One of the best things about taking early morning walks in Clearwater is the birds.
There might be people who travel hundreds, maybe thousands of miles just to catch a glimpse of the birds I take for granted, like the storks that have made themselves at home on my neighbor’s lawn.
Three, four and sometimes five of them sit regally, if inelegantly on her back lawn, backwards knees bent under their tail feathers. Their presence there is mysterious, and I find myself imagining an ancient roosting tree cut down right smack dab where some contractor decided he needed to build a house 30 years ago. Somehow it seems the only plausible explanation.
To me, there is something sweet about a stork’s face. Their naked head seems more pitiful than ugly, their expression resigned rather than predatory.
But then again, I’m not a fish.
It’s hard not to be anthropomorphic observing animals. I grew up in a family where the current cat or dog resident seemed to be more tolerated than we kids were. At least my mom never took a willow switch to the Dalmatian, or sent the tabby cat to her room to ponder the inedibility of a pork and beans dinner. (To this day that dish gives me epicurean shivers.)
For some reason, I wasn’t jealous of what seemed to be preferential treatment. Instead, I fell in love with animals. “Ugly”, savage, weird looking or beautiful, it matters not. Animals are my passion in life. (AFTER my children, husband and grandchildren, of course.)
One of these days I’ll even design a stork pin or pendant for women who belong to those most honorable of professions- midwifery and obstetrics. The local inspiration is certainly there.

A few early mornings back, our friends Lee and Delon were stumbling bleary-eyed around their kitchen, still arranging their cups of morning coffee. Something on top of the fridge caught Delon’s eye and she managed to splutter out “What’s that!?”

Lee followed her line of sight directly to…AN OWL! He was peacefully sleeping, perched on a popcorn machine on top of their refrigerator.
Their grown daughter, Jennifer, wise in the ways of wild birds-put on a pair of leather gloves, gathered up the little bird (Identifying it as a screech owl) and checked to make sure his wings weren’t clipped or broken. Lee and Delon told us the owl stayed calm and didn’t mind them stroking his very soft feathers. They built him a makeshift burrow from a cardboard box and set him outside. After a momentary perch, he flew off into their bamboo grove.
By the way, they still don’t know how he got in their house!

Screech Owl Comes to Visit

Jennifer to the Rescue

“Sing a song about a birdie”. Ada was looking up (I thought) at a pigeon or a mocking bird perched on the telephone pole just above our heads She often asks for songs about things she sees around her. I sang “Oh. The little birdie way up in the sky” to a little tune I made up on the spot. Then I looked up. The bald eagle perched like a dignified statesman from the 18th century. He was looking over his right shoulder-blizzard white head, serious golden eye and orange-yellow beak like a hook. I gasped, grabbed Ada and ran for Ed and the camera.

By the time we were outside again- he was in our oak tree. We watched as he lifted off weightlessly, soundlessly and unphotographed. He soared magnificently down our block and vanished.
Five minutes passed. We were still outside when, he reappeared, passing our house and lighting on a pole across the street. That’s when Ed got this picture- the amazing election day bald eagle.

Bald Eagle Visits the Magic Zoo on Election Day

Yesterday I noticed a couple of very large black birds hanging out high in the pines of our back yard. I called Ed to come take a look and he confirmed that they were vultures. They were spectacular- huge birds with bright red heads and necks. And…they did not leave anytime soon! About a half hour later I was checking the mail in our box by the street. When I turned around, there were two of these ominous looking guys sitting on my roof. What gives? I wondered..Well, apparently there was a dead possum in our yard.

I’m not clear on what our neighbors thought but the right thing to us seemed to be let them finish their meal, then bury the carcass. So, that’s what we did. I tried to spy on their activity from a crack in a curtain but that slightest motion was perceived by a beady vulture eye- and he fluttered clumsily off. So, I decided to let them dine in peace.
Our guests were turkey vultures- a family of birds of prey that includes the condor. I thought they looked pretty good up there on the roof and it sort of reminded me of a neighboring house where wood storks sit on the roof. I was told by a Florida old- timer that when birds congregate on a particular roof they are often going to a spot that formerly had a big nesting tree there which had been cut down to put up the house. Is that remotely true? The vultures definitely left after their supper and I haven’t seen them here again.

A little kayak trip down a pristine springfed Florida river gave me a pleasant break from my studio and let me see a few animals in their natural environment.