It May Be a Bird, But I Know That Look! ;)
Someone gave us a bird house and we put it up in the big lilac bush near the back door. Well, somebody decided to make a home there this year despite its proximity to our house. This afternoon I was mowing the back lawn and approached the bird house before I mowed to see what was about, I could hear all the little peeping of the baby birds! They seemed to peep every time I got close enough for them to see me, which I found curious.
At any rate, I had to mow but then I looked in again, and this parent-looking bird stared back at me, little dark eye in a small brown head with a little pointed beak, and I knew that look so well as a fellow parent! That look so clearly communicated "You may be big, you may be powerful, but if you try messing with my little ones, I am so going to come after you!" And I backed away and did not look in again, mentally tipping my hat to such a good parent! :)
On a different topic, tonight I went to walk a neighbor dog, Sparky, whose "parents" are away, and I noticed going down the cement walk next to the school a small centipede crossing one of the landings at high speed. I avoided him of course, and then on the next landing I spied in the shadows a small wolf spider moving very quickly in the opposite direction. I guess this must be a high speed night crossing for small hunting arthropods! If I see many more perhaps I should put up a "Caution! Small Arthropod Crossing!" sign...... ;D
At any rate, I had to mow but then I looked in again, and this parent-looking bird stared back at me, little dark eye in a small brown head with a little pointed beak, and I knew that look so well as a fellow parent! That look so clearly communicated "You may be big, you may be powerful, but if you try messing with my little ones, I am so going to come after you!" And I backed away and did not look in again, mentally tipping my hat to such a good parent! :)
On a different topic, tonight I went to walk a neighbor dog, Sparky, whose "parents" are away, and I noticed going down the cement walk next to the school a small centipede crossing one of the landings at high speed. I avoided him of course, and then on the next landing I spied in the shadows a small wolf spider moving very quickly in the opposite direction. I guess this must be a high speed night crossing for small hunting arthropods! If I see many more perhaps I should put up a "Caution! Small Arthropod Crossing!" sign...... ;D