March 12, 2010 - 2
Cool sightings of the week:A red-bellied woodpecker was seen trying to get the last peanut from the feeder the other day when, suddenly, a nasty European starling tried to scare the red-belly away. Well, let me tell you, the battle for the last peanut was on! The woodpecker held it's position while screeching and jabbing at the starling with it's long beak. The red-belly soon took flight as a way to drive the starling from the feeder, but returned moments later to claim that last peanut. I rushed outside to fill the feeder and gave a few whistles to the woodpecker in honor of it's victory.
Also this week, last Saturday evening's warm temperatures drove me outside to enjoy a few moments of sunset watching. I walked through the door and my joy was quickly turned to ecstasy as a rare and wonderful sight greeted me. Out in front of the house, just on the other side of the road, was a man riding a horse! It was a beautiful black mare with a white star on it's forehead and couldn't have looked any finer as I pondered the spontaneity of the moment and thanked happenstance for smiling on me, as this sighting could easily have been missed. The sometimes busy road was eerily empty of cars as the mare walked gently by with it's rider dressed in black and sitting tall, the gold and dusky tones of evening providing a graceful and fitting backdrop for the scene, reminiscent of a simpler and more romantic time in our past.
Yes indeed, catching sight of a tassel between the red-bellied woodpecker and a starling recently, and having the good fortune to spot such a beautiful horse walking past the front yard as the evening sun was setting through the trees last Saturday was very cool!
Heard on WDVR FM every Friday at 3PM during Anything Goes!
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