What a great experience @Elsieb! Wish I’d gotten to see this owl. Who knows, maybe he’ll be around DD2’s neighborhood for awhile.
I think you have an acceptable TV provider you can see it on the ABC website.
Oh yes…we have full-on wildlife kingdom here in Central NJ (at the beach)! Regular residents: Red-tail and Coopers Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Bald Eagles, Osprey (TONS), Egrets, Cranes… then there are the very interesting ducks that migrate through. I love seeing all of them!
Do you have roseate spoonbills way up yonder? They’re commonish on the Texas coast.
We also have bald eagles in Houston. No we are not in a vast desert surrounded by oil wells, cows, and tumbling tumbleweeds. There are many trees in this part of the state.
Eagles Over Houston – Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition (twrcwildlifecenter.org)
No spoonbills that I’m aware of, but I will ask my wildlife (but specifically bird) photographer pal and let you know.
I know plenty about Houston because I have cousins who grew up there and one who still lives there. The most important thing for the Eagles is that you have plenty of water nearby so they can go fishing! They do you love to grab them right out of the water, and it’s a phenomenal sight if you get to witness it.
ETA I just looked at that Wikipedia link and spoonbills don’t come that far north… I’m sure the water is never warm enough for them!
I have roseate spoonbills living in the pond behind my house. I love seeing them! We also have a resident flock of white pelicans that winter here (central FL)
I know you love your birds and this one is a real heartbreaker. The Katy Prairie west of Houston was a magnet for migratory ducks and geese on the Central Flyway but no more.
The entire area is now an eyesore blanketed by strip centers and tract housing.
Back in the early 80’s we spent the last day of goose season laying on frozen water on one of the coldest days in local history trying to get off a shot. We never did but a great memory and I’d like to do it again.
The birds are gone.
Water, we’ve got water especially north and east of the city. In Houston it might not rain for two months then we get Biblical floods with 30-60 inches in a few days a la Tropical Storm Harvey.
Our favorites are the Bufflehead Ducks that swim behind our house. We like to see if we can hold our breath for as long as they do while they dive. The ducks usually win.
Then of course there are the sea gulls which are really nothing more than pigeons on vacation at the beach.
Love that re: the Buffleheads! They’ve been on the lake in front of my building so now I’ll have to ‘play’ the next time I see them.
I’VE been enjoying the Gannets in the last few weeks; they are full on Kamikaze pilots dive bombing in to the ocean!
Some people are not fun at all:
If WSJ paywall is stumbling block, pretty much same idea before show was released:
I just heard about this on Jeopardy. If ever there was a reason to leave well enough alone, surely this is it. Talk about trying to get blood out of a turnip.
They should have stopped after two!
Finally I convinced my husband that we should try watching episodes of the Great British Bake-off for our evening entertainment. Ha, one viewing and he was hooked.
While the merits of the show have been discussed on other HO threads, we were surprised to find that our moods are lighter after watching. When the day’s been challenging, we stream an episode and then we find we can sleep restfully at night. Bonus.
Thanks @BoneAppetite - will mark to read.
I have studied this trend carefully. Young people are the same as always - they treat the middle-aged with contempt, but they’re polite to those who are very old.
Apparently, 52 is very old. (They call me “sir”; I am definitely not worthy of “sir” and never will be, but if they prefer to be polite then I’m glad to participate.)
The gulls are fairly skilled at flying. Pigeons taking off look like the way I would fly - flapping like hell but not getting far.
Apparently, if you watch carefully enough, you can make out the fact that Korman literally pees himself laughing while in the dentist’s chair. I wasn’t very old when these guys were on, but I absolutely loved it, even though I must have missed the point sometimes from not understanding completely.
Oh my - I will need to watch it again!