Critter time, once more

Yesterday at the Community Center, I had the best luck I've had in ages, getting a good portrait of a ubiquitous local bird, the house finch. This male fellow was flexing his abs, doing look-out duty while the little woman picked up nesting materials down below. Ultimately, he decided to join her & took off; in my picture of the event, he appears to be in free fall...

Only too often, when I choose to write about a bird adventure, I'm forced to work with subsidiary pix, such as these yummy juniper berries which, together with the pyrocantha berries (long past their prime), have finally enticed a lone robin to take up residence and get fat. I flush him regularly when I head down my stairs; today, he was in a tree next door, singing his little heart out to let a lady know about his bonanza. Thus far, no takers.

Of course, a nest is another bird-object that will sit still for a portrait. Especially easy before the blossoms burst open on this tree.

However, I did say "critters", as in plural. On our recent trip down Wagoner Road south of town, Georgene & I had to wait while a crew of cattle moseyed across the pavement. Neat little guys, aren't they?

More little ones. Javelina, of course. The collared peccary breeds in all seasons, so you're likely to see youngsters at any time of the year. They seem to come in pairs.

Now for a more domestic scene: pick-up truck dogs. Three of them, looking noble as only dogs can do.

And as long as I am picturing other peoples' animals, here's my very own Max cat. As all cat keepers can testify, felines get strange ideas fixed in their heads. Max, for example, is convinced that any water is better than the water in his dish. He insists on drinking from my glass and will, if I'm not careful, knock the glass over to get at the water when it is too low for his tongue. He also favors water direct from the spigot. If he spies me heading in the direction of the bathroom, he comes trotting up to get his fresh drink.

In closing: aren't these the neatest critters you've seen recently? A chess board over at the Community Center. Not sure how I'd recognize the pieces without a program, though.

Still More Critters: SOLB reports on the time her husband made friends with a young javelina ... Sally Anne was visited by a Carolina wren ... over in Frogtown, the school kids did a major dinosaur project ... and I can't talk about my cat without letting Cat-A show off his set of three.