How to fall in love with raptors

1. Learn how to go from sixty to zero in less than three seconds.

2. Learn how to drive with one eye on the road and the other aimed at telephone poles.



3. Get involved with a rescue group.




4. Get to know the subtle (and not so subtle) differences in your local residents.





5. While you are learning, don't get your feathers in a bunch.


6. Keep looking up.



7. Even if you feel like giving up, practice patience.



8. Always have your camera ready.



9. Respect.



10. Keep your sense of humor.


11. Let the love fill you up.

Port A Potties and barn owls

It's been so long since I did a RAPTOR program...I had a lull of about three weeks. I spoke to a class at a private school today and they were just perfect kids. Smart, quiet...

I was pleased to see a new Port-A-Let at RAPTOR:


Why is this a big deal? Well, because we didn't have "facilities" before. The house on the property of course has a bathroom for the tenants, but we don't use it. Who wants strangers using your bathroom? So you either had to go pick a tree or drive up to the golf course. Now, it's not like we spend all day at RAPTOR, more like an hour here or there. But one of our rehabbers asked if she could just get a Port-A-Let and so now everyone's happy.
It's new, so it was quite refreshing in there today. Marilyn added a vase of flowers, giving it a nice homey touch.



A robin has a nest right above one of the mews...hope none of those chicks fall out of the nest!

No-No the barn owl is officially a program bird now....as he has had his left wing partially amputated:

He still shakes his head back and forth, but the mantling is one-sided now.


The left wing was removed at the wrist, but he keeps it close to his body.
I cannot wait to start training him. I wonder if unearthly screams will become part of my program?

Sick kid and mad beads

The Vile Tummy Virus struck here again. After waking us at 5 am barfing, Isabelle spent the day on the couch sipping juice carefully. I spent the day spraying Lysol carefully and burning all the towels and sheets.

Between the Lysol fumes and tending the flames, I did some beading:


When I saw these cool painted china disc beads, I had to have them. This is a piece I actually made for myself. I love that it turned out exactly like I wanted it to.


Glass flower beads + silver leaf spacers = dangles....that I don't know what to do with.



Ever since I have perfected the art of the wire "swirl", I can't stop incorporating them into stuff.


More swirls...and pretty shell discs. I can't stop myself. It's become an obsession. I have enough pieces to start my own jewelry store.


The birds were pretty quiet today, due to a pair of Cooper's hawks chuck-chucking off in the back woods most of the day. But we had a squirrel.....
Brace yourself for some sweet squirrelly toes and nom-nom-noming:


Zick Dough being put to good use. Julie has BUNNY LIPS...I have squirrel toes. So there.



And I may not have Chet, but I have Nellie. Thinking deep thoughts. Well, probably the only deep thought she has ever had.

A bird in the hand is worth....a blog post

So I was putting the girls in the car, minding my own business....
I saw a male goldfinch who hadn't flown off when we came out. That's never a good sign.




I walked over quietly, and the poor guy looked around wildly. But I was standing right in front of him and he wasn't leaving. I reached over and he flew onto my arm:

Once he was practically up my nose, I could see that it didn't look like garden-variety avian conjunctivitis. Both of his eyes were damaged in some way, but not swollen or crusty like the house finches I have seen. (Goldfinches can contract conjunctivitis, but I have yet to see it in any other species but house finches.)


This eye was completely shut. Poor guy. He flew up a few times, but came back to land on me every time.


As I am used to bigger, badder toenails, it was very strange to feel these tiny claws resting on my finger. Lighter than a quarter.

I showed the girls what Mommy had in her hand....they were all like "Holy Crap!", well, the 4-and-6 year old version of "Holy Crap!".

As I was thinking about getting the bird into a box to take to Marilyn, (one of our RAPTOR rehabbers who can also treat songbirds) the little guy flew over my head and away. I sincerely hope I can find him again. If not, well, we can wish him the best.

When I got into the car to continue with our plans, Isabelle exclaimed,
"Mommy! YOU. ARE. AWESOME!"

We have a weiner! (Well, two of them)

Okay, the winners of the Make Me Laugh Contest:
Kitt and Mel made me laugh the most...Email me (capricorn@cinci.rr.com) your snail-mail addresses and your two top choices of jewelry. If you guys pick the same thing, I will toss a coin.

I thought I had this big mystery today at Crooked Run Estuary...
After walking the trails, I started back to my car and saw this stuff:


Huh. That looks like nesting material. Oooooh....and a lot of feathers stuck in the pine needles, no longer attached to a bird. Must have been plucked from the nest along with the mama bird.
Cooper's attack.

I bent the branch way down and did some Chimping...mud, twigs and a perfect round cup.
With two cold, bluish-green eggs....large eggs.


I didn't know exactly what bird they came out of (I can't ever figure out bird eggs, unless there is an adult bird sitting on them), but by process of elimination (nest is in a tree, made of mud and twigs, loose feathers were gray and rufus-colored) I decided it was a robin...who is now being digested by a Coop.

More choices

Just to up the stakes, I am showing some more stuff that I have made and want to give away...
Maybe the flower bracelet is too casual? I have dressy things, too:


This is a floating green/millefiori glass chip necklace with a toggle clasp.
Trixie might recognize my new beading tote...she was with me when I bought it and I couldn't shut up about how great it was. I am still talking about how great it is. I love it when you buy something that was designed for the purpose you use it for. It obviously was thought up by a beader. And it's a pretty color.



Top: Chain bracelet with charms made with blue glass beads, a few Swarovski crystals, tiny stars, swirls and Aurora Borealis beads with toggle clasp.
Left: Purple, pink and clear crystal and glass beaded bracelet with magnetic clasp.
Right: Just some fun stretchy bracelets.



(the card is just a spare I had...)
Left: Ocean color bead earrings
Right: "Tie-dyed" glass bead earrings with star dangles

The contest is still on...I have laughed quite a few times, but I will keep it open for another day or so. Winner gets to choose what they want.
Come on, readers! I want to give this stuff away! I know I'm not Birdchick with her cool optic/book giveaways, but hey...

A contest

I have been beading my butt off lately. RAPTOR programs have been very light and I can usually squeeze out a nice bracelet or earrings in between the girls' school schedules.

I have a surplus of jewelry at hand, and thought I would post a contest for someone to win a piece or two.

The question:
What is your most embarrassing or funny moment while birding? (If you aren't a birder, I will take the most embarrassing or funny nature-related moment)

The winner is the comment that makes me laugh the loudest.
Bonus round: If it's really really funny, I will throw in a matching pair of earrings.


This is what I am planning on sending to the lucky weiner. But if you would rather have something a bit more dressy, I have stuff like that, too.

Let the games begin!