We are Not Alone on Earth....

[Hawk Henries]

We are not alone on this Earth.
Each day we see or come into contact with other creatures who live with/near us. Often times we encounter so many during the day that we stop paying attention. Bird's become just another bird,insects become just another insect...
I thought it might be fun to report those encounters which standout or are special.
***********
Last evening a Luna Moth visted our deck
Today a Fox trotted close by, Loons swam just off shore and we watched an imature Bald Eagle being chased by a Crow

[methodistgirl]

I like plants and animals. The only thing I don't like are bugs and
I despise spiders. I have allergies that I need to be careful that I
don't get bit by a bug or spider. Little furry and feathered creatures
I adore. I will go ga ga over a little kitten or pretty flower. These
things are really cute and some are beautiful like orchids and begonias.
judy tooley

[Hawk Henries]

I have a friend in Louisiana. Her name is Maddy. She is 5 years old. We met after I watched her catching insects and looking at them then letting them go...I was so impressed I introduced myself to her and her grandmom. Then Maddy and I spent time looking at all the neat bugs.
Bugs and insects certainly can be scary or give you the willies but once you get used to them they're not too bad.

[methodistgirl]

That can be hard when you have arachnophobia. I have it and I
was stung by a honeybee which I had an allergic reaction from.
judy tooley

[marval]

We use to live in London. It was a second floor flat, with a balcony along the front of the building.

At night time when we were in bed an owl used to come and perch on the balcony, and hoot just outside the window. It was lovely, made us forget that we were in a big city.


Margaret

[Contratrombone64]

I have a gum tree outside my flat's windows, rainbow lorikeet yell their heads off there in the morning.

[Hawk Henries]

I have only seen Rainbow lorikeets in bird books. What a treat to have them outside your window though I guess they can be quite loud.

We have elderberry trees in bloom now. There is a steady hum of bees buzzing, sounds like electricity humming. I love the sound. I use to be very afraid of bees but learned to like them after sitting beneath about 20 flowering apple tree's loaded with bee's. I did this everyday for about two weeks and once I realized the bees were more interested in the pollen than in me it became much easier to be near them.
When the bees left, after the flowers dropped, I truly missed them.

Today we saw a couple of immature bald eagles, osprey and a white tailed deer.

[Contratrombone64]

Hawk - they have extremely penetrating calls, ear splitting in fact, and they can have a very, very mean disposition. Their colourful plumage is mere subtifuge ...

[Hawk Henries]

Ct64,
In Rhode Island (smallest state in the USA) there were several colonies of monk parakeets. There were several hundred birds living in each colony. The people who lived near them complained not only of their loud noise but also said they were messy.
I am not sure if they meant that the birds pooping everywhere was the issue or if they scattered debris, maybe from nest materials everywhere.

Are the Rainbow Lorikeets a messy bird?

[Contratrombone64]

Rainbow Lorikeets often bite the feet of the babies of other rainbow loorikeets, an act of shere malice ... I've been bitten by one, it drew blood. It got a swift swipe over the head for pushing its boundaries.

[methodistgirl]

Hawk, have you heard the song by ABBA called Eagle? I just love it!
One of the lyrics is,"I dreamed of am eagle. Is it true I can spread
my wings, climbing higher I'm the bird in the sky. i'm the eagle that
rides on the breeze." I'm listening to it now. I know of another
pretty bird and that's a Canadian goose. The last time I went
fishing there was a place where some were roosting. It was hot
so I picked up about five of their feathers and made a nice fan
of them. The air from them felt so good.
judy tooley

[Contratrombone64]

Speaking of "poo" Canada geese are particularly good at that, Judy.

[methodistgirl]

Talking on the matter I was talking about their feathers. Sometimes
during the summer they molt and leave some beautiful feathers behind.
That was what I was talking about. I used to collect them and then
wash them up for crafts. Some of the feathers are as big as eagle
feathers. Hawk I would like to invite you to check out my story
thread called Beautiful Enchanted Forest. I need your two cents
worth in it.
judy tooley

[rojo]

Last week, I was standing on the back porch of my parents' house with my sister, and a mother skunk and four little skunks came scuttling by. It was adorable; a wonderful sight to see. They're such beautiful animals. I wonder if they were attracted to the smell of the food the neighbours were cooking for their BBQ... Hopefully no one got sprayed.

[methodistgirl]

Has anyone ever heard the Earth sing? I have a video of the earth
singing. The sound is so strange but beautiful. Here it is.YouTube - How Earth Sounds from Space
judy tooley