Still a bit of Old Florida

Hi friends!  You won't find any squirrels here today.  Or chipmunks.

Nope.  I left them at home, hopefully in the good hands of house sitters that are feeding them.   

And the cat.  Who is probably hiding under the bed.

What you will find here today is our first day of vacation on Anna Maria Island.  I love coming here.  

It still has the flavor of old Florida.  No high rises, no condos ... 

just lots of sun and relaxation 

and

old fashion piers

fishing

snowy egrets

 wide open beaches

hubbys who carry good wine for sunsets

and annoyed seabirds who tire of my pestering them for photos.

All I have to say to him is "Get over it!"

Wishing you a great week!

~ sharing with ~
Creative Exchange

Backyard critter concerns

Rocky Squirrel:  Hey, listen up you squirrels!   I just overheard House Lady talking to those finches.  She's heading out of town!   Apparently,  she's got some other yahoos staying here and was showin' them how to fill the feeders and water all the plants.

Randy Squirrel:  WHAT!  Did I hear that right?  Did she mention us?  Nothing about us???

Sammy Jr. Squirrel:  Oh no, oh no, what will we do!!!  The FOOD will all run out.  We'll starve!

Darth Vader Squirrel:  Hey, I better eat as much as I can now ... who knows when we are gonna get any more food!!

Roxy Roxanne Squirrel:  (shouting)  Oh, for heaven's sakes!  Will you all just calm down!  There is a simple solution if they forget to feed us.  Taught to me by my grandmother a few summers back during that dry spell.  So watch and learn, boys, watch and learn!

Roxy Roxanne Squirrel:   It's very simple .... Take the corn like this ..... 

Roxy Roxane Squirrel:   Find a really good place .....

Roxy Roxanne Squirrel:  ..... where you can bury it!   Ta-da!

Darth Vader Squirrel:  Really!  We can do that?

Roxy Roxanne Squirrel:  Duh!  I thought they taught you this stuff at that fancy training school they sent you to.  Just flyin' around in the trees and no ground work??     Why they train only you boys, is beyond me.  YES!  YES!  You can carry the corn like that. 

Darth Vader Squirrel: Well I guess it is possible ....

Darth Vader Squirrel:  .... let me ponder on this a moment ...

Darth Vader Squirrel:  .... so you carry it like this, right?  Hey, that's not so hard!

Darth Vader Squirrel:  .... and this looks like a good spot!

Rocky Squirrel:  Well done gang!  Now that that's all done, I'm feeling much better.  

Darth Vader Squirrel:  Golly, that was exhausting!  I never had to do anything THAT strenuous in my training.  But at least now we have some stored away in case those yahoos don't feed us anything.

Carmen Chipmunk:  (who's been observing all the squirrel commotion)  Aha!  So THAT's what they mean when they say 'squirrel away' !     Mmmmmmmm........ Stupid squirrels.  Don't they know I'm also known as a ground squirrel!  Now I know where my new food source will be while House Lady is away!  Hehehehehe!

: : :

And now for Human News!

We had the Fairy Hobmother select another $50 Amazon gift certificate winner!

Congratulations Lisa Gordon! 

Don't forget to hop over

there and leave a comment on her wonderful blog!

Lisa Gordon Photography

Hope you all have a great weekend.

And thanks for dropping in.  I love reading your comments!

Bird's eye view

Do you suppose this is what they mean by 

"bird's eye view"

I was getting a bit weary of backyard critters.

Perhaps you were too.

So, starting Sunday, 

these guys are going to be my backyard critters

because we are heading to the

beach!

Not the 'shore' .... remember this post

Is it shore or beach?

But before I leave, I think the squirrels have 

something they want to share.....

Tomorrow.

And remember that Fairy Hobmother

and all the wonderful comments you left a few weeks back?

Congratulations goes to Ann over at Snap Edit Scrap

who won the $50 Amazon gift certificate!

If you want another chance to win, hop right over there and leave a wish.

Yours may be granted!

Even birds do it ....

A few days ago, I was roused out of my computer stupor 

by a consistent chirping outside my office window.  

As I looked out, I discovered this fledgling making all the racket.

But it wasn't his constant chirping that gave me pause, but rather who was feeding him!

A Tree Sparrow!

The fledgling definitely was not a tree sparrow.

I may be new at bird watching, but this little one was definitely not a sparrow.

For one, his legs were dark, the male sparrow feeding him were skin toned.

And then there was his size.  TWICE as big as the sparrow.

And feather color ... I don't think it was happening either.

Something went awry in that nest!

The father sparrow was feeding him seed from the ground, 

which, in my opinion, the youngin' could have done that for himself!

Oy!  Kids!

When the father sparrow flew away, he would nap.  

I guess loud chirping and eating can be exhausting!

After a few minutes, I could tell when the father sparrow was close again.

His chirp engine started up.

Feed me,  feed me!

I just fed you!  You know, you can pick up the seed yourself.

But, oh, papa, that's so h.a.r.d.

At one point when the young one was alone, 

a young cardinal fledgling showed up and started checking him out.

The father sparrow quickly returned.

As well as the mother sparrow.

Rather protective pair.

Helicopter parenting, even in the aviary world.

I imagined this cardinal saying, 

There's something odd about those parents of yours.

But no matter.

A few days later, he was around again chirping away.  

He looked a bit older and stronger.

But still chirping chirping chirping.

And soon, what to my wondering eyes should appear?

  Daddy-o Sparrow!

I think he's beginning to wonder where Mrs. Sparrow spent that night 33 days ago.

Bird Wife ....  do you have something to tell me?

: : :

P.S.

Can my bird friends explain how and why these sparrows are caring for this little guy.  I'm thinking the little one is looking like a female finch. 

Some more hummingbird delight

Okay ...  I just need to come right out and confess.  I am so smitten with my hummingbirds.  I just can't get enough of them and don't even ask me how many photos I have.

It would be embarrassing.

They distract me.

They delight me.

They thrill me.

Chasing each other.  Up, down and around.  And then, sometimes stopping long enough for me to snap a photo through my window.

There used to be only one or two coming to my feeders.  But lately there are 5 or 6.  I'm thinking the young ones have fledged and that's the reason for the numbers now.

Like this little one today.   I'm thinking he might be a male.  See that little bit of red under his neck!  I think he is a young Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.  I'm hoping some of you bird experts can verify this.  Since this is my very first season to bird watch, I have a lot to learn!

He was quite busy this morning.  Chasing everyone away from the feeders and then coming back to the butterfly bush under my window.

And waited.

He kept an eye out and as soon as he spotted a competitor, he zipped after them and gave chase.

It was a lot of hard work.

You can never tell which direction they may come from.

And then, sometimes you just need to take a rest.  

And hope no one catches you sitting down on the job.

~ ~ sharing with ~ ~

World Bird Wednesday

Outdoor Wednesday