Best of luck to the sweet dove couple! Our garden pair seems to think that two crossed sticks equals a nest. So we pretty much never see more than those two, lol.

We have red-shouldered hawks nesting in the woods behind us, very close in hawk terms to the red-tailed hawks nesting across the street (and down a ways). Plus there is a great-horned owl close enough that we hear him calling at night, and a big group of crows comes through our yard daily. So it's going to be a battle zone when everything fledges!

Also in bird news, I have forgotten to buy eggs. The chocolate ones are secured of course, it's the ones to color that I forgot. (The ones in the fridge are already brown.)

To the store!!

That actually sounds lovely.

In previous years we've had some mourning doves make a nest in a bush at about eye level to me. I think they finally realized they made a pretty bad nest and abandoned it not long after. Running the lawn mower helped them make that decision.

This post has been edited by King Coin: Mar 30 2013, 02:46 PM

"Treydog: The Birdening, Chapter 2"

Yes, from Mrs. Treydog's EXTENSIVE reading, doves are apparently lousy nest builders, just sort of piling some twigs up and calling it good. They also lay eggs 4 or 5 times a season- perhaps to make up for the ones that fall through the floor...

So- when the high wind warnings came out last week, I was sent out with rope to brace the "Dove Tree" to a fence post. The doves showed neither gratitude nor concern.

The "Whose House is it Anyway" contest continues, as the woodpecker makes more chips (which he wants for nesting material) and the chickadees carefully carry all the wood chips away.

Speaking of nesting material, I was sent out (in the rain) yesterday to hang dryer lint in the trees.

Then I was sent BACK out (in the rain) this morning to take it back. (I blame the Internet).

In place of the lint, I have put out pet fur (DON'T ASK) and some bits of cotton twine.

Meh. Birds. Small birds are...tolerable. large birds? NO.

I'm raising baby pigeons

Where I grew up (on Little River) we had the usual assortment of small and medium birds.

Plus ospreys, hawks, and Great Blue Herons.

Reminds me of the "outdoorsman's" classification of birds in Patrick McManus writing:

"Ya got yer itty bitty birds, yer medium-size birds, and iggles."

I usually just toss pet fur outside when I'm done brushing the animals anyways. Or better yet, I take the critter outside and brush it there and just leave the mess.

Anything larger than, say, a parakeet, is a no-no. I had a parakeet and he was great.

I had a giant parrot that could whistle the looney toons theme

I just got my butt handed to me by Kobby´s parrot?

Wow.

What type? I raised homing pigeons for years, they're beautiful and they make a soothing cooing noise.

Dove of peace or something like that. Someone left them on my front porch in an animal carrier this morning, so I took em in. They're cute!

They're also stronger than they look so if you take them out of the cage be careful.

Primarily practicing with Manuscript-Brand ink cartridge Calligraphy pens. Been doing my runs in Textura Quadrata.

First time I've seen anyone do a spit take in real life....

That is Awesome, Blackie!

That looks amazing! It would be a waste for me to try however. I still write like a 3rd grader.

Happy Easter All !!!

Happy Easter

As did I until a couple of months ago....behold! An ancient Journal entry!!






Something a bit more recent:






And an entry from my last journal when I was calligrapitti-ing everything that I wrote, a little more showboating, but meh....




Moral of the Story: I improved my handwriting through Calligraphy, which is the main reason I took it up to begin with. I guess writing takes place from the more logical centers of the brain rather than the more artistic.

Calligraphy uses both, improving handwriting and retention alike apparently...o_O

That is excellently cool. The last time I wrote a letter to someone- just to demonstrate WHY trying to read my script was... not a feat to be undertaken lightly- I wrote in cursive first and then transcribed it in print.

I NEVER write anything in cursive anymore except my signature- because even I cannot read it.

I blame years of college note-taking. Or maybe I just have lousy handwriting....

But I am envious of your skill.