Those crazy Victorians...

Husband and I just celebrated our anniversary.  We decided to go see flowers we like.  We drove through a forest area, to look at bear grass blooms and rhododendrons.   It's a nice area, and we went through right at the primo time for blooms, which made for some nice photos.  (Including a sneaky one I took of Husband, taking pictures!)  We arrived at the area we were going to, and realized it was very early in the day, so we chatted for a bit, and decided to drive to Sisters, where we would have lunch. 

We were driving by a bathroom area.  Um.

Husband saw them first, and commented, "Are those... vultures?"

There must have been... A dozen? More?  A lot, at any rate.  Whoever is supposed to clean up the trash... Didn't.  For a LONG time.  As in, there were several bags, probably 6 or 7,  some open, some not, and loose trash all around the bathrooms.  This is what the vultures were congregating on and around. 

The vultures were picking up bits and scraps from the trash, and some were just sitting, wings out, being an avian solar collector. 

I wondered what a group of vultures was.  I looked it up. Vultures in a group are a wake.  I guess the Victorians had way too much time on their hands, leading to various groups like,

A wake of vultures, a parliament of owls (or rooks), a murder of crows, a stench of skunks, a crash of rhinos, and a kindle of kittens.

So now I have an image of all these little kittens sitting on a flat screen...

Early birds. No, really...

I went out to feed and water before I went to work at the sub.  This is just a bit before 6 am.  I open the door of the chicken house, and poof, out come the flock o' chickens, flapping, clucking, little taps of toenails on cement as they run to be first to the food. 

I put the feed out for them, and see the little... Chickadees? Sparrows? zipping to the trees nearby.  After the chickens finish, they swoop by and check for leftovers.  (I am surprised there ARE leftovers, the chickens try and get every last crumb...)

And then I hear "Sqwaunk, sqwaunk", nearly over head.  I look up to see a small group of Canada Geese, just going like thunder, honking and flapping to wherever the next water hole or patch of lawn grass is. 

Then, up from me, I hear crunching and skittering.  Our neighbors have turkeys as temporary visitors in their trees.  I watch as they launch off a branch, then glide to the ground.  Then they look about, see me, and frantically call to warn the others, "the crazy lady is out again!"  I watch as they all get down and do a sort of bowing walk, ostensibly so I can't see them.  It reminds me of Groucho Marx doing his cigar waving walk. 

I go back to the house, and see Martins checking out our bird houses.  We have several, and the Martins seem to be choosing juuuuuust the right one.  Flit in, flit out, run off someone else, flit by, check out the next house, repeat.  Pretty soon, we'll see one bird in, and another doing food runs, then the babies.  That's always an interesting time, the parents sometimes get a bit irked with us for being outside.  Oh, well.

I leave, the sun getting a peak over the pass, but not quite ready for full sunny-ness.  The crows are hopping by the oak tree, looking for bugs, and the occasional acorn.  They don't appreciate me when I go to the car, and caw loudly, from the safety of a branch high up... 

I take off, and see vultures up ahead.  Most people I know, don't think too much of vultures.  I don't exactly think they are lovely sorts myself, but I have always thought they have a strange dignity in the way they carry themselves.  Every move seems to be prefaced by a slow deliberation, as if they want to make absolutely sure they are going to plot every outcome before they act.  The ones I see are in a nearby field, I think checking out a small creature.  They look up as I go past, and one seems to hop up on the fence.  I don't think I would even call it flying... And he stares as I go by, almost seeming to look as if he's expecting me to show a reservation for coming by there.  I pass, and it flies over the car, to get a good look at me as I leave. 

I am seeing more birds as the season changes, I saw my first hummingbird a day or so ago.  I am planting a bird and bee garden soon, so hopefully, I will be able to tell you of more birdy escapades...