Tag Archives: bird

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Numbers Game #6: 127

For Judy’s Numbers Game #6: 127. Many of the photographs that came up are from a trip to the Washington, DC area in 2018, and various hikes there.

A merganser enjoying the winter sun.

The George Washington Parkway, over our heads, as we hiked down a run.

The Potomac River, seen through the trees.

The Potomac River along the Tow Path.

Time to head home as the light fades.

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Cat tv

The hummingbirds were very hungry in yesterday’s 17 degree weather. At first Front Anna looked disheveled and fluffed up and miserable, but she cheered up considerably after breakfast. I filled my squirrel chewed bird feeders too. I put a warm scarf on each of my desks in front and we had a nice day of cat tv. My house was built in 1930 and it is not well insulated. Usually it’s not bad, just cooler upstairs, but in this cold it comes through all the walls and windows, storms or not.

But the cats watched the feeder tv quite happily. I took them out in harnesses and they decided to come back in quite soon. I don’t think they minded the snow, but they did not like the cold at all.

And the sun came out.

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Summer fools

Some fools are summer fools
other fools are sommerfugls
fugls are birds, yes, summer birds
but summer birds are butterflies
I don’t think butterflies can hum
but hummingbirds can hum and fly
flies and birds and soon it’s fall
the summer fools fool us all

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: hum.

Sommerfugl is Danish and is pronounced summer fool. The literal translation is summer bird, but it means butterfly.

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Excelsior!

I thought Excelsior! was something that you shout! Onwards! Upwards! Apparently Henry Wadsworth Longfellow thought so too. Perhaps the youth in the poem really needed packing material. And then the State of New York adopted it as a motto, meaning higher rather than packing material. Though the wood shavings to pack things were named Excelsior after the poem was written.

Now that I have confused myself and you, I will just say Excelsior when I see all the goldfinches at the feeder. Higher! Wood shavings! Birds!

I took this at my feeder in June 2022.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: excelsior!

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The pinch

I am Elwha.

Mother has relented, a little. I could feel the pinch of hunger in my belly. She seemed to be ignoring the offerings in my bowl. My sister has helped. She is able to climb up and get the gloves with the delicious animal smell. I do not know what the animal is, but it makes me more hungry than ever. She brought me a glove from high on the shelf and added it to the bowl after we had our sparse morning feeding! I was starting to feel as if my belly was pressed against my ribs! My sister is still rounded. She is smaller and doesn’t have my needs.

Yesterday I talked to mother all day and she finally relented and gave us extra food! We were out in the bird watching box for a good half hour. My sister talks about zippers but she is not able to manipulate them to let us out. We would very much like to eat one of those birds! Or four. Or more. Some, the gold ones, are very small. It is cold out and the sky wets on us, so I am more hungry than ever!

My sister would run out of the bird watching box in a moment. I would catch a bird, but then go back in. Those cars and trucks going by terrify me! Especially the recycling one and the buses. They want to devour me, I know it. Mother does not seem to fear them.

I feel better with the extra food. I hope that mother continues to give it to us. At least until we catch those birds.

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For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: pinch.