Only In Memphis

If you've ever been to Memphis, then you must have heard of the Peabody Hotel. It's an old beauty, kept polished and lush and is the place in town to stay.

If you're not staying there, then you can always eat at it's restaurants, browse it's shops and have a drink in it's famous lobby.

Over the many years I was involved with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, I had the pleasure of staying there. Twice a day there's an amazing crowd, pressing forward, camera's poised, that gathers to see a one-of-a-kind sight: The March of the Peabody Ducks.

In the lobby there is a small but beautiful stone fountain in the center of the room. At 11:00 AM people enmass line a carpet rolled out from the elevator to the fountain and marching music begins to play (loudly!). The elevator opens up and a man -- The Duckmaster -- steps out, dressed in a red uniform jacket with pressed black pants and shiny black shoes. Everyone's eyes have to drop to see who he is escorting... a group of ducks! Calm and confident, they waddle out one by one and follow each other to the fountain. They hop up a little step or two and jump into the water. There they stay all day, enjoying cracked corn, naps and play until 5:00 PM when the whole shebang is done in reverse.



Their website tells the story behind this best:
"Back in 1933 Frank Schutt, General Manager of The Peabody, and a friend, Chip Barwick, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. The men had a little too much Jack Daniel's Tennessee sippin' whiskey, and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal then for hunters to use live decoys) in the beautiful Peabody fountain.

Three small English call ducks were selected as "guinea pigs," and the reaction was nothing short of enthusiastic. Soon, five North American Mallard ducks would replace the original ducks.

In 1940, Bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer, offered to help with delivering the ducks to the fountain each day and taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March. Mr. Pembroke became the Peabody Duckmaster, serving in that capacity for 50 years until his retirement in 1991. Today, The Peabody Ducks are led by Duckmaster Jason Sensat.

The original ducks have long since gone, but after 75 years, the marble fountain in the hotel lobby is still graced with ducks. "

There are even a few delightful books written on the subject. So the next time you're in the mood to visit Graceland, Beale Street, the home of the old Sun Records, BB King and some damn good Barbecue, stop by the Peabody and see for yourself. Or maybe you already have. Please tell us if you did!

Would YOU like to be a Duckmaster? I know I would.

A Wood Duck Pair

Isn't he stunning? Like tropical fish, these are the most painted of common ducks. When I was a little girl my dad had all kinds of wooden decoys on the shelves and his desk in his den. I'd seen one like this in his collection but didn't realize then that it wasn't all from the imagination of the artist.


As it often is in the animal kingdom, the female isn't as colorful. I don't know if this still picture quite captures it, but she does appear soft and feminine and pretty in person.


These two showed up at the park about a year and a half ago. Before then I had never seen one up close. At first I only saw the male but within a few months I saw her with him. I don't know if they came from somewhere to nest and she was busy with that during that time or if they met through E-Harmony and she moved to be with him...

I've read that they're the only ducks that nest in trees, near or over water. The mother hatches anywhere between 6 and 15 or more eggs, then gets on the ground and calls her babies to jump. The little ones can drop up to 290 feet and apparently be OK! Amazing isn't it? They then make their way to water.

Last spring I saw her in a sheltered little side pool where many smart mothers have their babies (it's off the beaten path -- free of people and predators -- and it's a small, quiet, shallow cove). Sticking close to her side were three gray fuzzy ducklings. I was delighted to see that they had indeed mated with success, but after a week or two I never saw the little ones again. Wood Ducks usually produce two broods a year so maybe they'll have better luck this coming spring.

A Little Snack (literally)

I got to feed this fine feathered fella his noon-time treat... a few little meeces.

I don't mean to freak anyone out, but this is what happens in the wild, part of the old food chain. Hopefully instead the focus will be curiosity in seeing an animal like this up close doing what it naturally does, something we would probably not often have a chance to see. He's not in a cage, but quite happy to sit on this perch and watch everything going on. He's a very good bird.

He came in to the wildlife rehab center hurt and was lovingly nursed back to health. Though his wing was damaged so he could not be released into the wild, he's alive and well cared for. While he doesn't spend his days in the forest, he also doesn't have to worry about predators or injury, extreme heat or cold and he never goes hungry... His meals come to him, fresh, without risk of disease. Not so bad, when I think about it...

Squeaky Beaks: West Side Story

Below is a family of what I call Squeaky Beaks (You'll know why once you hear their little sounds they make). I learned they're actually black bellied whistling ducks. I was close enough, right?

Unlike lots of waterfowl I've observed, where the mother is on her own with a brood up to 21 ducklings, these ducks seem to only have one or two... but TWO adults guard themm and fiercely. There is always an adult (orange beak) on either side of the baby (grey beak) which you'll see in the movie below. They let the baby eat while they watch the perimeters, like secret service parents. One adult may eat with the baby, but the other one always keeps watch for a threat. As a result, their population has grown to outnumber the previously dominant Muscovys at the park. And they travel in groups of 7 and 12, so the familial bond remains long after they're all grown.

Here I am throwing bread to a typical family, adolescent in the middle. A hungry party approaches, and you'll be as astonished as I was to see what happens.




Sing along with me: We're gonna have a rumble tonight!

It seems like the parents decided to try to let their offspring try it's hand at self protection for the first minute, but obviously it went too far for the adults comfort and they began to fight (I've never seen 2 birds fight, in the water on top of it). Then back up arrives, then more and more.

Amazing that the group flies in and then just before it ends you see another group of 7 or so floating in formation on the right. I've seen gangs of up to 30 (each side) fight each other. Just makes me wamt to learn more about their society. That's what's so great about taking time to be in nature. It makes you want to learn and by doing so, you GROW.

Where are The Velvet Ropes?

When we were in New Zealand we rented a little camper van and drove from the north island to the south, stopping wherever we felt like it, for 11 days. We saw a little sign on one of the many long, deserted roads. It may have even been handwritten, with alittle arrow. Well, we parked and walked a short distance and saw this...



I can't possibly describe in words just how palpable the energy created by this water was. I could FEEL the power as much as I felt the fine cool mist rising up from the spray on my cheek and eyelids.The water was the clearest I'd ever seen, sparkling, icy blue, fresh as if we'd literally happened upon Eden.

It was a magnificent experience, one that makes you want to do whatever is necessary to protect this beautiful planet. It looks amazing in the pic above but you have no iea how big it really was. To give you a better idea, here's a picture I took of my husband, standing in the same place as I was.



My husband joked (though he's right) that in America this would be roped off basically as far back as the street and we'd only be able to view it through a thick plexiglass wall. Not far from the truth. We're such a litigious society, we can't let people do things due to the small percent of the population who'd do something stoopid of their own free will then sue for it. At least in NZ, you're allowed to stay safe or mess up according to your own level... Natural selection at its finest

Can you see the Blue Jay in this picture?

The one who is waiting on the branch, looking at me, wanting me to throw him or her some bread or a piece of a nut?

I've joked about feeling like Snow White when I walk in the park near my house, as all the animals come out to me and take food from my hand. When other animals are getting fed, some kind of word goes out because before long, layer upon layer of the animal kindgom shows up to get theirs. If I'm feeding ducks the geese come, then the squirrels, then Grackles, then Blue Jays and then, if I'm really lucky, the red headed woodpeckers show up. The Grackles are smart, as I wrote about HERE, and they eye you and wait for that bread and go after it. But the Blue Jays bomb dive from the branches and nab their own.


Here is a close up.
His head is tilted slightly so he can eye me... I will hold up the bit of bread (or morsel of an almond I've cracked to size with my teeth if that's all I have on me) and he will do the amazing thing of letting me know quite clearly that he sees it. I toss it in the air and he flies off the perch at the right time to get it.

I've had the rare treat of having red headed woodpeckers do this too. Woodpeckers one up the Blue Jays though.

Forced to perch parallel on a tree trunk, their beaks pointing at the tree itself, it's a trick to look at me at all. But they too fix their sights on what I hold up... but when I toss it to them, they soar off the tree, catch it in the air and sail off like a streak of lightening to land on the closest trunk with it. Once they gulp it down, they're back staring me down for another. Again, catch my offering in mid air. I was absolutely stunned when this first happened... and honestly, I'm stunned every time it does.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Beauty in The Eye of the Beholder

I love watching birds take their baths. They find water anywhere and turn it into their own personal spa. Here is a perfect example. A little grassy pool, where several grackles are at play....

But when I broaden the view you'll find it's actually roadside ditch, astride broken pavement and wire fencing. What you don't see is that this area is under a bunch of toxic electrical wires and across the road is a recycling plant filled with overflowing dumpsters...

The secret to life is to find the beauty and screen out the rest when you can.

Dainty-poo

On the streets of New York, the police do their job by car, on foot, via bicycle and helicopter... and on horseback. Adding to the endless paradoxes found in this city, on occasion one sees, smells or steps in things that one would expect in a farm field but certainly not in a wildly opposite place like the neon and LED laden Times Square.

What drew me to take this pic was not so much that, but the subtler contrast of these dainty stances among the muck.

Never in my life have I seen a hedgehog. Have you?

On my morning feeding/cleaning rounds at the Wildlife Rehab Center, the last thing left was a glass tank covered entirely with a sheet, with a sign saying "Hedgehog -- Wear gloves!" Rather ominous compared to 19 darling, tweeting baby ducklings.

I put on thick gloves and advanced with trepidation, having no idea what I would find. Gingerly I lifted the lid, and saw a large lump under a roll of newspapers, covered with a navy hand- towel. I had no idea where to grab if I were to pick it up, so I started by slowly sliding the towel, pulling by it's furthest end. The thing burrowed beneath the papers started making a low, constant hissing type of noise like some kind of alien. I didn't know if it would have fangs or lash out to bite me or have long claws...

You gotta to be tough if you're going to mess with the animal kingdom, so I figured I'd pick up the papers with him in it, deliver the whole thing to the temporary tank and then see what I had... which I managed to do. I whipped off the papers and this was what I saw.


A white spiky ball, slighlty quivering. I didn't even know if this was IT -- it looked like some kind of spiny, poisonous sea urchin --or if this was it's back. IF it had a head or anything else, I had no idea where to look. I stood there for about 45 seconds, perplexed and suddenly, slowly the thing began to unfold.



The lady that runs the rehab place came over, having no idea I was in the dark and said, now how did he get stuck on his back. Looking at the footage now, I guess he was stuck, and his little motions were not just part of coming out of the ball, but to turn himself over.

Later, I saw him in his relaxes state, still like nothing I've ever seen but with a face, feet apparent and up right, doing something cute.



Hey, I'd never seen a opossum before last month either. It's funny how out of place a city girl can feel.

The Tell Tale Tongue

As I wrote about HERE, and HERE, owls fascinate me, and I'm quite certain I'm not alone in that. The other day the head of the wildlife rehab shocked me when she told me I could pet the owl. This is one that is used for educational purposes, so getting used to different people is part of his or her life (She said you generally can't tell if owls and hawks and such are male or female -- unless there is a major size difference -- without it being determined surgically. Females would possibly be bigger, to better cover and protect her nest).


Anyway she told me to scratch with my nails behind the head, as owls do that to each other. She also scratches them under the wings. I tried these as you will see below. He got something in his eye when we brought him over to the perch, some feather fluff or something, so he keeps it closed. Would not do that normally. Too bad, as you can see from one eye how intense it would be if (s)he had both open!


This was the second time I did it. The first time, the owl's mouth was open a little, but the tongue was not so obvious. This time I didn't feel right when that was happening, so I tried a few calmer strokes and wrapped it up quickly. Didn't want to upset the bird. I'm just now wondering if my holding the little silver camera was the problem. Maybe it looks like something a vet would use!

Getting the chance to see these birds without a cage and up close is a magnificent thrill. To touch one was utterly surreal.I can't get over how lucky I am. My life has been enriched beyond measure to be able to be near, help, love and share the world with all of these animals.

This is my 108th post. 108 is a significant number in many spiritual teachings. Since I missed my hundredth, I thought the 108th would be something to mention. One hundred and eight stories about animals. I look forward to ten times more.

This morning I arrived at the WIldlife Rehab center to find someone had brought in 19 baby ducks. While I've known them to be quite afraid of people, I was surprised to see all of them running right up to me. It was time for fresh food and water... but not before I cleaned out their lodgings.

Once I got all their tanks clean with fresh newspaper down and a soft towel covering half of it, I put in shallow dishes of chick feed and water and put the babies back in. They came running over to have a drink and their delicate little sips, and the long time that they helped the drop of water get down their throat cracked me up... Here is a little clip of that... It's the guy on the left that made me grab my camera.

And Now, A Moment of Hitchcock

I have come to love Grackles, and am amazed at their numbers in certain areas -- most notably by Kroger stores come to think of it -- when they alight in trees and on electrical lines at sunset.

At certain times of year there are flocks of some kind black birds that fly together in what looks like a dark cloud (they could be grackles but seem smaller). I will have to ask someone at the wildlife center or the zoo who knows what they are and what the cause for this pattern is. The cloud morphs in front of your eyes as the birds change direction in unison. A few days ago I saw a group who had come to rest and had to pull over and shoot it. I bought a fancy high def movie camera but so far only shoot the little movies you see here with my digital camera...



I love how the tight black lines criss cross against the canvas of blue and pink sky while black dots become black bodies with wings. Very arty of the gods to juxtapose such elements, to delight the souls who notice. If only there was a way for you to view these videos full screen...

For their number, the birds were relatively quiet -- much quieter than the wind and traffic. But there is a deafening chirp-fest that goes on in the trees at dusk that clearly reveals that the branches are full of birds, though it's really hard to see any. It always makes me smile, and I often stop to marvel at it. I have come to call it Grackle Happy Hour. I managed to snag an example of it for you.

Today I was driving home with frozen yogurt and went by a tree in the middle of the road where you could really hear them. I had to capture it for you. I did a U-turn, flicked my camera on and hung my arm out the window (I wasn't seeing what I got, just hoped for the best as it was about sound anyway) and drove slowly by this tree. I think I've got it (turn up the volume) and the ice cream didn't melt too badly in the process.



And notice --- you don't see ONE bird, do you???? Has anyone else observed this phenomenon?

Partial View

In New York, you often get your view blocked by crowds, trucks, other buildings... And scaffolding everywhere.

You make do. You do this so well, you start to forget there is even an obstacle there.

This kitty is a New Yorker, for sure.

Nesting

I've never before seen a squirrel in the process of building a nest. Have you?

I haven't even seen a nest until recently. After feeding so many orphans post- hurricane Ike, I started to look for where they'd been flung from during the storm. It was a bad time to look, since almost no leaf nests would have survived the 110 MPH winds, but I did see what I imagined was one.

Then I noticed that there were far more little knobby holes in tree trunks than I'd realized (I guess I thought that was something that only happened in fairie forests or animated films). I've been astonished to see little gray heads sticking out of those when I looked. What timing! That kind of crib I can understand. It has sturdy walls, and a roof to shelter babies from the elements and to stay secure and comfy once grown.

But the other option amazes me -- a large nest suspended between two frail external limbs, woven in some crazy pattern with mere twigs and leaves, done one tiny mouthful at a time. Even birds nests seem comparatively tighter and somehow glued together.

This takes great industry and dedication.

We were strolling Central Park and I was amazed that I hadn't seen one squirrel. Just as we were leaving I saw one digging in a little pile of debris by a barren bush. I watched her scamper up the nearest tree and go all the way to the top, then hop to the next tree and run all the way down to one of those twigggy nests...

Working quickly, she came back again to the patch of leaves by the bush and began to gather what she deemed to be suitable materials in her mouth. I whipped out my digital camera and caught a little bit of it.

She continued up this tree to the skinniest, top-most branches which wobbled under her feather weight, deflty skipped across again to an equally frail branch at the top of the next tree, navigated down a network of barren branches to add them to the complicated little nursery she was building.

It was so cold out, and only January 2. How could tiny, vulnerable babies survive and thrive in this kind of cold? How could twigs and leaves possibly hold in strong winds as perched here? How can a one pregnant little she-squirrel perform this arduous task? Apparently they do and it and she does.

It's all one big miracle to me!

New York Squirrels

While in NYC the first few days of the year, we were walking in Union Square where back in November I reported feeding squirrels with big thick coats and white tufts of fur behind their ears there (click here to see). Now it was really REALLY cold compared to that last visit -- about 22 degrees and I wondered if the squirrels would be out.

I only saw one on the ground, and of course, I threw him/her a nut (I always have nuts and bread in my pocket, just in case). I scanned the tree tops but didn't see much until we were at the southernmost end of the park.

High in the branches was all kinds of activity.

I noticed that someone put a little squirrel house up in a tree, and there were two crawling on top/around it. I snapped a few pictures, since they're so fast I've learned that you have to take several in hopes of getting one that's good. I didn't know until I got home and reviewed the shots that there was also one inside the house, peeking out. I laughed out loud. Hopefully you can click on the picture to enlarge it and get a better look. This is very similar to the little houses we have Boy Scouts make for us in spring and fall at the Wildlife Rehab and Education Center. That is the time we get a lot of baby squirrels who have been hurt or abandoned. It takes weeks to months of care til they get to the point where they are big enough to release into the wild, but we start them out with these kinds of houses (stuffed with their favorite soft flannel rags inside so they have some protection while making the transition.

I have some more from Central Park that I'll put up later in the week. Hope you'll stay tuned!

Animal Rescue Site -- PLEASE CLICK DAILY

Hi there my fabulous, animal loving bloggy pals.  

The New Year is a good time to start new habits and I have one to propose! I don't know if you've noticed the purple icon to the right that is for the Animal  Rescue Site. 

If you click simply it every time you come to visit my blog, then money goes towards feeing abandoned, mistreated and rescued animals.  

The site is having trouble getting enough clicks every day, so I am asking you to make it a habit whenever you come to visit.  I posted it up high so it will be easy to see and remember and DO! 

You can also download the icon to your own site (I think some of you already have it)

You can sent the link in an e-mail to 5 friends (or 10) and ask them to forward it to even a few others. 

You can add other ideas to spread the word or get into the habit in the comments area if you think of more. That would ROCK!

It is such a simple way to help the animals I know you ALL love.  Their advertisers get seen that way and then they donate amounts based on the number of hits that goes toward helping animals desperately in need. It costs you nothing and makes a big difference. Please please and please.  Thank you!

Never One The Same

From my husband's little log cabin, 9,500 feet up in the Colorado Rockies, we watched a most unusual sunset unfold to the west.

The clouds seemed to have fire within them.

 I wanted to paint it. 

Once it had set, all was serene, quiet. A wash of silky transparent peach and melon color swept the sky, the mountains turning black in contrast. 

Meow

Picture of the day: While out looking for houses one day I was greeted by this pretty kitty. I took a picture, thinking you might enjoy seeing her as much as I did. The photo speaks to her beauty, softness, curiosity and charm far better than my words could.

Curious Cow

Have you ever noticed that cows are very interested in you when you walk near them or stop your car close to their fence, perhaps rolling down your window to get a look? (notice the guys in the back too?)

As I write that, I realize that not everyone has had the occasion to be around cows or would care about a cow enough to visit... 

Thanks to the miracle of photography and blogspot, I can deliver the experience to you today (especially if you click on the photo to enlarge), lol.  The thing I can't quite duplicate is how unexpectedly LARGE they are.

It's an Amazing World

I recently finished my docent training at the zoo, a process of several Saturdays spread out over about 9 months. The very first thing I studied was the aquarium, and much to my delight, we got a behind the scenes tour, so we could know how everything operates. It really was like going behind Oz's curtain. There are a million things I could tell you about but since I'm still glazed over from the holidays, I will pick a simple one.

We were making the rounds of tanks -- from sharks to sea turtles to nautilus when I stumbled upon this sight on a shelf at the very end of the aquarium hall.


There, suspended in this clear lucite circle, were delicate, transparent jellyfish. It's so hard to believe these ghostly whisps are living beings with organs, instincts, the ability to collect food and reproduce. Yet they have no bones, heart, brain or eyes. While they may use their tentacles (with little stingers) to find food, they must also use them in lieu of sight, to inuit whatever they run into. But what do they do with no brain to process the information? I don't know enough about this but it seems they default to nerve impulses.

Some jelly fish are swimmers, propelling themselves by a pumping motion they make with their whole bodies; others, like these, float with the currents. I learned that the tank is round because the jelly fish are too fragile to interact with corners. And this orb turned slowly to provide a current of sorts, for them to keep in motion. As I'm sure you can imagine, it was mesmerizing to watch, and so relaxing.

They only live for about 3-6 months. Despite all this, these flimsy beings have great resilience as they've been around for more than 650 million years (which means they've got the dinosaurs beat) and though many species aren't dangerous, their stingers have killed human beings. Impressive, huh?

Lest We Forget

It's so easy to get lost in all our little to-do's in daily life and forget just how much is out there. Once in a while something reminds us...



Can you see the two white dots to the lower right of the moon? This was a pretty darn good picture my little digital took of the two nights when you could see both Jupiter and Venus shining brightly in the sky.

Did any of you see it too? Take pictures of it?

And now the Winter Solstice has come and gone, and the cycles of the moon will take us closer and closer to spring.

On the Topic of Spots

Here's a little clip of the 14 month old cheetah brothers, who were particularly active the other morning. It was quite chilly in Houston and I think it perked them up.  Normally, I catch them napping more often than not, but not this time. 

Can you tell they are the fastest cat by the little sprint the brother makes at the end?  That's nothing. They get up to speeds of 65mph.  But while that may enable them to catch their prey, they often are so pooped after such exertion that often they have no energy left to fight off hyena or other meal thieves!

Since we were looking at the differences in spots on the previous post, I thought I'd upload this so you can see that the Cheetah's spots are just solid black. These guys still have adolescent fur sticking up. I think their keeper told me they will not be so bushy looking but will develop sleeker coats as they mature.

Beautiful faces, eh?

You CAN Tell a Cat by It's Spots!

You might look at this gorgeous guy, see his spots and think "leopard", but indeed, this is a jaguar.

So how can you tell the difference?  While both are from Africa, the leopard is from the plains and the jaguar is native to the South. The jaguar has shorter, thicker legs than a leopard, but for me it's all in the spots. Jags have a kind of rosette pattern to their spots, which you can see clearly on the photo above (it's a little cloudy as I was shooting through thick pelxi-glass). There are black "petals" around a tan colored spot and inside also are black spots, like the center of a flower. If you look below, you'll see that leopards fur just has black circles with varying colors of tan fur filling the center. Both are striking, aren't they?

Photo credit for leopard print above by jeniflower from virtualtourist.com

This little-of-the-big cat below is an Ocelot. At just about twice as large of a domestic house cat it's easy to forget you can't just cuddle her. She's wild as can be and can still give you a good swat or bite. But she has leopard-like spots. Notice that they are elongated along her trunk though, and a leopards' would not be.


This handsome fellow here is indeed a leopard, but not the kind we were thinking about. he's a clouded leopard, and they are gorgeous. You can see from it's wide, diffused, cloud-shaped spots where they got the name.

Purrrrdy kitty.

Apparently He Went to the School of Silly Walks

Get a lot of pelicans at the wildlife rehab center as in Texas, there are many possibilities for oil spills. Just got an education Saturday about the process of going down to the gulf to set up a rescue facility, and the process of cleaning every animal that gets coated, if possible, and how to release them slowly back into the wild if they survive.

I never knew they had such goofy personalities.  This guy has been staying with us for quite awhile, since hurricane Ike I think, and I caught the tiniest snippet of his "Good Morning" antics for you to get a chuckle.

Give a Hoot

I went by the Wildlife Rehab and Education Center today and found this little group of guys. Three baby barn owls! (double click on the pic to see them close up)

I'd never seen a live owl before a year ago, and suddenly I am seeing them everywhere... like when I was in Hawaii to elope and we got caught in a forest fire ... I saw my first ever owl flying out of the grey smoke. He sailed right past my head and vanished into the ash behind me before I could really register what it was. It was eerie.  I felt I'd been visited by a spirit totem.

I saw the next one in a suburban tree when I visited a friend an hour north of Houston, such a paradox to my first experience, which is what's so cool about it.  Several times after that, I've seen this gorgeous bird on the grounds of the zoo when his Keeper decides to take him out for visitors to see one up close....

Maybe it's like that unexplainable thing that happens when something enters your consciousness, you suddenly have a heightened awareness of it. After 2 years of visiting the park almost daily without incident, I saw a very small one flying through the treetops one day last spring. I even managed to get a picture... Because it was so small, I couldn't identify it for sure until I got home, downloaded the picture and blew it up. Having gone my entire life never seeing anything other than the plastic owls on buildings or in gardens or maybe on a picture postcard, I think it's pretty amazing that I should see so many all of the sudden. 

Now, at the Rehab Center, I am adding to my collection of sightings  -- there is the the teeny weeny screech owl I posted a movie of a week or so ago (CLICK HERE), and this astonishing barn owl below, which is what the trio of babies at the top of the page will grow up to look like. I know they are quite common but I had never seen one with like this before. I mean, look at that face!  

They're fascinating birds, so beautiful and mysterious.  Have you ever had an owl encounter? 

Nine to Five

This morning I headed past the Meerkats as I always do, as their habitat is right on the path to where volunteers sign in at the zoo. They were all standing in a sliver of sun, warming their bellies, as they do in the AM... all but the designated sentry who dutifully sat high up on a chilly rock peak, looking out for the group.

By the time I left, it was getting cold again, as the sun was going down. I took this picture which I will put up as big as blogger allows. It looks to me like this Meerkat has another curled into him or her, and his/her arms are holding them that way. With tails in the wrong places and haunches looking extra wide, I couldn't tell if there were 2 other Meerkats, one on each side or this one somehow got fat after a Thanksgiving meal of crickets... There are no babies right now, which, if curled up to this one might be about this size... I could not figure it out until I double clicked the picture once posted here, and it blew up enough for me to get it. Perhaps you will double click and tell me what you see.

Something New

Call me a Yankee or a sheltered city dweller but I admit, I've lived my whole life and never ever seen possum. We had raccoons in our garage when I was growing up in the midwest but I've never had a run in with the possum, which is quite a common critter in many parts of the country. For the sake of making fun of myself, I'd only ever heard of a possum because Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies made soup from them!

But when I went to help with wildlife rehab after the hurricane, suddenly they were in my world. And last week, I learned to clean their cages. That was.... interesting.

Possum aren't ugly but they aren't cute either. They're definitely stinky little buggers. I thought it was their poop but I've read the musk glands behind their ears are to blame. They burrow underneath the newspapers, so to clean I often was waking them up, and none of us like that.

There is a short baton of sorts that you have to keep in one hand to keep them back while you quickly remove their food and water dishes and grab up the soiled newspaper. Now, the baton is just a stick that you hold at an angle so it's a bit of a barrier between you in case they should strike. Most of them just sit in the back corner of the cage with their wide mouths open (a shot I didn't get); while this might be their "I'll scare you" gesture, it looks more like a toothy, goofy grin! Once thick layers of fresh newspaper is installed we can quickly return their water and food, close the door and their nap can be resumed.

At the rehab center, we endeavor to save the lives of sick or injured creatures and when they're ready, release them safely back into the wild. But I often wonder if the things we need to do seem more like alien abduction to them. A big face peers in, a giant hand comes to lift them up, and make funny noises at them in a language that is not even close to their own. I do my best to move slowly. I keep fairly quite (or coo in a way I hope communicates calm and peace). I remember that I'm doing these things for their own good and just hope it's not too stressful.

But then there are the guys who like human interaction. While you don't want to imprint them to humans, so they can stay wild and survive once released, each animal really does have a personality, and some just like people. Of the dozen or so we have, this one is very curious about you and has no problem with you cleaning his cage. Here he is, stepping forward to say hello.

Above is a baby possum, which I cropped so he'd look big enough to see on blogger. They're vulnerable little runts at this age, aren't they? When they grow to be about 9 inches from their nose to their bum (not to the end of their tail) they are big enough to be released.

Not all are in the center due to injury or illness. In fact, most possum are from people who find them in their yard and bring them in simply because they don't want them there. Guess when Granny found them out by her ce-ment pond she decided to keep 'em -- in her soup pot!

The wildlife rehab center never turns an animal away, but cares for it until they can return it to nature -- usually via the land of private, licensed rehabbers who volunteer to take animals in that predicament, so they can live long lives in their natural habitat. You have to appreciate that these folks do it with little or no pay, and get supplies to keep going through donations (if not entirely out of their own pocket). This is why it's so fantastic to support the people and places that do this work. It really is an labor of love.

Not So Secret Santa

I had some Adventures with animals yesterday at a Renisance Festival we went to out in the forest.  I took some pictures and a little video and will get to posting it, but all weekend I have been on a roll on my other blog, Looky Here, putting up post after post of gift ideas, since I used to be a professional gift buyer for my clients. I have listed some of my all time favorite, please alls,  and am putting up a few posts for different age groups of a sampling of some things that are brand new to the market.  And I will keep putting up posts of things-- from high end ideas to stocking stuffers -- in the next few days as there is plenty of time to order online and not do Rush fees, get things engraved if need be, etc...

Please stop by there now by CLICKING HERE and for the next several days if you're interested, and leave me a comment if you're so inclined.  There are many posts from the last several days, so please scroll down to see them all. Maybe there is one that will be right for you. And if you are stumped for someone, please write me in the comments and I will reply in the comments with ideas for you!

Thanks!  More animal adventures will be up here very shortly!

Animal Healing

My sister is here for Thanskgiving. It's her favorite holiday. Holidays have not been the easiest for her in recent years. I wanted to do something that would make this a very very good one. Once we got her bags settled into the guest room, we went to the park with some nuts and I parked us right in the middle of an area with tall trees that's heavily populated with wild squirrels.

At first we only found one, then two, but --as it always does in the animal world --word spread. Little heads were popping out of hollows and up from behind rocks. They began climbing down tree trunks and skampered up from all directions. We sat there in bliss, handing out nuts as fast as we could. She was amazed, as most people are, at how gentle they are in taking a nut from your hands, and how they do NOT bite, though each one has their own style.


I was hoping that she'd earn the confidence of the one or two who put their little paws on your hand, but she did one better. One started to crawl up on her knee and kept coming back until he was quite comfortable sitting there. I snapped a few pix for her to have forever, as it's a really special experience to earn the trust of these charming but skittish creatures.

As we were leaving I said, "If I ever get blue, this is where I go and it completely disappears."

By 2:30 we were at the zoo where I'd arranged for private visits to feed the meerkats and the giraffes. All I can say is, the look of pure joy radiated from her face, and, this Thanksgiving, I could not be more grateful for that. She looks beautiful, does she not?

My tall handsome boyfriend the giraffe that I wrote about here even gave my sis a long nuzzle. (though he immediately made it up to me by having a love fest in front of my approving husband!).

I have seen the roughest, toughest brutes reduced to a puddle over a puppy, and I often see the homeless buying a cheap bag of peanuts in the shell or a loaf of bread so they can go around the park feeding the birds, squirrels, the chicken (yes, there's a lone black hen in the park, a story I have yet to tell), the nutrias and the ducks and geese. I have seen that no matter what the creature -- be it a mole rat, a tarantula or a warthog, there are people who absolutely think they are the prettiest, most wonderful, loveable thing on the planet, and are devoted to them.

What is it about the power animals have to bring out our most innocent, open, loving selves, give our lives meaning in our care for them and banish any sadnesses from our hearts?

A Leetle Teeny Weeny Owl

Oh, this is a good little thing to watch. And not because this little Eastern screech owl does much. It's just because he is so mesmerizing. He blinks with an inner lid that's clear with a black edge, so it looks a little like each eye has windshield wipers. And while he blinks in unison often, they are independent of each other which you will see here.

If you listen closely as the vid begins you can hear a little twitter he does, perhaps a comment on being the unwitting star of my 2o seconds of film. I'm sorry it's so short but I didn't really want to disturb him too much. I solve this by watching it twice!


Though technically nocturnal, this guy sits peacefully all day and watches the goings on at the rehab center. I think it's a he because males are generally smaller than females. While girls are a little over 9" in length with a wingspan of around 22 inches, males are about an inch less in both, though they often weigh about the same -- 7 oz, give or take a leetle teeny weeny bit.

The males also have a lower voice than the ladies. And I've read they have quite a courting ritual, which does indeed include winking, and they mate for life. They usually nest in cavities of trees, adding nothing of the usual twigs, grass or feathers. Their 2-8 eggs (one every two days) are lain on the natural barky shavings that exist in the tree's hollows. In 26 days, the babies are born. The male then brings home the mouse, mole, lizard or worm, which is rather nice to know. Their menu is wide and more about what's the right size for them than anything else.

They hunt in the woods, and occasionally in open fields (though there I think they run the risk of being someone else's dinner). They will fly or look out from a perch and then nab their meal with their talons. Sometimes they get insects while they're flying! That takes talent.

The fledgelings have about a month to learn to be an owl. That seems fast to me but maybe it's enough by screech school standards. In captivity they can live up to 20 years -- far longer than in the wild. Believe it or not, they are the prey of not only the expected snakes, raccoons, skunks and weasels but several larger owl species! Just thinking of predators for this little guy makes me kind of glad he is safe and content where he is, charming everyone who walks by.

White Ears and Fur Coats

Well, I've been able to feed "wild" squirrels in yet another city... Last time it was in Washington D.C., as I was walking away from Lincoln's memorial toward the White House, just having passed the reflection pool.

This time I was in Union Square in New York City. The squirrels there are definitely Greys -- they have white bellies and fur that looks grey-- but they had more reddish hair on their faces than the ones that live around me. While their tails have some reddish highlights in it, these also had red spots on their backs, almost like calico (you can kind of see it in this pic, or click on it to enlarge). But one major thing distinguished the ones I was feeding. They had fluffy white tufts behind each ear. You can see that here, as this one was just releasing my hand, while stuffing the almond I gave him into his mouth with the other paw.  Adorable.  I have a serious squirrel crush.

Several people in the park saw me feeding them and were astonished --and I saw a few try tofeed them by hand too. They succeeded with a little instruction and the remainder of my almonds... though these squirrels were so easy to call over I can't imagine people don't feed them all the time. In my park in Houston, very few touch my hand when they take a nut, though they will climb on my foot, lap or knee to get one. In NYC, every one of them gently balanced their paws on my fingers and even held onto me for a few beats after the almond was in their mouth (swoon --I LOVE THAT!).

When I lived in NY, I had no ability to have animals in my life, being terribly allergic to pretty much everything. But I've always desperately loved animals. To avoid the sheer heartbreak of what I thought was a life doomed to have none, I kind of steered clear of them in general. But I remember offering squirrels a cashew or two in this very park a few years ago and none were responsive. Have I become a squirrel whisperer or have they gotten trained in the short time I've been gone?

It was 62 degrees and very very humid on Saturday there, but on Sunday, temps dropped to 36 degrees. I was feeding these fellas on Monday and a few had really thick winter coats. In Houston the Reds coats get thicker than Greys, but nowhere as thick as this guy's. He looks like a member of the cast of Doctor Zivago or something. You can barely see his feet and he has no neck -- I mean, he almost looks like a different animal altogether! But he will need it if he's to make it through the winter on the east coast. 

If you want to read a fun book about one woman's adventures feeding squirrels in New York City, check out: SQUIRRELS AT MY WINDOW by Grace Spruch. If you click on that it will take you to the book description.

After my expereinces in the park, compounded by feeding the baby squirrels after Hurricane Ike, I started to look up books on them and ordered this among many. I've been meaning to reccomend it, especially to Bindu, who first commented on my blog because she got some of our orphan babies to nurture up where she lives in Austin (talk about coincidence)!

An Egret I'm Callin' Charles

It took me a long time to figure out what was going on with Curious Charles.

He is a lone egret at the lake in the park. When I fed the ducks and geese he'd fly from out of nowhere and land to the side of the action. Charlie stays at a respectable distance, but slowly inches closer, taking one tentative step at the time.

I thought, he knows when there's food and comes around to get his share, just like the squirrels, the nutrias, the turtle and the grackles, starlings and bluejays. So I'd throw some his way, but he never went for it. He would tilt his head and turn his curious eye, but it always went uneaten.

One day I went home and read that egrets only eat fish. So while I didn't ever throw bread to him again, he always made his way over. I figured he just must be a bird who likes a party.

On the edge of the lake where the water is shallow, if you throw food in, it can disappear before the ducks, who are quick, can get to them. On a clear day, like the one in the mini-movie below, I finally made out that it was because little blue-green fish would fiercely attack the morsels like a pack of piranhas and gobble it into non-existence.

Suddenly I realized that the Curious Charles comes over because the fish are such easy prey when I feed the ducks... which makes me his wingman, so to speak. SMART CHARLIE! Never a dull moment in the animal kindgom.

The beginning of this video was about coaxing a baby nutria swimming in the shallows to come closer. But keep your eyes to the right-- you'll see Charlie, who has just flown over, wading as he always does.

This was the day I actually saw him catch three fish. He would tilt his head at a comical angle to best use the one eye on the side of his head closest to the water. (See the little dimples in the water made by the fish devouring bread?)

And with his pointy yellow beak he quickly skewered the fishie (I just could not get that part!!!). He'd raise it up, with it's little tail still flapping, get in position and flick it off his beak into the air. Charlie'd catch it in his mouth and in one gulp, it'd be gone. If you forget about the poor fish for a moment, I can tell you it's almost like watching a cartoon, as you can see the exact outline of the fish's body slide down Charlie's long, ultra slim white neck. He could join Cirque du Soleil with such talent.

I tried for about an hour this day to catch him snagging his lunch but it was too hard to keep feeding the increasing brood of birds, balance my movie camera and frame Charlie at the right moment. Stay tuned, as I eventually hope to get it.

Sweet Success

In the valley that exists above the higher peaks of the Colorado Rockies, 10,000 feet above sea level, there is little that grows but some frightening looking pine trees, dessert weedy types of grass and minimal wild flowers. As to animals, we see occasional herds of wild antelope and hear wolves howling at night, and I'm sure there are bears (whom I never hope to meet). And while I expect see the occasional raptor, every morning this last trip I was quite surprised to see  hummingbirds whizzing over our porch to the cluster of trees just in front of us when we were out there enjoying our breakfast.

Though we were only going to be there for 5 days, I ran out and bought an el cheapo plastic feeder and asked the locals how to make the stuff to fill it (1 part sugar to 2 parts water, cooked up in a pot so the sugar dissolves, cool, fill feeder).

I hung it out front just before the sun set and could not believe my eyes when first thing in the morning I heard that very unique little whirring sound of their wings outside my window.  Since they're there and gone in a heartbeat, I grabbed my camera and with a mix of stealth and haste I got this shot through the dewy window. The bird was gone before before I could get a better angle.  

Later that day my husband balanced on a ladder while dilligently waterproofing on the back wall of the cabin.  I'd gone into town so I didn't see it but he told me that the hummingbirds flew back several times that day. One of them, attracted to the red on his cap, not only came up to his face, but landed on his bill. Delighted, he stayed as still as he could til the bird flew away. He said it was surreal. I wish I had gotten a picture of THAT!

They say it takes a long time for animals to find your feeders... not in this case! We were so thrilled to have such easy success with these elusive birds we can hardly wait to go back up again.

Hijinks

Boy I want this guy looking out in my neighborhood. He certainly is alert (cracks me up when he looks up and back). Perhaps there is a Starbucks in Meerkat world and he's had a grande.

Predators are not much of a threat to these guys at the zoo but even so, these Meerkats don't get lazy. It's in the genes. What does freak them out is when they see a rogue balloon floating by. I wonder if that's their version of a UFO. Anyway, while the sentry is on the lookout, the others in the family are busy doing industrious Meerkat things.




But they've been known to conk out right in the midst of their work, as if they were narcoleptic! And anyone who's watched Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet probably knows they sleep in the funniest positions...

Speckled Bears

Have you ever heard of a speckled bear? I hadn't before I started to work with the carnivore keepers at the zoo. I just thought there were bear bears. Big and scary, grizzly, black or brown perhaps, but speckled? You can see from the pictures below why they are called this.



...well, that's a guess on my part. We have a pair of speck bears and while I was taking some VIP zoo members on a morning tour that included the bears, they seemed quite in the mood for posing. I was amazed at how these pics I snapped turned out. Don't professional photogs wait all day to capture poses like these?


Maybe they're hoping I'll send them on to Tyra Banks or some other model mogul. I think they'd readily take their pay in fresh salmon!

Every day I'm at the zoo or the Wildlife Rehab Center or even the park, I discover the lovability of an animal that might not have seemed so appealing before. That is why zoos exist and why injured and rescued animals, who can't be returned to the wild, do such an important job as ambassadors to people like me. Here's a great example.

What do you think of when you think PORCUPINE?

Perhaps the word OUCH comes to mind. Nuisance? Or maybe nothing much comes up at all. Well, watch this and you'll never think of nothing again!




If only these videos didn't translate so small on blogger! I hope you can see that his keeper starts the video by stroking his head... in fact, this guy's quills aren't prickly at all if you pet him from the head back (though I'd only try it on a a tame one who knows you). They're plenty sharp if he raises them in a certain way, which he does if scared or threatened. And like the nice lady says, it IS a myth that they shoot their quills -- Someone took too much purple pyramid and made that one up.

This species spends most of their time in trees around North and South America. They eat some fruit but mostly bark and stems, which helps to keep their teeth filed and in good shape. They can weigh between 12-35 pounds and live about 5-7 years in the wild, but much longer in captivity.

And, just like the squirrels I have come to adore (a love I hope to have encouraged in you too), porcupines are also rodents! The R-word and all it's squeamish connotations is quickly dissolving isn't it?

Who knew he'd be so talented and oh so fuzzy of face and paws? And how gently he holds his keepers hand to eat from it. Porcupines take their time and that's something we could all do a little more of.

If you aren't won over yet, our little pal will just have to charm you by saying goodbye and thanks for considering him. He's just decided to do it, for now, with his back to you.


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MUCH Better Than TV!

These are two otters -- brother and sister -- that I had the pleasure of spending some time observing for the zoo. You can tell them apart because one has a cute little black "beauty mark" on her furry nose.

They share their habitat with a deep pond of catfish, a special kind of squirrel and a colorful bird -- recreating the combination of animals that would be commonly found together in the wild. Now this mischievous pair had been crawling over separating rocks to the to the edge of catfish pond, having fun watching and even swatting them. This was proving to be distressing to the fish, even though they are as big as the otters, or even bigger. The study was to gather information to assist the keepers in stopping this behavior and apparently they succeeded.

These naughty otters now stay in their own little pond and the catfish are at peace. Mostly these two sleep curled up with each other in a nice, cozy log. But when they swim, they're an endless source of amusement. Can you imagine just how horrible a job it was (NOT!) to sit and watch these antics for hours at a time? Enjoy!

PS: Best to watch with your volume OFF! When you try to get footage in a zoo the kids and crowds aren't the best accompaniment to the pictures.