New Love, Good Karma

Meet Elliot, a six year old English Setter boy who has joined my family.  We found Elliot online and it is all Twitter's fault.  I wasn't looking for a dog, but the SPCA of Central Florida tweeted something that took me to their website.  I figured while I was there I would just peruse the homeless doggies' list.  I didn't spot any dog that struck my fancy, but I decided that since I had come this far, I'd do a quick search on petfinder.com for "setter".  A bunch of local dogs popped up and Elliot was among them. 

 

I said it is all Twitter's fault, but that, in fact, isn't true.  Twitter played the starting role, but my friend Janet from Colorado, mistress of the Colorado cuties (mostly of the labrador variety) is the major one at fault.  She adopted a labrador about a year or so ago and named the tyke Elliott (two t's).  I probably never would have clicked on my Elliot's profile if his name was Harry, but I was drawn to the name so I had to look.

 

My Elliot is a wonderful dog who just had bad karma.  He was adopted and loved twice, but change in job and housing circumstances for the humans had him returned to the rescue group both times.  Not his fault.  Just lives changed and now, so has Elliot's.  He is in his furever home and we couldn't be happier.  In just a week's short time he fits in like he always lived here.  He has adapted to our shedule and is eating heartedly now, putting on some much needed weight.  The initial timidness is fading and he is holding his own with the resident setters, who are learning to accept him as well.

 

In reality, Elliot never had bad karma....his karma was good all the while.  He was given a good karma name when he initially entered rescue as a stray.  His prior stewards kept his good karma name which led him to me.  Funny how that works out.

 

 

 

Nature's voyeur

These Carolina Satyr Butterflies (Hermeuptychia sosybius) are pretty regular visitors to my place. It looks like the generations will continue.  Larval hosts include various grasses.

Gator-ette

I'm not indicating that this is a girl alligator, I haven't a clue.  What I am trying to convey is that it is a baby gator, maybe 1.5 ft long.  I'm rather glad that Albert, the 2.5 to 3 foot one has "left the building". 

 

 

Alexander (I thought it was a fitting name) was just sunning himself on the tussock (island).  I saw him one other day doing that dead man float thing in some deeper water. I'm not sure how they get here and where they go when they leave.  I just find it interesting that they DO find my little inland pond.  A friend Kim reports that they are capable of climbing a fence.  This one is small enough to fit under the gap of the back gate.  For a comparison of the two, it's like barbie shoes versus size 7s.

 

At any rate, I walk very carefully these days around the pond.  Don't want to be a peg legged gardener ;)

 

 

Brood Three Bluebird Fledgee....What Are You Waiting For?

Although the Bluebirds chose to raise their third brood up in the Purple Martin house where nosey me can't see how the babies are doing, I was at the right place at the right time this week.

 

One day I spotted the Swallowtail Kite, a type of a hawk bird soaring over the property.  That means it is close to fledge time for some poor unsuspecting nestling.  I'm not sure how the kites know that the babies are ready...perhaps they use a calendar much like I do:  See food going in?  Check in 16-18 days for bluebird babies coming out.

 

The next day I was walking around the pond when I heard the unmistakable chatter of the bluebird parents.  Flutter around, sitting high in treetops, seemingly telling the kids to hurry up.

 

I stepped far enough away to not upset the parents, but close enough to get a view of the babies.  I got to witness one dancing in and out of the various holes in the martin house, leaning out onto the balcony, contemplating the first flight.

 

(S)he seemed a bit hesitant and was taking a bit too long, so I snapped a few photos and headed inside with the hope that it had a successful first flight and that the hawks and kites weren't waiting in the wings with bibs on.

In the throws of passion: Rated "R"

I was having a cup of coffee and looking out the back window which faces the pond.  Out of the corner of my eye I was SHOCKED to see my green friends with an open display of affection, right there on my fence.  I felt like a voyeur so I looked the other way.  Oh, ok, I grabbed the camera and began snapping away through the window like a detective on the prowl for a cheating spouse.

 

I'm happy to see the potential for an increase in population of our native green anoles that are being displaced by the invasive brown cuban anoles.

 

The antics of these adorable lizards is fascinating to watch but they apparently have NO SHAME!  Perhaps I don't either. ;)

 

Ah Nature!

Right Time, Right Place

I heard quite a bit of chattering as I walked around the back pond area, but I didn't give it much thought.  I saw a bluebird bringing nesting materials to the purple martin house.

I walked over to look at the "bog" section which during dry season isn't boggy at all.  As I glanced up, I saw a Blue, B-52 bomber headed straight for me.

I stared at the bluebird and reminded him that I was pretty far away from the nesting box and to chill out.  I looked up at the pine tree and saw an interesting coloring on the pine cone so decided to take a photo.  Just then Mr. B-52 flew at me again.

$*(#&)% WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM??? I exclaimed.  As I turned, not 3 feet in front of me was a new fledgling, standing quite still.  Ahhh, dad was on the ball.  And I guess mom was too.  Already building for brood three when brood two is JUST out of the nest.

FLEDGE DAY!  So often missed as the babies quickly leave for parts unknown.

Somewhat later in the day I saw not one, but TWO hawks positioned around in the trees, waiting, waiting, waiting.  They didn't catch anything on MY watch.

Baby Sings the Blues

There was a bluebird convention at the nest box the other day. Birdies had hatched as I saw mom and dad dutifully bringing live insects to their babies. I was walking by and two birds took flight. Since I assumed that it was mom and pop, I neared the box to take a quick peek at how many babies there were while the adults were away. All of a sudden, MOM came flying out the hole. I was a bit perplexed. I was sure that I had seen two birds take flight just moments before.

The next day brought me my clue. There were 3 birds on the top of the box and a beak sticking out of the box. That's four birds and the newly hatched eggs are too little to be counted as "birds". I got the field glasses and noticed them fly away, yet not far. I saw pop with an insect quickly return and then I noticed the weak flight of a second one stumble up top the box. Through the field glasses I got a good look at a somewhat pitiful sight. There was a baby from the first 2013 brood begging dad for a bite. Pop stuck his beak inside the box to feed the newborns and quickly shooed away big sister.

I felt a little sorry for her, but you have to make it on your own in life, as dad was clearly trying to point out.