The Moon and Venus-- Friday, February 27, 2009
Venus has been tremendously bright and she was delightfully close to the moon on Friday. So much so that people who rarely notice the night sky, stopped in their tracks to stare.
Friday was also special because though the winter birds such as the Juncos are still in residence, birds long absent since the truly cold weather set in have begun to reappear. The doves and juncos were out foraging when suddenly they scattered. Guess who? It's Blue Jay bombing in and taking over the feeding area.
He gives me a look through the glass and being a Jay, a species with a rather strong personality, he continues on with what he had in mind.
It isn't so much that the other birds took to their wings but rather took to their feet and ran out of the way on his arrival. At which point, he cocked his eye down at the ground, spied a sunflower seed, gripped it in his beak...
and swallowed it whole smartly. Time is not to be wasted.
Another quick cock of the head...
...another grab and quick swallow.
And in the meantime, a Starling landed on the bench. Also a species not seen here for some months, and also not a species known for reticence, she took the better part of valor, being on her own without species mates as she was, and stuck to the high ground until the Jay left the main feeding area.
I didn't see Blue Jay today, but the single Starling ran the sparrows out of the heated bath so she could take hers at her leisure. I've noticed that Starlings bathe at least once a day when water is available.
Venus...still brilliantly bright this evening.
How many birds might be using her, at least partially, to find their way back to their summer homes and nest sites.
Godspeed.
Donegal Browne
P.S. My apologies for the spotty postings, my health is unreliable at the moment.
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