IT REALLY IS Fowl
A couple of days ago I was sitting on the porch reading Chess Metaphors – an interesting book about AI (Thanks Nick!) – and I heard a loud buzzing; it sounded like a giant bumblebee. We have some really big bees; in addition to varieties of flies, wasps, and other winged bugs; that are quite noisy when close by. But no, this buzz was coming from a hummingbird that was feeding on the wild geraniums in front of the house. It really was not too surprising as we have seen many hummers this year; sometimes they drink off the waterfall and other times they peak into the patio. I called to Mrs. T to look out the kitchen window, but she was too late and bird was gone. (It did come back later a couple of times.)
Rebecca was preparing to go swimming, which she tries to do once a week to "keep in shape" for her scuba diving. I heard her go into the garage and then she called to me in a low voice, "Hurry and come in here very quietly." I figured she had spotted the hummingbird or another bird, perhaps our pileated woodpecker – I thought I heard him knocking on a tree earlier. I knew she had not spotted a snake because it would have been a yell for help.
I stealthily entered the garage and indeed saw something unusual. We have told you about our turkeys, deer, frogs, ground hogs, and even beaver. But this critter was a new one to the neighborhood. I very quietly took my old camera out of the car and was able to take a couple of shots before he headed behind the house. We thought he had left and Mrs. T went for her swim.
But he came back – screeching – and sat on the rock in front of the house. All I had in the way of a camera was my iPhone, but I was able to take a shot. While I went into the house through the garage, he hopped on our porch railing and peered inside. I was able to grab another camera and take a couple of shots through the bedroom window before he decided to saunter away.
I called our neighbor Jamey and asked if he had decided to raise some exotic livestock. He said, "Oh, you saw the …." It seems that this boy had been up in his yard the day before.
And he came back the next morning and was making a racket at the top of the waterfall. R heard him a couple of times this morning.
Well, any guesses about our new guest? You will just need to look at the pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9151458@N07/sets/72157623995483633/
Yes, it really is. What will be our next visitor?
Dan and Rebecca
www.case-de-terrible.blogspot.com
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