PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES

With summer in full swing, we have all sorts of outside happenings and visitors. The Capt. came across a rather UNinvited visitor who joined recently for coffee on his porch – even loving mostly ALL aspects of the Earth Mother, these guys give me the creeps. He departed into lake Ludwig for an eternal swim.

The new hibiscus in the RR garden is stopping passersby in their tracks.

We experienced a true FIRST at TSH when a female kestrel swooped up from the driveway, beneath the osage orange tree first catching our attention with the underside of her belly and 24” wingspan. While our images are not ideal – she was on the hunt assuming a very stealth profile – we watched her land in the ash tree to survey her territory.

In an attempt to see her face head on, we seemingly bugged her so she left the ash tree for a quick landing in the bamboo. Again, a marvelous under belly wingspan view, dipping and gliding effortlessly.

Next, she was on to the cherry tree and finally into the lady banks in the RR garden. Joshua just missed documenting her snatch a small songbird in one taloned leg, land on the ground surrounding her catch with her wings and then ascending over the back wall. The entire capture happened in fewer than 10 seconds. Meanwhile things heated up in a ‘friendly?’ encounter at the watering hole. Somebody seemed to mean business and took the altercation to Jasper’s feeding table behind the honey shack.

Saving the very most precious for last, here a local squirrel person noshes on some of Jasper’s food with no clue that someone(?) is watching.

Check out the look on Fiona’s aka Cat-Clouseau face as she pops up from her hiding space under the platform, surprising senor squirrel. Notice also they both have a paw poised . . . ready for what?

Meal interrupted and for good cause but what do we suppose either one of them was thinking as they actually touched noses? TOO Adorable and no fur flew – what could be better than that?