movingforwardslowly

Here is a young mockingbird that used to make my garden its home.
Mockingbirds have striking yellow eyes.
This one used to trick me outside my bedroom window by mimicking my alarm clock.
It was also talented at mimicking a cat's meow.
I named it my Sterlingbird and took this username as my own on an online garden message board.
This particular bird is long gone from my garden, and I no longer have this username.
However, I remember the inspiration it gifted me.

Battered by the season this Echinacea is a survivor. 
Her pinkness stands out among the brown decay.
The feel of a last good-bye is in the air.
I had to take her picture in all her ragged glory.

This week I saw the best looking Calabaza pumpkins (aka West Indian pumpkins) at Fresh World. I did not buy one, though I did buy a butternut and two acorn squashes. Above you can see their holiday decorations outside the store. I have been thinking about filling a cornucopia. I ended up finding two of them in our garage.

This display of colorful scarecrows got me to thinking about the history of scarecrows. Their history dates back to ancient Egypt, though I am sure they did not look like these. Then of course, the word scarecrow makes me think about the life-like one in The Wizard of Oz. He wanted a brain, though he proved that he was not brainless through his actions. Confidence in his abilities was what he really needed.

Scarecrows of one kind or another have been used by many cultures throughout history to protect their harvests from the bird thieves and bird vandals. This has been a battle since humans began to cultivate the land and grow crops.

The scarecrows above do not look very scary and I wonder how effective they would be in protecting crops. I have read that it depends on which species of bird you are trying to scare. Scarecrows can be effective against blackbirds and a few others. Scarecrows are fun and can be stylishly dressed to make a decorative statement despite their ineffective ability to scare off birds.

Yesterday late afternoon I was busily cleaning around my house when I looked out the kitchen window and saw a big hawk on a bird feeder pole. My cell phone camera was used through the kitchen window with screen, so the picture is not a good one. The size of the hawk compared to the feeders is worth showing you.

My cell phone camera does not begin to compare to my DSLR camera that has been packed away.

I unpacked my Nikon camera and had to change the macro lens to a longer lens. By the time I got back to the window, the hawk was gone. I will post a picture of another hawk taken through my dining room window with screen during a snowstorm using my Nikon, so you can see the difference.

As you can see the hawks look different. The one from yesterday did not have any orange or rust coloring. It was strictly brown and white and its eyes were yellow and not orange. I believe the one on the bird feeder is the same one I saw a week or two ago in the crepe myrtle closest to our patio. I did not get a picture that time.

I have pulled out my Gitzo tripod and am seriously considering setting it up in our dining room. I used to always have my Nikon and tripod set up ready to take pictures. It seems like this was in another life. Perhaps I can recreate that same state of readiness for this winter season.

In any case, the point I wanted to make here is that the Hawk spreads much more terror among the backyard birds than a scarecrow. The hawk can kill and does kill with a deadly swiftness. The birds did not return to our feeders until this morning.

Parrots can mimic voices. Some are so good at it they can play tricks on humans.

We once had neighbors that had a pet parrot. One day when they were not at home their parrot kept the mailman waiting at their doorstep. He kept knocking on their door, and the parrot kept responding, “Just a minute, I’m in the shower.” This sequence kept repeating over and over again until another neighbor walking by was flagged down by the mailman and questioned. The neighbor laughed at him and told the mailman about their parrot.

My grandmother told me stories about her sister and brother-in-law, Pauline and Gilbert. They had a pet parrot that could mimic Pauline’s voice so clearly that it often would fool Gilbert. He would be working in the barns or garage, and the parrot would scream, “Gilbert, dinner’s ready!” or “Gilbert, come here I need your help.” Gilbert would hear this and come running toward the house. He would arrive to discover that it was their parrot calling him. The parrot remained their pet despite these tricks.

Parrots have been domesticated for centuries. Probably one the the best known parrots is fictional. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, Treasure Island, there was a parrot character named, Captain Flint. It was the companion of the pirate Long John Silver, and it would perch on this pirate’s shoulder. The popularity of the book, Treasure Island, created a connection between pirates and parrots that is still in play today.

I was surprised to learn today that several of our U.S. presidents had pet parrots or macaws (which is the largest species of parrot.) You can read more about this subject at a website about presidential pets or the Audubon organization.

The macaw you see pictured here was at the Salisbury Zoo in Maryland. The pictures were taken by me.