Getting blown to pieces today

Yep, the wind sure is blowing today.  A front is moving through with some rain forecasted, but I’m sure glad I’m here rather than up north a ways where there could be a foot and a half of snow.  I accomplished very little today, but have enjoyed the down time.

Finally got a few pics of this female belted kingfisher the other day.  She has been taunting me for a couple of months.

It was a slow day at the VIS yesterday.  I only had three people stop in, and they were all in one group.  That was my last stint working there this tour of duty.  Can’t say that I’ll miss it very much.  It’s pretty boring at this time of the year.

Thank goodness there were a few little birds flitting around just outside to keep me awake.  (common yellowthroat)

Amazingly, I had about $65 in sales.  That sure beat the paltry $1 I had last Sunday.  It’s always rather windy along the coast, but today is even more so.  My little outside table took flight a while ago, and the slide-out awning has been flapping all day.A feral hog got hit by a vehicle on the entrance road the other day, so the clean up crew has flown in to take care of things.  I know you’re just waiting for some more trivial facts to liven up your lulls in conversation, so here goes.  Vultures don’t have feathers on their heads because their trade is sticking their heads into decomposing bodies.  What a mess that would be if they had feathers on their heads!  I also want you to notice how white their legs appear.  That’s because they defecate on their legs.  It is very acidic.  So acidic in fact that bird banders learned early not to put bands on vulture legs.  Their poop got stuck between the band and their legs, and the result was a bunch of one legged vultures.  These two little facts could really liven up your Christmas dinner, don’t you think?

I just think this is the neatest entrance sign to the elementary school in Winnie.  Just had to share it with you.

Okay, enough rambling.  Tomorrow is chore day (boring) so I probably won’t post anything.  Then on Wednesday I’ll be doing the local Christmas Bird Count, and in the afternoon a Big Duck will be flying in.  More about that later.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy