Swallows

Around 1 this afternoon, cattitude and I stepped outside for a few minutes. We went over to one of our usual near places, the stone wall north of our park entrance, and looked out over the mud flat (low tide). There were two small, fork-tailed birds perched on a dead branch in the mudflat. Fledgling swallows, forked tails already visible. We watched the parents swoop around, and bring the fledglings food. Then a third fledgling came to land next to the other two: they're still working on this flying business, but they have the basics down, including landings. Sit, stretch a wing, sit a bit longer, a low loop away and back to the branch. Birds flew back and forth, including one of the parents showing the bright yellow on the bottom of its wing, and eventually all three swallows followed their parents, away from the mud to fly over land or water and catch insects, or maybe back to the nest a bit longer.

We also saw what looked like a young robin being chased by a redwing blackbird, a little further from us, and closer to the reedbed that makes the other edge of that bit of inlet. (Redwings like to build nests attached to reeds.)

Swallows

Around 1 this afternoon, cattitude and I stepped outside for a few minutes. We went over to one of our usual near places, the stone wall north of our park entrance, and looked out over the mud flat (low tide). There were two small, fork-tailed birds perched on a dead branch in the mudflat. Fledgling swallows, forked tails already visible. We watched the parents swoop around, and bring the fledglings food. Then a third fledgling came to land next to the other two: they're still working on this flying business, but they have the basics down, including landings. Sit, stretch a wing, sit a bit longer, a low loop away and back to the branch. Birds flew back and forth, including one of the parents showing the bright yellow on the bottom of its wing, and eventually all three swallows followed their parents, away from the mud to fly over land or water and catch insects, or maybe back to the nest a bit longer.

We also saw what looked like a young robin being chased by a redwing blackbird, a little further from us, and closer to the reedbed that makes the other edge of that bit of inlet. (Redwings like to build nests attached to reeds.)

Reading and memes

There's this "how many of these hundred books have you read, and which of them did you love?" going around my friendslist. Looking at people's posts, I have to ask: have that many of you actually read Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece, Cymbeline, and Titus Andronicus?

(I have seen Cymbeline on stage.)

Reading and memes

There's this "how many of these hundred books have you read, and which of them did you love?" going around my friendslist. Looking at people's posts, I have to ask: have that many of you actually read Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece, Cymbeline, and Titus Andronicus?

(I have seen Cymbeline on stage.)