Another Good Day

I stopped by The Center Wednesday in the middle of the day... now that I am working full time, and was packing/moving/unpacking in every spare second for the last 8 weeks, AND have had the absolute worst seasonal allergies ever for months, I have not been able to physically volunteer there. I have been doing other things for them and I do miss being hands on.

But I found a juvenile blue jay floundering in the middle of the road with two cars speeding toward it from opposite directions. I thought someone had hit it or it'd fallen out of a nest or had crashed trying to learn to fly. I leapt out of my car, stopped the traffic, grabbed some cloth from the backseat, slowly approached the bird, and it allowed me to pick it up ever so gently.

The mother was doing all kinds of kaw-ing and fluttering from branch to branch overhead. I did follow her onto someone's lawn and held the baby up to the mother, who definitely turned her head so that one eye could fix on the fledgling. I was hoping the bird would just fly up to mom, after being stunned in the street. It's mouth was wide open, and while there was no blood, it's right foot was crunched up beneath her and her right wing was askew. There was no flying to mom, and mom eventually flew further away, though still sounding distressed. I was thinking, broken wing, and was hoping it didn't mean internal injuries instead. So I put it in my carrier and called work.


My fabulous boss suggested I indeed go ahead and take it to the Center, which fortunately was only about 12 minutes drive (with me speeding a little, of course). I noticed that the bird seemed quite calm, and had shut it's mouth, and was not seeming stressed. That was good. When I dropped the bird off, no sooner was it put on triage row that it suddenly came to life. Both feet and wings seemed to work okay! And it was tapping it's beak against the glass, like let me out. I asked, "Do I take it back then, and set it free?" The answer was no. There could be injuries, it could have been a stroke... better to be there where it could be observed and treated if so, and well fed and protected from predators, leading to being set free in a few weeks anyway. Win/win.

So I went to leave, and one of the volunteers happened to walk by holding this:

A most beautiful bobcat. Look at that foot! I'd never seen a bob cat before, and here this little one was, as sweet and docile as any house kitten. I asked if she snapped or bit or clawed and the answer was no... but we all know someday soon, that will be her nature. In the mean time I did have to reach out to touch it's furry head and take hold of one paw, just because...

I'd read on their website about this one who was brought in by a hiker who said it had followed her around the woods for over an hour, no mom in sight. I thought, darn, I will not be able to see something so extraordinary, because I'm not able to be there as much right now. And lo and behold, I got this little blessing.

Add that to the fact that the blue jay did not meet her end on the hot concrete and has another chance to grow up and live and fly, and it was a damn good day.

Baaah

It's not quite Teddy, the goat beloved by this blogger and apparently this blog's readers but this little lamb came to The Center for day care. While he was able to curl up and nap in this area, I caught him awake and saying hello.



Short, but sheep.

Just Ducky

.... and Geese-y, to be completely accurate.

I took a walk in The Park for the first time in a long time. I've been so busy with all the other ways I've gotten involved with animals that the place that started me in this direction -- The Park and all the animal regulars in it -- have fallen on the back burner. * hanging head* Isn't that just like life... I never want to take things for granted that are that special. So I got myself there, with bread and cracked corn in my pockets.

I've written often about the ones who I developed relationships with, Mr. and Mrs Goose probably getting top billing (had to say it). So the first two I looked for were them. They are the biggest and the loudest, so they are not hard to find, if they're not resting deep within the thicket on the island in the middle of The Lake. Thankfully I saw them right away, padding around in a rather soggy patch of forest, pecking at greens, which seem to be a daily part of their diet.

However, when I held out a little bread, it got their attention!


I included this second picture because it shows both of their faces in profile. It's worth clicking on the picture to open and see how beautiful they are. And she, who is the smaller of the two and in the lower right of the picture, has features that just look more feminine, even though their markings are almost identical. She looks like she has a more almond shaped eye, or up-swept eyeliner on....


And then there was Elvis.... the Muscoy duck. Once in a while I don't see him but overall he is a fixture, never straying from the edges of the reflection pool


And I also saw the third of my top three favorite buddies, the Indian Running duck. I don't have any name for him but as I've written here, he quacks me up with his adrenalized personality. He runs faster than any of the others over to me, and can't stand still be cause he is so revved up. He quacks at rapid speed and also stamps his little orange feet. So funny.


As a result, most of my pictures of him are blurred like the one below, because he's in such constant motion. And he's in the middle of talking to me. Fast talking, fast walking, very verbal... this duck could easily be a New Yorker (said fondly, as I consider myself to be one -- a New Yorker that is).

He looks like he's saying: WHERE WERE YOU??? DO YOU LIKE SQUIRRELS BETTER THAN US NOW????

The answer is, no.

I'm quite smitten with them all.

A Wee Turtle's Lucky Day -- And Mine

On a recent, wet and overcast spring day I was walking through The Park in what I call "squirrel forest." It's an area that was full of tall trees and populated by tons of Fox squirrels. While there still are a lot of those, the trees took a hit between Hurricane Ike and the massive construction that went on in the area for most of 2009. There are still things that go on in the name of improvement and restoration over there, and the day I was walking it seems they'd put in a bunch of new mulch.

To this day I have no idea how I spotted this but I had just handed out nuts to dozens of squirrels and was ready to get home. I started walking toward the path when somehow my eyes fell on a tiny little shape that looked the color of the bits of tree bark mixed in with the dark, moist topsoil. I stooped to get a closer look and I thought I saw little hands or a foot. By the time my eyes focused those were gone but sure enough, it was the underside of a tiny turtle. Thank goodness I stopped because I don't know what would have happened otherwise. It was a miracle I didn't step on him, but he was also so far away from the water, I have no idea how he got there, let alone how he'd ever get back.

I picked him up in my gloves and saw that he had indeed both sets "hands" and "feet", a tail and head. And he seemed alive though his head was tucked so far back into his shell (as mine would be if an utter GIANT had picked me up) so I couldn't see his eyes. I wish I'd have thought to take a picture of it, but I was more concerned that he was alive and well. I walked as carefully as I could with him in one palm, upright and flat, with the other had cupping over it, to give him a sense of security -- if that can be had while something has taken you waaaay up into the air and now you are inevitably jostling with each resounding step.

I went to a place I knew there were lots of turtles and babies, but there was no shoreline. If he was not well, or unable to swim, I wanted him to be able to get out. I know nothing about turtles, and maybe he'd have been fine, but I wanted to pick a place that would give him the option to stay on land or step into the water when he was ready. I also wasn't sure if other turtles were territorial, or if he'd be bullied or picked on by others if he was not a part of their group. I thought of the shallows where so many seasoned duck mothers lead their little babies, but I know that snapping turtles lurk just below and with one swift motion can grab something little on the surface for s snack. I am not sure a turtle would eat a turtle, but I continued on. Finally I found a moss covered log, the same one where I've seen a turtle sunning himself every now and again. That could act as a "shoreline", where the little guy could stay until he wanted to swim away. I put him down and stood there for about 20 minutes, watching.


Slowly, his head came out, then a foot, then all his limbs and his tail. He hung there for another 10 minutes, and then I noticed he ventured into the water, hanging on to the log with the toe nails of one little foot. I smiled and took a few pictures, and decided all was well enough.

If you'd like an idea of just how small he was, here is a picture that will show you. This log is about as big as my forearm.... And that's my shadow snapping the pic.

It's this kind of stuff that makes me feel I've earned my day on earth. Call me crazy, but it makes me feel good.

Life is Good

When you have a nice fuzzy place to sleep!



CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE JUST HOW COMFY THIS CORNER REALLY IS!

Wise Words

Any glimpse into the
life of an animal
quickens our own
and makes it so much
the larger and better
in every way.

--John Muir

How About a Twin Foal Cam

Here is a link to a mama horse who had a set of twins. One needed to have a kind of cast on first one front leg and then both because of soft knees. This was shortly after it was born, but with the exuberance that all newborn baby animals seem to have, it innocently accepted that this was the way it was and did a great job of hopping around after his or her sibling, nursing and taking naps in the nice hay.

This trio is lovingly cared for by a staff night and day, who you will see interact with them often, doing chores around them or attending to them. Check it out by CLICKING HERE or go to: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sunnyandangeltwinfoals


Thank you to commenter and very good pal Laurie for sending me this link!

More Dogs

Picture of the Day

I was going in to the grocery store the other day and saw this utterly sweet doggie dozing outside. It had the most peaceful, lovely face. I only had my iPhone with me (no zoom) and I didn't want to get too much closer to get the shot for fear of him or her moving, so I snapped what I could. If you click on it, maybe it will enlarge enough to see what I mean. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Dogs are just such special beings. They wait for you, they are so patient, they love love love you and no matter what, that tail will start wagging.
Anybody know what kind of dog this is?

It's GOAT TIME on the blog!

Hello -- I'm looking right at you with my horizontal pupil. Do you like my hair? Do you like my ears? I hope so because I've been told I'm just really likable in general.

And what do I like? Just about anything I can chew on.... um, because I'm a GOAT, and that's what goats do.

Here I am last summer in my pen when Rochelle took a little movie of me. Her camera looked pretty tasty -- and so did her shirt sleeve, come to think of it -- and I tried to get to it but she was just out of reach. So I stood around a little and then I got disinterested.



If you want to see a pic of me as a baby, CLICK HERE -- Don't pass it up. Go ahead, I was really cute. Not to say that I'm not really REALLY cute now.... But I prefer handsome, or striking since I am indeed all black and white.

It's Baby Bird Time!

Baby birds start out as small as this. The first time I saw one -- with such thin skin you could see all their blood moving through their veins, with eyes undeveloped, and the tiniest little half limbs -- I didn't believe it could possibly eat or live.

But even in such a vulnerable state, that little rim of bright school bus yellow opens wide as soon as food it put near and every morsel delivered is consumed with great vigor. It's flabbergasting, and only reinforces what miracles of nature go on every day, all around us, all the time.

As they grow, the little half-limbs I mention become strong and feathered wings, their eyes mature and finally open, their little legs get strong enough to shoot their growing bodies straight up when I walk by because I MEAN FOOD (and they want it every 15 minutes it seems, except at night, when birds settle in for sleep) and their little yellow beaks open to reveal the brightest pink and red mouths. Here's what I see when I walk by a tank:

Now once the bird gets to a beginning fledgeling, we move them to bigger tanks and put them in a room that's enclosed in netting, as when you open the lid, often a hungry baby now can flit up and out. Here is one who did just that but simply perched close to me on the lid of the tank next to it. Generally speaking, it's often the babies who are most aggressive get the most food in the nest -- though some experienced mothers make sure everyone gets enough. But this little guy kept hopping out to beat out his or her two siblings who stayed in the tank.

Fledgelings add flapping their wings and making much noise, squawking "SEE ME, FEED ME, ME ME ME mom!!!!" Now when I'm out in late springtime I can make out fledgling squawkings. If I take a second or two to look, and indeed I do, I manage to find a nest and a mother nearby.

At some point, that turns into the babies taking their first tentative steps out of the nest, so you may see them actually sitting on a branch next to it, looking all fluffy and even a little like their molting as bigger feathers begin to replace their baby fuzz. Soon they begin flying lessons I think, since I've seen them trying to hop to nearby twigs following the mother who hops ahead of them -- I assume she's showing them how it's done.

I think grackles must be like those kids who never stop going to college, or come home to live after... they look fully grown and still hop after their mothers flapping their perfectly competent wings, insisting loudly that their mother give them half of whatever she's got. The more you observe, them more you realize that animals are really not that much different than us in so many ways!