just sayin'.

Why eat one when you can have the whole wheel (of cheese), aka box?

When one is hungry, one can get cranky and decide to eat things that might not be appropriate:

Like too many peanut butter sandwiches (me), WAY too many Cheez-Its (also me)...

Or baby Mockingbirds (not me).

There are a couple reasons why I'm sharing this information with you:

1)  I have been cranky from hunger since Monday, April 9; however, because my summer wardrobe (from 2011) shrank a half size over the winter and I really can't afford to get a new one, instead of soothing my hunger with PB and baked cheddar goodness, I am now soothing with baby carrots, spoon-size shredded wheat and dill pickles.
In other words, I'm still cranky. 

2)  Something hungry ate all the baby Mockingbirds that hatched from the three eggs in the nest in the shrub in my yard. Which, you might recall, I wrote a sweet little blog post about, promising to update you with photos of the babies once they hatched.

R.I.P.

So. [5-second pause]

Instead of posting photos of the half-destroyed bird's nest* (or the hours-old babies that are now over the bird bridge), I have decided to show you some photos of Jon Farleigh and Dewi as puppies.

7 weeks

You're welcome.

10 weeks

Don't mention it. :)

***

See you tomorrow!

*No idea what got the birds, but I found a Cooper's hawk's tail feather near the scene. :(

The Post in Which We Go to the Birds

In case I haven't mentioned it before, I AM WILD ABOUT WILD SONGBIRDS. The sight and sound of them, in fact, (especially when I can watch them from up close, through a window) is like balm for my soul. So in spring, as it is now, when the birds and the bees are in full reproductive swing, I become a doofy, bird watching, nature gazing fool.

So far, I have counted four birds' nests in my yard, each with a brooding female - two Barn Swallows, a House Finch and my favorite songbird ever, a Northern Mockingbird. And because the mockingbird pair was especially hospitable to my intrusions today, I hope you will indulge me while I share a bit of the photographic evidence. :)

I didn't catch the mama bird on her nest this time (as I accidentally did the other day when I first discovered it), but I did get a good look at the three little blue-speckled eggs inside.

The shrub that hides the mockingbird nest

By the way, all these photos look much better enlarged.

Before I started taking these pictures, I looked all around to see if the parents were nearby. They weren't (or at least I didn't see them). A few minutes later, however, after becoming distracted by some chatting, I looked up to see both mama and dad watching intently from a small maple tree, not 10 feet away.

They both flew when I approached, but since they didn't fly far, I was still able to get a few photos.

The unmistakable mockingbird tail

Although my point-and-shoot (Nikon S9100) camera is limited compared to a DSLR, the 18x digital zoom makes for some pretty cool bird shots.

You might wonder, with its not-so-interesting gray coloring, why this little bird makes me so happy. So I'll tell you. This is half of the reason:

Its song.

Mockingbirds sing their little bird butts off. And not only their own songs, but they can (and do) mimic many other songbirds (and frogs) around them, building up repertoires throughout their lifetimes. 

Mockingbirds also have a distinct (battle cry) call for running off nest invaders and defending their territory from other mockingbirds. 

This call (I hope it didn't startle you), plus the tenacity and bravery these birds display when defending their babies, is the second half of why I love them so much.

They take no crap from nobody.

I have seen them run off birds of prey many times their size, mid-flight. I have seen them swoop over the backs of mischievous cats. And I have seen and heard them scream their heads off at me when I've gotten too close to their babies. (I guess the current pair doesn't view me as much of a threat. Or maybe they're saving it up for when the eggs hatch.)

Yes, I know I cut its feet off. I just like the cool way the branches (and that one punch of green)
add interest to the background. 

And that is all the mockingbird trivia I have for you (today).

If I can get some shots of the babies (without getting pecked about the head and shoulders), I'll post an update.

Have a great one!

P.S. I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to post photos of our Barn Swallows and House Finches, too. One day soon.

P.P.S. I'm taking either tomorrow or Friday off the blog, depending on the weather. Sunny is good. :-)