Remember?

The young Cooper's transforms.


Pale Male ponders.

Mark Brown's Stellar's Jay

Chickens in trees at Queen's Farm

Pale Male stares at Lola waiting for her to get up.

Emmie bolts at me.

The Frick Mom and ducklings from Eleanor Tauber.

And Independent Duckling who only went when he was ready.

Now scarce locally due to West Nile Virus, my first sighted Wisconsin Blue Jay

Sam the crisp eating Gull

And Pigeons running for the train.

Donegal Browne

The Day After the Festivities.

Silver may look like he's thinking something but in reality he's awake but no one is home. This is still one tired bird.

All day he hasn't known what to do with himself in the manner of small overtired children. He'll ask for something and then find it completely unsatisfying. He's grumpy and liable to go from staring at nothing to sawing his rope spiral with his beak while saying "Awwwww".
If you look carefully, you'll see he's sawing away with his eyes closed.

Now back to the thousand mile stare.

Eyes drooping it's time for a scratch.

Then more staring. He's talked today, and even resurrected things we haven't heard in years but predominately he's "beeped". An attention getting device used when he really can't think of anything specific he wants (otherwise he'd ask for it specifically) but he wants something. He just hasn't figured out that what he wants is sleep or more precisely being over tired, he just can't seem to go to sleep.

Now it's the big yawn and a scratch, which usually foreshadows dropping off to sleep.

Not today, his eyes are open wide and he's staring some more.

Now some preening with eyes at half mast.

Fix those tail feathers.

Okay, feathers will be ready for tomorrow, perhaps tucking in now might work.

Nope. Head tucked, eyes wide. And note he rarely tucks his head unless he's cold, which he currently isn't, or is very tired.

He untucks, he yawns, and his eyes almost close...

No good, he deals with a recalcitrant feather on his left shoulder.

Pitiful little bags under his eyes, he stares binoc.

Then suddenly he tucks in again and this time, for whatever reason, his eyes slowly close--and stay that way.



Donegal Browne

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2008!

New Years is always very trying for Quicksilver as we discussed exactly a year ago tonight. Yes, the traditional 2008 New Year's glasses were plopped on the plant near his perch yet again. Though to add insult to injury this year's model has chaser lights on them. But to tell the truth, having not been able to engineer a way into stealing Christmas cookies this year, he's almost too tired to care.


It all been far too chaotic for comfort. Just why are all those people standing in the street beneath his window screaming and attempting to get two blocks further east? And if that isn't bad enough, must the police use bullhorns? It's all extremely trying while attempting to get a little nap before the black eyed peas at one minute past midnight.

Basically Silver is so tired he had to stare at his black eyed peas for five minutes before it registered that there were ham bits that could be fished out.


And is it really necessary for everyone in Manhattan to have their lights on?

Finally, no matter, his eyes slowly closed, popped open and then slowly closed again. They didn't even reopen at the sound of Redi-whip being dispensed.

Donegal Browne