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: Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
2011-04-07 16:40:00

Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
2011-04-07 16:40:00

Mood: amused

Kissing Cardinals

I just saw the cutest thing. A lady cardinal landed in the bushes outside my office window, and started pecking dead bugs out of the windowframe. Her mate landed next to her. She did that beak-gaping thing that birds do when they want attention. Then they started billing and kissing. Awww ...! I bet they are building a nest. It's that time of year.

Tags: illinois, nature, personal, wildlife

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lyonesse

April 8 2011, 00:05:44 UTC 10 years ago

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yay spring!

we have an almost-annual showdown between the bluejays and the cardinals, but neither has turned up yet this year -- still in wait....

endlessrarities

April 8 2011, 18:02:04 UTC 10 years ago

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That paints such an exotic scene...

Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

April 8 2011, 18:16:50 UTC 10 years ago

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It was exotic. It was like watching aliens necking outside my window. *chuckle* And people wonder where I get my ideas. I swear, they just come and find me and do exotic things to attract my attention.

Re: Yes...

endlessrarities

April 9 2011, 09:51:56 UTC 10 years ago

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Birds are rather alien. And yet they happily interact with us. Our tame blackbirds great!

Wonderful how if you look closely, you can glimpse things that are strange and marvellous just in your own planetary backyard. Whether it's a heron or a wasp or a tapeworm, they're all remarkable! And that's without delving into human cultures...

Plenty of inspiration everywhere, I think!

Re: Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

April 9 2011, 18:38:10 UTC 10 years ago

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Precisely! So far, I've had two or three poems about birdlike aliens visiting Earth, and a short story presenting starlings as aliens.

cissa

April 12 2011, 01:39:17 UTC 10 years ago

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I love watching the spring courtship of various birds.

The cardinals- and a lot of others- have the female doing the gaping beak and wing fluttering that are usually associated with babies seeking food. It's really cute.

We have a picture in our house, though, of a pair of mated ravens that are clasping beaks- it's a raven kiss. It's a winter photo, so not during breeding season.

I really adore the grackle mating thing- they point their beaks up, standing opposite to each other, in a very stylized way- then go AWK!!!! and fluff themselves up. It is very silly to watch and always makes me giggle.

I'm hoping to see more of our local crow family this year- they've been a bit distant of late, but I loved watching the fledglings grow, and seeing the romances of the juvies- some are approved by the parents, and some are more Romeo and Juliet. It's a soap opera.