The Wildlife that surrounds us part2

[Bhavana]

No idea, but she's a cutie!!

I have two very busy house wrens building what for now looks like a very messy nest in a terracotta pot that is affixed by an iron ring to the wall outside my bedroom patio. All day they have been working on it, at the expense of one of the new impatiens growing in there...guess it was in the way, so out it went. They were nice enough to leave the pink one.


I use this patio door a lot, especially to let the dogs in and out....I hope they won't mind.

 

[Sword King]

The fox and the dragonfly

Ever since I've read this thread and its predecessor, I've tried to pay more attention to when wildlife presents itself to me. I live in the fairly dense suburbs outside of Philadelphia, so 'chance' encounters are often noteworthy.

On the way to work Monday morning, a fox ran out in front of my car in a fairly populated area about five minutes into my hour-long commute. Later on, as I pulled into a parking spot at work, a large, yellow dragonfly dive-bombed my car.

When I got home Monday night, I pulled one of my symbolism books off the shelf and looked for the meanings associated with these two creatures. The fox, of course, is often a trickster archetype and dragonflies have associations with magic. The more I read, the more I found myself making associations with these two creatures and two aspects of The Magician from the major arcana. It's also interesting to note that the Magician was my tarot significator early on when I was young and arrogant AND that I've just this week been feeling strongly drawn toward the tarot after a few weeks hiatus.

Coincidence? Definitely maybe.

 

[The crowned one]

Took these two over the last two days.

fawn

Seal

And some wild flowers...

flowers on a oceanside hill

 

[Debra]

TCO, I do believe you're the most talented nature photographer I know.

 

[The crowned one]

Thank you Debra, that is a very very kind compliment

 

[OOnaOwl]

Cinnabar Moth

I had the great pleasure of seeing a Cinnabar moth at the Oregon coast near Nehalem Bay State Park last week. They are not native to this area, but they were introduced some time ago to control the ragwort overgrowth. I had never seen one before this sighting, and was quite delighted! Moth is a new spirit animal guide for me this summer, they keep showing up wherever I go. I feel blessed for their company!
Here is a picture of one. When they are at rest, they appear a very dark grey with tiny slivers of crimson lines. They are often mistaken for butterflies.


http://bugguide.net/node/view/3786

 

[Debra]

Today was a big beach clean-up. Hundreds of people turned out to pick up trash. After a while my husband and I went for coffee and I picked up a couple of little zebra doves whose feet were entangled with hair and thread. It's mostly the long human hairs that get tangled around their legs and feet, cut off the circulation, and they lose their toes and sometimes the whole foot.

We had to walk home with one because I needed the superfine scissors and tweezers. Here's a picture of Lawrence holding Petra (I'm naming them in alphabetical order). It took a long time to get her foot in order, but it looks like she'll keep all her toes. This is the first one that Lawrence has helped with--he was excited, actually he says "enthralled." Isn't that something?

 

[Milfoil]

It's moulting time here and there are lots of bird feathers around. Heron has been coming to see us almost every day for weeks now so I thought it was time to go on a special feather hunt walk which means off the beaten track, without the dogs and through fields which are not easily accessible.

Here is our neighbour and some of the gifts that were found on this morning's trek. Far left are Swan feathers, middle are Heron and Right are Crow with a small Blackbird feather too.

 

[Mi-Shell]

I got bitten by a snake.

She was on our road and I stopped to pick her up, before she could come to any harm.
She was having "none of it" and bit me, drawing blood. Cat* made a picture and I got her to hold the Critter on her lap - tucked safely into a linen bag - until we got home.
There we released her on a save sunny spot.

 

[Debra]

YIKES! What a beauty! How's the bite? How's Cat*? How are you?