Settling in

Niblet and I are settling in quite nicely to our home with AB. We're still unpacking; well, I should say that I'm still unpacking. Nib was pretty much good to go once he got out of his cage. Here he is with his new siblings:That's Maya in the orange, Nib in the back eating, and Owen in the classic gray. They all get along swimmingly!

I also have some pics from my visit to RAPTOR with Susan Gets Native! Here's a little montage.

Susan showed me the freezer where they keep the raptor food:
and lest you worry that they might run out, there's also another box freezer full:
And if you happen to get poop on anything, never fear:Works like a charm, according to Susan!

I got to peek in at Lynne's favorite, Earl:
Here's Earl, begging us not to leave just yet--or trying to eat Susan; you decide. She said that Earl could probably bite through that big old glove, given enough time. Her beak is huge and sharp, so I don't doubt that.

I also saw Thirteen:So cute! She's just so tiny, and her feathers look so soft. Susan also let me handle some of her educational stuffed bird parts, and I held the feathered skull of a Short-eared Owl. The feathers were even softer than Niblet's fur, which was surprising to me.

I saw all the raptors, including Storm, Priscilla, and the rest, but photos are hard on the birds so I was careful to just peek in through a crack in the door or the mew and be respectful of the birds. It was a really cold day, and most of the birds were just perched and puffed-up, trying to stay warm. I bet they can't wait until spring!

I also saw some pellets:both fresh and not-so-fresh:
I wonder if I've ever seen a pellet out in the field but I brushed it off as animal poo or something. Because those white ones above look a lot like stuff I've seen. But who knows? I guess you'd have to see if there were little bones in it. I'd love to find a pellet in the field!

While driving to lunch, we saw this beauty:Red-shouldered Hawks nest all around Susan's neighborhood--pretty cool! Sorry about the crazy tilt on this one; Susan stopped in the middle of the road for me (after stopping and turning around and going back so I could get the pic, Mary!) and I leaned across her and shot the pic through the open window. Then we had to hoof it because of traffic, but I got the shot!

On the drive around Susan's town and on my way home, I saw tons of Red-tails, TuVus, and other raptors enjoying the bright sunshine on their wings.

Oh, to be a bird! Sailing above the fields and water,
the wind in my feathers and the world at my feet!