Continuing on the birding theme this week: today I worked from home (recovering from our mini-trip). I was paid a visit by this female red-bellied woodpecker.
Towhee
On day 2 of our mini-vacation to Newburyport, we went to the famous Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. While the tides were wrong for us to see much in the way of shore birds, we did see numerous egrets, herons, and waterfowl. But the highlight of the day once again easily stands out: for about 20 minutes we observed a family of Eastern towhees(*) foraging on the dune-forest floor, turning over leaves to uncover and eat insects, delivering some to the begging fledgling. The female, pictured here, was quite cooperative, and I also got a good picture of the male. Junior, though, stuck to the thickets out of reach of the camera lens.
(*) Formerly called rufous-sided towhee, a much more evocative name
Bonus picture: who knew, cormorants can actually look threatening, or at least like Klingon Birds of Prey
Hawk
Lis and I took a mini-vacation to Newburyport, and on the first day we went to Maudslay State Park. The highlight of the day was definitely seeing this red-tailed hawk catch a meal, then fly up into a nearby tree to eat it.
Full Tribble
I got a Full Tribble of fur off of the kitties this evening, which is surprising considering it’s been humid these past few days but not really all that hot.
I am lion. Hear me purr.
Summer sky in the Evening
Trillium
I walked over to the Trillium brewery in Fort Point today at lunch, to pick up some beer to bring on the 4th. Little did I know they were debuting not ONE but TWO limited edition beers today, so the line was pretty long but moved quickly. I came away with the beer for Wednesday (Congress St.), plus All Hundred Thousand Trillion Everything and Apricot Soak. How could I resist?
Consolation prize
King crab legs for dinner tonight, to help make up for us not being in Alaska.
They were good. They’re certainly less work than lobster, but I have to say the flavor is not quite as good. I imagine they’re better closer to the source.
Museum of Bad Art
We went to the Somerville Theater this evening and, of course, visited the Museum of Bad Art in the basement. This one’s for Moth in honor of the recently departed Runt.
One Year
The Year in Review, as recorded in corks. Green Newton accepts them for recycling at our local farmer’s market, and I took a year’s worth down there today.
That’s 88 corks: 67 wine, 16 whiskey/vermouth/liquor/wine vinegar, 4 beer/champagne/prosecco, and the remaining half of one I cut down for some other purpose.