The heat is on—outside and sometimes in. A call to repair my swamp cooler (because water was pouring off the roof) eventually brought a repairman. He showed me a photo of a series of holes in a tube from which water was spraying. He blamed it on birds seeking water.
Note to Self: Refill the bird water dishes every day. I have two, but sometimes they go dry. I’m sure the birds would prefer an open source to having to prospect for their drinks.
A neighbor stopped to chat as I was preparing to water some bushes edging the lawn. She asked if I liked peaches. Who doesn’t? She had bought some expensive bird food, and then discovered that the birds around her fruit trees increased exponentially, so she had resorted to netting her peaches, only to find a Cooper’s hawk trapped in it.
The hawks at the park have produced a fine pair of fledglings this year. A few days ago, I watched them tussling in the street.
This morning walking Sophie, I could hear their high pitched piping in a tree a block from the park. We stood beneath it and I looked up. One of the birds still showed bits of down, but when I aimed my phone at them they took off—so no pictures.
When Sophie and I reached the park, I spotted feathers in the grass. Hmm. Did the hawks have pigeon or dove for supper last night? If I was reading the fledgling’s cries correctly, they hadn’t had breakfast yet.
And yes, those peaches were delicious. As are the tiny plums she gave me.
Here’s Miss Sophie in her SophieMobile. She gets to avoid hot streets in the evening, and I get to walk a lot faster, till we get to the shady park.
We’re still wrestling with her digestive issues. Just finished another vet visit.
Kate Harrington 