Abracadabra!

It's very hard to follow up to a week of colorful birds, reptiles and amphibians.  Instead, I decided on this shot of a male Brown-headed Cowbird doing his best dating moves in an attempt to impress the female in the background.  Most birders despise cowbirds because, like the European cuckoos, they are brood parasites - placing one egg in the nest of a much smaller bird and leaving the care and feeding up to the "foster" parents.  All too frequently the other young, who are smaller and tend to hatch later, end up dying or being pushed from the nest by the bigger cowbird.  The reality is that they only do what they were designed to do - there is no ill intent or malice.  Yes, it's unpleasant, but it's as nature intended.

Face-view in Extra.

I wish I could be so sanguine about the sight that greeted me first thing this morning - my bluebird box (which had 4 almost-ready-to-fledge babies) was toppled and completely destroyed last night by a bear.  The box was completely destroyed and the nest was in pieces. No signs of baby birds and I doubt very much that they survived.  I only hope he didn't get Mama too.  In all my years of being a nest box landlord (I keep 5-7 nest boxes out) this is only the second time I've had a bear take out a nest.  The last time it was a brood of 7 wrens. I'm gutted about it, even though I know there is nothing I could have done to prevent it.  I am not going to put another box up in that location until the fall as I am concerned that the bear would come back if any other birds decided to nest.  Now I have to worry about the wren boxes too.  Living in bear country isn't as much fun as some would think.  

My flight was delayed last night and then there wasn't a gate agent to open the jetway door so that kept us on the plane another 25 minutes.  By the time I got home (with Hubs and Jax) it was nearly 11.  I've been lazy today, mostly editing photos and also spending a little time outside.  It is nice to be home but I am feeling a little sad that my trip is over.  However, there are more trips to look forward to!

I bought a dark chocolate passionate fruit bar in Costa Rica so had a square of that today - it was delicious and I wish I'd bought several more!

xo
Debbi