Although it’s May 2nd, I would like to wish you a blessed Beltane, with a prayer that your Bel fire burns bright to guide magical wonders your way. I celebrated Beltane by sitting on the retaining wall to savor a succulent orange. The geese kept me company, hoping I would send some bread their way. I did even better than bread, digging into the cracked corn bin for their celebratory meal.

Mama goose digesting her Beltane meal.

Once again, I have a raptor tale! A friend came over to take me on some errands (being without a car has made life so interesting). We were getting ready to leave when he started shouting and ran out the back door. Seems a red-tailed hawk was lunching on Brad. Always in control, I screamed first, than grabbed the camera, which went flying out of my hands and crashed against the hardwood floor. By the time I got outside, the hawk was in a tree across the river, Brad was in the water with Angie, and my camera was in need of repairs.

Brad and Angie, after his luncheon engagement with the hawk!

My camera does still work but will need to be sent to Sony for fixin’. Sony assured me it would only take three weeks to fix. Three weeks without my camera, during the spring season, would bite. Anyway, here is a fuzzy photo of the hawk. I didn’t have time to mount the camera on the tripod and my hands were shaking while shooting the pics. The shaking wasn’t so much from Brad almost being eaten, as from dropping my camera. I’m glad Brad is okay but, sigh, MY CAMERA!

The beautiful red-tailed hawk…

…who almost ate Brad!

Other wildlife adventures this past week include a visit from the wood ducks who are nesting across the river. Brad got into his threatening pose when they landed, his macho duckiness rising to the surface. After a moment, he realized they were a different species and left them to eat in peace.

Wood ducks are unique with their eye rings, and Alien-like head feathers. I can’t help it, every time I see a wood duck drake, I think of Alien.

You’ve got to admit, there is a resemblance.

Something about those head feathers, hmmmmmm.

Okay, back to Earth. My yard has a growing number of robins, pecking and poking the grass. I’m amazed at their eyesight. They stand a still as a rock, head slightly cocked, than dig for whatever it is that moved under the dirt. Since I don’t use pesticides, it’s typically a grub. My grass is full of them and that’s fine with me. More food for the robins.

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Too bad a robin wasn’t with me when I was raking the leaves. Bending down to collect the pile, my face came within tongue distance of this garter snake! Damn, he was long, about two feet! And understandably annoyed.

Angry Eastern garter snake.

A little prodding with a stick and he moved on. Possibly in search of a fat toad. I was told garter snakes don’t eat toads but some research shed the truth. Garter snakes will eat toads, frogs, salamanders, worms, baby birds, slugs, mice … the list is long and varied, similar to my choices of ice cream flavors. As with the robins, there’s plenty of food to go around. However, I would prefer the baby birds be left alone.

Fledging robin from last summer.

Brad and Angie fly in daily for breakfast and dinner. They even enjoy sunning on the lawn. Angie should be laying soon, and then she’ll disappear to brood the eggs. Hopefully she’ll bring the chicks by to visit. I told Chris, he doesn’t have to make me a grandmother anytime soon, the ducks have it covered.

A varied diet, whole wheat bread ….

… and cracked corn!

As the caretaker of this corner of the Concord River, I will do whatever I can to tend it in a way that sustains the wildlife who live here. The Universe has honored me with this task and I am deeply grateful.

Blessed be :}