Animals | wordsfromanneli

September 4, 2024
by wordsfromanneli 20 Comments

Bob the Cat

I’m pretty sure this is a bobcat (not a lynx – which looks very similar). If you see one of these fellows in your neighbourhood, make sure you keep your little dog or cat in the house while the big guy is prowling around.

This guy was NOT in my yard, and I’m thankful for that.

If you have Bob visiting your neighbourhood, be sure not to leave pet food outside, or have a lot of birdseed lying around your bird feeding station. You may find them interested in your fruit trees when the fruit is ripe. A healthy bobcat probably won’t attack you. It is more interested in your favourite squirrels that live in your woodshed.

If you’re out for a walk in the woods and you see a bobcat, it’s probably a good idea to pick up any small children you may have with you. We can never know how desperate a bobcat may be.

Robert and Roberta Cat

Say they’re bobcats and that’s that.

Bob and Bobbi hunt for squirrels,

Even one that jumps and twirls.

Chase them up and down the tree,

Sneaking up when they don’t see.

Evening time they have a rest,

That’s the time they like the best.

Snug inside their little den,

Under tree roots now and then,

Sometimes underneath a cliff,

Perched beneath a ledge to sniff.

They keep watch for their next meal,

Mouse or mole it’s no big deal.

And on sunny days they rest,

While they let their lunch digest.

August 16, 2024
by wordsfromanneli 30 Comments

Discretion and Valor

If you love fishing and camping in solitary places, you might want to scout out your surroundings, before you go too far afield.

This mama grizzly and her two cubs (probably last year’s) like fishing and hanging out in solitary places too.

The fact that she still has both cubs could possibly mean that the fishing has been good and that mother and cubs are healthy and doing fine. However, people and grizzlies in close proximity to each other are usually not a good combination. I hope, for the grizzlies’ sake, that there is no interaction that will cause them to be trapped and “dispatched.”

These bears are on Vancouver Island where grizzlies are making an appearance in the last few years. They swim over from the mainland, island hopping to shorten the distance they need to swim. It’s possible that in this case the mother is trying to keep her cubs safe from male grizzlies who would be a threat to them. In some species, the male would kill the young to gain access to the mother and “have some fun with her.” The big cats are another example of this.

This photo was taken by a friend of the Captain near a favourite fishing spot. Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor, hence the blurry quality of the photo. If the photographer had gone closer, the picture might have been clearer, but he might not have been around long enough to send it.

I think the friend probably decided to take a raincheck on fishing that day.

August 9, 2024
by wordsfromanneli 31 Comments

The Apple Thief

The MacIntosh is “Oh my gosh,”

The loveliest of fruit,

If Adam ponders at its wonders,

Who can blame the brute?

I don’t see trouble in the rubble,

Just a pail of yum,

The sneaky nibbles taste like kibbles,

Hope no one will come.

You shouldn’t cheat, you shouldn’t eat,

Those apples that are picked.

But never fear, I’ll stay right here,

And then I won’t get nicked.

I just don’t care, I’m on a dare,

These apples are so good,

And anyhow, it’s too late now,

To stop me if you could.

So juicy sweet is apple meat,

It runs right down my throat,

Why don’t you grab a little dab?

And don’t just stand remote.

Come on and join, and let’s purloin,

Another tasty treat,

We’ll get right down onto the ground,

The flavour can’t be beat.

I’m in the mood to not be rude,

And spoil the missus’ work,

You go ahead, but filled with dread,

You’ll see you’ve been a twerk.

You make me feel like such a heel,

I thought you’d have some too.

I feel so bad, now don’t be mad,

My actions I do rue.

I hope you’ve learned, a page you’ve turned,

Those Macs were not for you,

Your ear is floppy, tongue is soppy,

Learn from what you do.

July 28, 2024
by wordsfromanneli 42 Comments

Lightning, Thunder, and Rain … at Last!

I know it’s been dry and you want it to rain,

But I saw a flash in the sky,

You tell me it’s safe and it won’t cause me pain,

But take me inside where it’s dry.

I heard a loud boom and a rumbling growl,

It sounds pretty scary to me,

I’m trying my best not to let loose and howl,

To be what you want me to be.

What flashes of light and that fierce rumbling boom,

My courage is fading so fast,

Let’s sit on the couch, just move over, make room,

We’ll snuggle until it is past.

July 15, 2024
by wordsfromanneli 34 Comments

Hello World

You may remember the junco who guarded her nest in an unusual place.

My poor hanging basket had to go without its usual amount of water.

I didn’t want to drown the eggs in the nest the junco had made in the flower basket.

Today I thought I would check its progress and had a surprise. This little guy looks exhausted but he’s here.

I pecked and pecked for hours and hours,

And hoped it was not time for showers,

I know the flowers have to live,

But it’s a nest and not a sieve.

I slept and slept and snored and snored,

My mother left when she got bored,

It took so long to crack that shell,

But now I’m doing very well.

I panted, panted, smiled and smiled,

I have a brother, oh, how wild!

I’m not alone, in this big world,

Can’t wait to get my wings unfurled.

July 6, 2024
by wordsfromanneli 39 Comments

This Place is for the Birds

This spotted towhee has been living here for quite a while.

His wife is somewhere nearby but she’s more camera shy.

She looks much like her flashy husband, but her colours are slightly muted.

They have been nesting on the ground inside my fenced garden, usually under the thick rosemary bush. But this year I cut the rosemary back quite a bit, not thinking I was making the usual nesting area less inviting.

So the towhees chose the messiest corner of the garden where I had not weeded, and put a nest in the mess. I let the poppies grow up in the raised bed, thinking it would hide the weeds until I could get to them. Little did I know I was also helping hide a towhee nest.

I sneaked in there with my camera and got a picture of one towhee baby still in the nest. Mother had flown out when I came close but she went right back after I left. Now I’m hoping the baby will make it through the next critical days and weeks.

There’s no question of catching up with my weeding in this part of the jungle now.

Please click on the links below if you would like to take advantage of smashwords’ e-book sale. My e-books are 50% off during July.

July 1, 2024
by wordsfromanneli 38 Comments

Sorry, Sorry, oh, so Sorry!

Yesterday, I watered my hanging baskets, and, for the second time, scared up an Oregon junco, who flew up into the nearby firs and scolded me.

“How dare you pour water on me?” she chipped.

Today, I had a closer look. Yes, the junco flew out for the third time that I have disturbed her. But when I parted the flowers and looked into the base of the pot, I felt just sick to think I had been pouring water on a little junco nest of five eggs.

I felt terrible to think of what I had put her through, and that I might have hurt her eggs. I thought nesting time was over!

And now, I’m wondering how I can save my hanging basket if I don’t water it.

*****

P.S. The Smashwords sale begins today with my e-books being 50% off.

Go to the smashwords link https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/ and type in my book titles in the search box at the top of the page. You can find the titles on the sidebars of all my posts.

Sale is on for the month of July.

June 30, 2024
by wordsfromanneli 23 Comments

Watering

I’d found a perfect hiding place,

With flowers all of gold,

It sheltered, and provided snacks,

And kept me from the cold.

I slept there cozy, safe, and warm,

For breakfast there were bugs,

It once was so idyllic ’til

The dreaded water jugs.

The lady said, “A drink for you!”

And poured a deluge down,

The gush of water covered me,

I dashed out with a frown.

“Chipchip! Chipchip!” I scolded her,

At least she looked contrite,

And yet I felt I had to shout

And stand up for my right.

She’s done this to me two times now,

Perhaps she didn’t know,

But now that I’m the cleanest bird,

It’s probably time to go.

June 14, 2024
by wordsfromanneli 35 Comments

Gettin’ Down and Dirty

Harriet is rooting around for the last of the hidden hazelnuts from last year’s stash. It’s getting harder to find the remaining ones and her fur is a mess every time she surfaces after “diving” under the old tree stump.

If you make the videos full screen you’ll see better as Harriet is quite small.

But as you will see from the video below, she did finally have some success. (Apologies for the last couple of blurry seconds when I tried to zoom in. I should know by now that it often doesn’t work for me.) The hazelnut she finds still has the shell on it, but she makes short work of that.

Watching Harriet, Junior (who will soon be named) tries his best to follow suit, but so far he hasn’t figured out where the nuts are buried. After all, he wasn’t even born yet when Harriet hid them.