Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
What are U doing today?
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What are U doing today? (Ongoing thread)
Jim wrote: "It's nice to have them come, but nice to see them go, too. ;-) ..."Yes there's a lot of truth to that, Jim! :)
As Dorothy said, "Oh Auntie Em, it's good to be home again." Yes, I am finally back home again on Goodreads. It has been an adventure. In the meantime I have been almost a prisoner at home as it has been either one hundred or over or slightly under for two weeks and no relief in sight. My flowers are drooping as are my husband and myself but thank God for A. C. nina
Glad you got squared away, Nina. It's been super hot here, too. We hit 100 today. I don't feel like going out & doing anything until it's time to go to bed. I took a short ride around the woods tonight on Speedy just to give the dogs a bit of a run. The flies are out in force, though. I hate horse flies. They love hot, dry weather.
Welcome back, Nina. Your perseverance paid off!Hope the heat will break soon for both you and Jim. Our heat broke a few days ago. It was a great relief.
As for flies, it's amazing how one horse fly can ruin your day. I was lolling in my little pool the other day when one came along and kept buzzing around my head. I had to get out of the pool to get away from him. Nothing is ever perfect!
I just received some very sad news. My daughter has a Jack Russell Terrior and while she was feeding the horses last night he crawled beneath the fence and got into a fight with two neighbor dogs; he was pretty torn up so they took him to the vet. I just got an e-mail from her saying the vet called and Gus has died. After I lost my Irish setter, Gus claimed that spot in my heart as I have dog sat many times in the past with him. So, here in KS it is a sad day. nina
Sorry to hear that, Nina. We lost a couple that way too. JRT's have no sense. Amber just jumped over the fence & attacked our neighbor's Lab a couple of months ago. Luckily, all the Lab did was retrieve her to halfway to her master before letting her go. No harm done.
Nina wrote: "I just received some very sad news. My daughter has a Jack Russell Terrior and while she was feeding the horses last night he crawled beneath the fence and got into a fight with two neighbor dogs; ..."Nina, that is so sad! Poor Gus! That must have been a serious dog fight. It's hard to lose a dog and even harder when it happens that way. Please pass on my condolences to your daughter and her family. How old was Gus?
Thanks for your concern. He was about nearly twelve. He was special to me as I dog sat several time with him. And I am feeling my daughter's pain tonight. She doesn't have any children and this dog was her "child" so to speak. She is a very private person and keeps so much inside is why I worry over her. But, do we ever get over worrying about our children, pets etc. I think not. So,Joy, as a special favor would you keep Megan in your prayers tonight. Thanks, nina
Jim, I might not read the books you reviewed today but I enjoyed reading your reviews. You do such an entertaining way of putting things it took my mind off my troubles for a bit. And Joy, your review of "Visitors" brought that good story all back to me. It's fun sometimes to totally agree with someone about a book you really liked, nina
Nina wrote: "Thanks for your concern. He was about nearly twelve. He was special to me as I dog sat several time with him. And I am feeling my daughter's pain tonight. She doesn't have any children and this dog..."Nina, I will keep Megan in my thoughts. I was just thinking tonight how our dogs take the place of all our babies who have grown up. Sometimes I wish I could hold my babies again. So instead, I cuddle with my little Romeo. Thank goodness he loves to cuddle! I hope Megan will find herself another dog who loves to cuddle. They say that petting a dog lowers our blood pressure. I believe it!
Seems that no matter how old a dog is, he/she still seems like a baby to us.
Thanks, Nina. No, Zelazny & Howard are not for everyone, but both have a lot more depth & range than most realize.Again, sorry for your loss. It's tough, I know.
I took some more pictures last night. I got a great series of Lily running. The ear action is hilarious.https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...
Nice to see the pictures. An interesting angle of the woodpecker in the tree. I think your lily pond would look great as July on a calendar. Thanks for your sympathy. nina
Jim wrote: "I took some more pictures last night. I got a great series of Lily running. The ear action is hilarious.https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s... "
Loved the pics, Jim! They give me a clearer picture of all the pets you have. I think the only one missing was Harley. I now realize you have 3 horses (Cutter, Topaz, and Speedy), 4 dogs (Lily, Pixie, Amber, & Harley), and a goat (Rosie), plus those lovely gold fish. Have you named any of the goldfish?
The redheaded woodpecker was probably 50' up in a dead maple tree. He was so funny peeking around at me the way they do - first one side, then the other, right side up, mostly upside down, etc.. I about got a crick in my neck taking the pictures, though.
Sounds like fun, Jim.Speaking of birds, for several weeks now, we've had a bird in a nest in the rafters of our carport. The parents flit around and I assume they are caring for the baby bird. It seems that the baby bird is taking a long time to grow up. I can see his head sticking out of the nest, but he doesn't seem to move much. We don't know what to make of this situation. I hear occasional chirping, but can't tell which bird is chirping, the parents or the baby.
I can't identify the kind of birds they are. I've never seen them around here before. I have to search through my bird book to try to identify them. They're mostly gray and black, about the size of a house finch, maybe a bit larger. It's not any kind of sparrow that I've ever seen.
Since we stopped feeding the birds (to discourage mice), we don't see many black-capped chickadees or goldfinches or house finches anymore. We do see an occasional bluebird and some swallows. But this bird is new to us.
Jim, I wish it WERE a Tufted Titmouse. I love those little birds! No, these birds aren't as cute at that. They're a bit larger as well. Nice looking birds though. I'll have to dig out my bird book and go through it page by page.I keep wondering if the bird in the nest is still alive. He doesn't open his beak waiting for food to be delivered like most baby birds do. He seems to be resting.
When we sit on the glider by the carport, the parents often swoop in and out, as if they're afraid to come while we're there. But when I peek out the window at the nest, I never catch the parent bird up there.
Take a picture of the bird. It might be a rare kind. I envy you having a bluebird visit.
Good idea, Nina. It occurred to me that it might be rare, but I wouldn't believe it. But one never knows.I'll try to snap a picture, but it will take patience. They sit in the branches of a tree by the carport. Not much light there. But I'll try. Maybe I'll sit in the car as if it's a hiding place, a "bird blind". I can zoom in with my camera.
Good luck, Joy. I'd love to see the bird. I asked Marg & neither of us could come up with another idea. Getting pictures by waiting is very tough though. I've often wished I had the watch in The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything by John D. MacDonald. Anyone else remember that book or movie? Written by the author of the Travis McGee series, it's a funny, goofy story about a guy that inherits a gold watch from his uncle that stops time. It would sure come in handy when trying to get bird pictures.We SEE all kinds of neat things with all the birds & other animals we have around here. Getting pictures is a whole different story. I about put my back out trying to get pictures of Downy Woodpeckers drinking out of our hummingbird feeder & the few I got were kind of blurry since the light was wrong & I was taking them through a window & screen. No back problems when the hawk was on our front porch, but none of the pictures were great.
Even though I carry a good little camera in my shirt pocket all the time, the moment usually passes before I can get it out. Or, more frustrating, the camera's shutter finally clicks just as the scene breaks up. That second it takes for it to focus is just a bit too long.
Thanks, Jim. I realize that the chances are slim that I'll get a picture of the bird or birds. I don't have that much patience. But I will try.Thanks for the link to the book description. Yes, it certainly would help if I could make time stand still so that I could get a good bird photo. That's one SF book that I will put on my keep-in-mind shelf!
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43...
I see that Mary JL gave it 3 stars and put it on a mystery-horror shelf. Uh-oh! :)
I managed to take some pics of the birds in question. I was very quiet and stood in the carport to snap some of the pics. For others, I stood under the trees. If I had a more powerful zoom, the pics would have been terrific! As it is, you can at least get an idea of a few of the birds' characteristics. Here's the link to my Picasa Album with the seven pics I took:https://picasaweb.google.com/Sea1934/...#
The captions contain more details.
What do you think? Any ideas as to what kind of bird this is?
Jim had mentioned the Tufted Titmouse. This bird seems similar but doesn't seem to have the large round eyes. Perhaps it's in the Titmouse family.
PS-The bird's bill seems to be a bit longer and pointer than that of the Tufted Titmouse. But it's a tiny beak, narrower than the Titmouse's.
It also doesn't have the peach under its wings, which makes the Tufted Titmouse so pretty & it looks as if the head is rounded, without the point, too. I don't know, Joy. I'll ask The Boss when she gets in from riding.
Thanks, Jim. I've posted a message at the birding newsgroup, rec.birds:http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bi...
So far my message hasn't shown up on the Web yet, but I see it in my newsgroup reader. The newsgroup seems to be fairly active. May I'll get some answers there.
PPS-About the birds, in one of the pics the bird seems to have contrasting streaks on its back, but that may just be the lighting (coming through the leaves of the tree) because I don't notice streaks when I see the birds at other times.
I am using a magnifying glass and a bird book. I will let you know if I have any luck. Good for you/you got some pictures.
I am going to quote what was in our Sunday book section today: BOOKER FINALISTSPrevious prize winner, Alan Hollinghurst and three time finalist, Julian Barnes are again among the contenders For Britian's most prestigious literary award. Hollinghurst's century-sweeping saga, "The Stranger's Child," and Barnes' memory haunted, "The Sense of All Ending," are among 13 novels on the long list. Other contenders include, "On Canaan's Side," by Ireland's Sebastian Barry; Stephen Kellman's "Pigeon English," and three Canadian novels-"The Sisters' Brothers" by Patrick deWitt, "Half Blood Blues" by Esi Edugyan, and "Far To Go," by Allison Pick. Six finalists will be announced September 6th. And the winner of the fifty thousand pound($82,000) prize will be announced on October 18th.
Nina - Thanks to your suggestion, I did take the bird pics today. Hope you might be able to identify the bird for me.Thanks too for the info about 2011 Booker Prize. I searched online and found the following article which includes the 13 books in the "longlist":
http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news...
It also says:
"The shortlist of six authors will be announced on Tuesday 6 September at a press conference at Man Group's London headquarters. The winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction will be announced on Tuesday 18 October at a dinner at London's Guildhall and will be broadcast on the BBC.
I also found the following article at the NY Times:
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/201...
Thanks for drawing our attention to this recent award news. I think I will post a separate topic with this information when I get a chance.
Joy, my husband looked at the bird with a magnifying glass and he said we had a group of birds come through a couple of years ago that looked very much like your bird. He thinks it might be an Eastern Kingbird or an Eastern Phoebe. He says to look up those two on the internet and see what you think. Worth a try.
Joy, my husband says to put Eastern Kingbird and Eastern Phoebe on Google and you will be getting lots of info. He says to tell you he read in our birdbook that a Kingbird builds a nest on a branch and the Phoebe usually tries to find a secluded area.
Nina, thank you and thank your husband too. I've looked at pics of those birds online and they definitely have similarities. I wish I could get a better pic of my "carport" bird's bill. It seems to be pointier than the bills of the other birds.Below are some links which I've collected in order to make comparisons:
BIRD PICS ONLINE
The bird in our Carport (note pointy bill): https://picasaweb.google.com/Sea1934/...
Western Kingbird: http://www.zuropak.com/photogallery/2...
Eastern Kingbird: http://sdakotabirds.com/species_photo...
Eastern Kingbird (multiple pics): http://sdakotabirds.com/species_photo...
Phoebe: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migrat...
Phoebe: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migrat...
Eastern Phoebe: http://sdakotabirds.com/species/photo...
Eastern Phoebe: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migrat...
Eastern Phoebe (multiple pics): http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migrat...
Here is the link to my album with all 7 "carport" bird pics:
https://picasaweb.google.com/Sea1934/...#
Another thing, the Phoebe bird has a call that has a cadence like: "Pheeeebie----want-a-cup-of tea?". I haven't heard that call from my carport birds.
I will try to study the birds more closely tomorrow. I don't know where our binoculars are. I wish I could find them! Haven't seen them around in years!
I'm starting to suspect that the baby bird(s) isn't alive. There's no movement or sound from the nest. I can't understand why the parents are hanging around. I wonder if they realize that something is wrong. This is such a mystery. And it's so sad if the baby bird is dead. Time will tell.
Nina wrote: "Joy, my husband says to put Eastern Kingbird and Eastern Phoebe on Google and you will be getting lots of info. He says to tell you he read in our birdbook that a Kingbird builds a nest on a branch..."Thanks, Nina. Looks as if we were posting at the same time! LOL
From what you say, my carport bird is more like a Phoebe, with a secluded nest.
Sometimes when I look at my carport-bird, his head seems darker than the rest of him. Also, sometimes I see brown on his back. I wish I could get a closer view of him.
Good luck. At least it is fun to investigate. ONce on my birthday I went to a local park and participated in a walking tour/bird watch. I truly enjoyed it and even learned things. A cardinal is the last bird to sing at night....
Thanks, Nina. I love the the song of the Cardinal!It was on a nature walk with a class years ago when I was teaching that I learned about the call of the Phoebe bird - "Pheeeebie----want-a-cup-of tea?". I've never forgotten that.
I've always wanted to learn about the different bird calls and songs. Below are some birdsong links I had saved earlier this month:
URL to listen to birdsongs:
http://www.birdjam.com/
http://www.birdjam.com/learn.php
BLUEBIRD SONG: http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?i...
SCROLL DOWN TO FIND LINK TO MOCKINGBIRD SONGS: http://www.naturesongs.com/trogpeuc.html
I saw and heard Mockingbirds earlier this month while we were in a McDonald's parking lot on the way downstate here in NY. They were in a bush on a large lawn outside of a bank. It was my first experience ever, seeing or hearing live Mockingbirds! How wonderful that was!
Here is a better recording of Mockingbird songs:http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=4
Scroll down on the following page for links to lots of different bird songs! ====>
http://www.birdjam.com/learn.php
(This is one of the links I posted a few minutes ago.)
Mockingbirds have all kinds of odd songs. We had one that imitated our peacocks once. He did a good job, although not quite as loud, thankfully.
Once my husband and I were sleeping at a friend's house in older part of Miami and when the hostess asked how we slept, I told her OK except for the loud noises that seemed to be coming from the roof above our heads. She answered, "Oh, those are the peacocks, they love to roost on the roof at night."
Thanks for the birdsong URL. It is being saved. Now I need those particular birds to come visit when the fat squirrels aren't eating all their birdseed. Feel sorry for me, it is 104 degrees. We made our way to Costco this AM and now we are hibernating. I carried thirteen gallons of water this morning to all my front yard plants. It is a form of exercise as it's too hot to walk.
104! Yuck!!! We're up in the 90's, although last night it got down to 67, the lowest we've been in weeks. It went right back up to too hot, but only into the mid-90's. I do feel sorry for you, Nina!We had another mockingbird that sounded like a toucan. Real, jungle ka-ka-ka sound. He showed up on the farm for a couple of years.
We had peacocks for decades & I was always on the fence with them. They were so pretty when their tail feathers were full, but their call is so loud & annoying. Sounds like a woman screaming, 'Help me!' Recently a neighbor got one & another neighbor, Doug, had the fire department out on a rescue mission. We saw Doug a couple of weeks later - his jackass came by to visit - & he told us the peacock was what he'd heard.
I shot one of ours because it used to nest in the cherry tree outside my window & wake me up with its screaming. As a teenager, I hated waking up at dawn. He was a half white one, so had muddy colors anyway. Plucked, they look & taste a lot like pheasant, so he didn't go to waste.
;-)
I had a Scottish friend and she told me they were quite common in people's yard where she grew up and she hated them. I think it would please her to think you got rid of one of them.
Weather report. It is supposed to be 106 tomorrow. Hope it doesn't go your way.
Jim and Nina: I enjoyed all your anecdotes. Mockingbirds are certainly amazing the way they imitate other birds. I didn't know that peacocks had an unpleasant call. I only knew how beautiful they are. Here's a pic I took of one when I was in Weeki Wachee, Florida:
(Click on thumbnail to enlarge.)I've always been so proud of that pic. Below is the caption I wrote under the pic:
"I couldn't believe my luck! This peacock was there, strutting around, as I exited a little snack bar in Weekee Wachee Springs. He did me the favor of posing for me! :)"
I just found the following YouTube with the "Call of the Peacock":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWTABE...
Jim, now I see what you mean! Eeek!
See my next post for an update on my carport-birds.
UPDATE ON MY CARPORT BIRDS:The babies are alive! Yes, there is more than one. Today I saw one of the parents fly up to the nest. It was the first time I've seen that happen.
There must be at least 3 baby birds. They do move occasionally. They seem to be getting too large for the nest. It looks crowded.
We are keeping the car out of the carport to give the babies flying room if they happen to leave the nest.
Today I saw what must be the male parent on the railing of our carport. He had a black breast! (The pics I took earlier show a light gray breast; that must be the female.) (I'm guessing.) The male's head seems to be a dark gray or black. I couldn't get a pic of him. He flew away.
I took more pics and will post them soon at the Picasa album.
PS-We had great weather today. Hot but good for swimming. I had fun floating in the lake. The water is almost 80 degrees. (That's warm for Lake George water which is usually chillier.)
Nina, stay cool.
Here's a great YouTube of "a goat and a peacock fighting!" ===>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I3c04...
Interesting!
Update on the carport-birds:The consensus at the bird newsgroup is that my carport-birds are Flycatchers, most likely Phoebes, which are Flycatchers.
I still can't understand why I don't hear the typical Phoebe call.
Hate to bore you with details, but below are some facts I found:
=======================================
EASTERN PHOEBE:
http://www.wild-bird-watching.com/eas...
"The nest is a cup of mud and moss, lined with fine grasses. This bird has adapted well to the structures of man. Making use of understreet culverts, bridges, and overhangs of barns and garages."
"If a nesting site is well-protected it will be upgraded and used for many years." Uh-oh!
"The female lays 4 to 5 white eggs, occasionally spotted with brown. The eggs are incubated about 14 to 17 days and the young will leave the nest in 15 to 17 days after hatching."
So that's why the birds have been around for such a long time.
"The Eastern Phoebe is the only flycatcher that winters in southeastern U.S."
"Black Phoebe is darker with a dark chest."
FROM: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ea...
"Perhaps the most familiar flycatcher in eastern North America, the Eastern Phoebe nests near people on buildings and bridges. It can be recognized by its emphatic "phee-bee" call and its habit of constantly wagging it tail."
Yes, my carport-birds wag their tails as if they're trying to balance themselves.
More about the black-breasted bird:I was speculating about who the black-breasted bird was who came to the carport.
The pics I had taken all show birds with a light breast. At http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ea... , it says: "Black Phoebe is darker with a dark chest." At first I thought perhaps he was the male of the species, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Another puzzling thing is that I read: "Black Phoebe: Medium flycatcher, mostly black body and white belly."
FROM: http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/169/...
So if a Black Phoebe has a white belly, the different facts contradict each other.
I'm wondering: Who is the dark-breasted bird who came to the carport today?
The saga continues.
Glad you found it, Joy. I think we have Black Phoebe's around, but not many. We have tons of swallows & martins with few flycatchers. I'll have to read up on their nesting habits & see if we can't accommodate them.This is a day late & a dollar short, but a great site for birds is Cornell University:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.asp...
Look through the site & you'll find great pictures, songs & videos of birds.
Ohio state has a good birding site here:
http://ohiodnr.com/Home/ExperienceWil...
They used to have a free bird song CD with most of 100 different birds & songs on it. The guidebook that came with the CD is here:
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/9/...
I got it for free a couple of years ago, but don't see it anywhere on their site, now. Their office was quick to answer & very nice to talk to, so give them a call if you're interested.
If you google your state & 'DNR', you'll likely find great information more specific to you on birding. I swear the Department of Natural Resources is the best kept secret around. Every state has one, as far as I know, & it is filled with some of the most dedicated, knowledgeable, helpful people you've ever met. I've worked with them in both MD & KY.
New York State's DNR birding page is here:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/271.html
Jim, thank you for the informational links about birds. I'll check them out.BTW, this morning on our carport railing I saw a bird which seemed similar to the other Flycatcher/Phoebes (if that's what they are) but the bird had a dark upper breast and a lighter lower breast. I'm wondering if that's the dark-breasted bird I saw in the same place the other day (the "Black Phoebe"?). Sometimes our eyes play tricks on us.
This bird seemed darker all over, especially his head. I'm wondering if all these differences in shading can be attributed to the different lighting in the carport. It's always comparatively dim in the carport with the brighter light outside... lots of shadows.
However, I must say that some of the Flycatchers hanging around outside the carport seem to be darker than others. I can't tell if there are two birds or more keeping watch on the babies. The parents occasionally do fly up to the nest but they don't stay long at all. They flit in and then they flit out.
I'm keeping a close watch on all the proceedings. I have a chair in place at the window. It's becoming an obsession.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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;-)
We always have 4 dogs, so I know what you mean.