SOMETIMES I NEED ONLY TO STAND WHEREVER I AM....

 

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER, SORT OF…

Not that I can read the mind of a gull flying overhead, but there was this one the other day.

And not a French fry in sight. He is trying to eat healthier also.  

Are those sardines up there? We are going to be very brave and open up a can this weekend. It's a super food and we're trying such things lately. Gregg's dad and my dad were big fans of sardines. I remember eating them as a child. Anyone out there like them? If so maybe you have an idea how we can add it to something, to make it more palatable to the non-fishy fish eaters.

The birds have been scarce at the feeders lately and that’s how it's going on this

Saturday Morning at the Bird Feeder.

Thanks for the visit and have a great weekend.

 

PELICAN SQUADRON IN FLORIDA 2014

From my archives: we were on a road trip down to Florida and we had left our hotel that morning. We stopped shortly afterwards, so that we could enjoy our daily exercise by walking along the beach. An added benefit of course was being able to see not only the gulls but also the pelicans. As you can see by this first photo, it was a very foggy morning but there I am, camera in hand, enjoying all those birds.  

I thought they were waiting for the fog to clear before taking off over the ocean......

but more likely they are all facing the same direction into the wind to stabilize themselves while standing. There is less chance of them getting blown over this way. Facing in this direction gives the gulls an easier takeoff, which I suppose applies to the Pelicans. Birds are generally referred to as a 'flight' when in the air and a 'flock' on the ground, but gulls on the ground are called a 'colony'.  

So, what do you call a group of Pelicans?

A Squadron......

and this Squadron of Pelicans decided it was time to take off.....

but first they had to receive their orders from their Squadron Leader....

who was chatting with his second in command.

"Get ready chaps!"

Uh-oh!  They're doing a scramble.  Scramble? According to RAF (Royal Air Force) terminology, getting airborne as soon as possible. But they're looking a bit at a loss as to which direction to take off in.  A bit ropey chaps!

Should we scrub take off?

Whoa, steady now!

No?  It's a go!

And the crowd roars!

The Squadron Leader called it, a "Jolly good show and a good practice run. We will do even better tomorrow.

Let's head back to the NAAFI to get a cup of char".  That's tea to everyone who doesn't know what a cup of char is.

It is said that Pelicans are the largest flying birds, because they have air in their bones that makes them lighter and more graceful than they appear.  

Thanks for looking and if you remember this from last time, (last time being in March 2014), hopefully you will enjoy it again.

Have a great day!

PELICAN TAKE-OFF

From my archives, an old post from March 2013. 

We were at the Dockside Restaurant on the Lynnhaven Inlet in Virginia Beach (Virginia) and at the back where there were tables overlooking the water, there was a marina that attracted many water birds. Besides the usual Gulls, which I always love, there were also Pelicans and Red-breasted Mergansers. (These Mergansers were a first for me.  I have seen Hooded Mergansers before.) We had a great view of all the birds, and we were delighted with the show that they put on, especially the Pelican’s take off.

It would have been nice to get some sunshine for these photos, but it was a very grey day. Still, I was happy with what I could get.

Here he goes!

Lift-Off...

and away he goes!

Thanks for dropping in today and 

I hope the rest of your week is a great one.

 

A STUDY IN GULLS

These photos were taken not too far from Pike's Market Place in Seattle in 2009.There were those who really didn't want to be photographed...and didn't stay around long enough to pose. But then again..."Is this my good side?"There were the fly-bys...and the ones who were enjoying bread from a man feeding them. A quote I once read from Edward Norton Lorenz, a meteorologist and mathematician, had remarked that if the theory was correct, one flap of a seagull's wings could alter the course of the weather forever. (We also now know that there is no such thing as a seagull, but the term is commonly used to refer to a variety of gull species.) I could believe that quote when I saw this sight. Those wings were flapping up a storm. I couldn't tell who was having more of a good time, the birds or the man. He had such a wonderful smile on his face, but I feared for his fingers as they came down in droves.An ear-splitting cacophony! I wasn't far from putting my hands over my ears.Stroppy little thing, this one kept asking for more.

I don't see many people feeding birds bread any more. It is discouraged nowadays because it's not good for them, or for us as they can be very aggressive. I have never been afraid of them, spending many of my growing up years and my married life near the ocean, but I am aware.

I hope you've enjoyed these old photos. They were taken on a road trip back in 2009. Another post from my old blog. 

Thanks for looking and 

I hope your day is a good one.

THE HONEY-BEES ARE…

 The honey-bees are gumming

On their little wings, and humming

That the summer, which is coming,

Will be fun.

For the spring is really springing;

You can see a skylark singing,

And the blue-bells, which are ringing,

Can be heard.

~A. A. Milne~