Checkin' in on the Ladies (and gents)

nosy ladies -- clover in front, bandit in back, with a decapitated izzy in between.

Speck is camera shy but still so pretty.

Clover

Pong

Peepers is a feathery armful.

Clover again

Ms. Shrew drops in for a visit

Remember her? From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH"? One of my favorite books, just got it out at the library. Anyway.

Last weekend, while shoveling an elaborate "patio" outside the coop for our spoiled chickens, I found a little black rodent struggling in the snow. I thought it was a mole and ran inside to tell Dante to get his boots on and a box and come outside. We captured the poor thing, who was shivering and frantically trying to find it's tunnel, and brought it inside. Exhibit A:

Once we got a good look at it, we identified it as a short-tailed shrew. So we looked them up and built it a little habitat so it could stay with us for a while. Contrary to popular belief, moles and shrew are not menaces. Moles, in fact, do quite a service, aerating the soil and eating the larvae of many harmful insects. I can handle a couple of bumps in my lawn for that service. Moles DO NOT eat bulbs or the roots of plants. Ditto for shrews, tho they're wider diet means they eat some beneficial bugs too, but again, unless they're starving they don't touch plants and can be considered a gardener's friend.

Happier now in her habitat. She made a cool system of tunnels to get around even this tiny fishtank, and one lets out right where we drop in the mealworms, earthworms, and other bugs we got at the bait store.

Mushka was very interested in our guest the first day. Good thing she wasn't in the room when it got out and Dante and I had to recapture it.

mine, Mine, MINE!

Back to the Clark Hill Quarry to go gem hunting. Pics of the kids, plus some cool lichen on the trail.

Lucia, fresh from her visit to Toni's house, sporting her new barrettes.

Who among you is psyched we came to the mine? (Actual answer: everyone)

Gillette's Castle

We tried to spot some eagles from Gillette's castle, but it was cold up on the terrace, and the orange safety net keeps you back so far from the stone wall that you can't see the edge of the river below, so we didn't last too long up there. We sought refuge from the sharp winds down on the dappled woodland paths.

Lucia takes a quick snack break.

a-sugarin' we go

Erica and Chris invited Violet's preschool co-op to come for a maple sugaring day at their place, Hurricane Farm. We joined in the fun, learning how to tap trees, how much it has to boil down before you eat it, and a yummy taste test.

Putting in the tap with the attached lid.

Violet shuts the lid over the bucket that hangs from it.

The set-up in their backyard to boil down the sap.

Raptor rehab

First we saw a talk about owls, followed by one on hawks and falcons. We met some of the rehabilitated birds of prey that the Audubon works with. The speaker said that most of these raptors were hit by cars and can no longer fly, see or hear well enough to survive in the wild. They train the birds to relax a bit in groups so they can use them in educational programs like this one. The birds were all wary, some even skittish. A couple tried to fly off and didn't last too long out of their wooden box.

This gremlin-like being is an Eastern Screech Owl. Look how tiny!

She's holding Merlin, a barn owl. This species of barn owl is from Ohio, not around here -- just one more reason he has to remain in captivity, so as not to disrupt the native population.

Above and below are the Barred Owl.

This is the Great Horned Owl, or Mr. Ocax in "Poppy" which we've just finished reading.

Then the owl show was over, time for Birds of Prey.

A red-shouldered hawk.

Front and back shots of a peregrine falcon, like Frightful in "My Side of the Mountain".

The American kestral, another falcon, tho much more colorful (and smaller) than Frightful.

The Hair Club for Eagles

On Sunday we headed out to Essex for the Eagle Festival. We got to see guys with lots of various chainsaws and other power tools carve sections of huge trees into various birds of prey; we went to the optics tent to use fancy binoculars and scopes to see the nesting eagles across the river; we saw a talk on owls where they had a Great Horned Owl, a Barred Owl and an Eastern Screech Owl who sat on the trainer's gloved hands as they toured the room. We also stayed for the Birds of Prey show which had oodles of hawks, a kestral, a peregrine falcon, and a Barn Owl. Some of the birds were skittish with the big audience, but it was really cool to be able to see them up close like that.

The display at the top of Main Street.

Walking down Main Street, Essex toward the river to see some eagles.

Some of the scopes were pointed at the eagle nest across the river, but this one had something else in its sights:
My camera isn't half so powerful, so I guess I'll have to tell you -- those lumps at the right end of the rock or log are harbor seals.