Cuteness

The news today from Belgium saddens me - it is hard not to draw a parallel with that awful day in September 2001.  My thoughts are with the Belgian people today.

Met up with a friend today for some birding and photography.  This is the friend I mentioned last week who'd discovered a Great Horned Owl nest with two owlets - a great find here in NJ!  We found the nest and spent some time looking through binoculars and taking some very distant shots.  This was the best of the lot of mine and it is cropped so much that the picture quality really is utter crap.  However, sometimes it is about the moment, not the photo.  If you look closely you can just make out the wee owlets blurry yellow eyes with Mom in the background (second owlet was out of sight).  A very fun day!

Also found a very accommodating group of male Wild Turkeys who didn't seem to mind us getting fairly close.  Two shots on Flickr, starting HERE.  For birds that are homely, there really is a lot of beauty in them - those feathers...and those bright colors on their bald heads...  Enough to set a hen's heart going pitter-patter, I'd imagine.

Weather is supposed to be nice for the next few days so I hope to spend some quality time outdoors.  Which means you probably won't be seeing the Tiny People at least until Friday.  

Be well, peoplel

Breaking news:  I also found my first Bold Jumping Spider of the season on the deck this afternoon.  He hurled himself off the siding onto the deck and then scurried between two slats and proceeded to give me the eye(s).  Check out Extra...