Comments on: Bracing for Ernesto https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/ Purveyors of fine poetry since 2003. Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:04:43 +0000 hourly 1 By: Free electronic books online. https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1856 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:04:43 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/31/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1856 Free electronic books….

Electronic books. Books amp electronic on looksmart. Ut library online electronic books. Electronic arabic books. Electronic resource 24×7 books internet. Hatchett gary paulsen electronic books….

]]> By: David Harmon https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1855 Sat, 02 Sep 2006 19:54:26 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/31/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1855 Yes, I’m in New York City. I haven’t heard much out of our starlings, but I’m hearing-impaired, and as usual that’s concentrated in the upper frequencies. (I can’t hear most watch-type alarms — if I ever get a cell-phone or beeper, that sucker will be permanently set to “vibrate”.) I recently visited Naragannsett, (RI) and I did see one crow-type bird by the road up there. Also many seagulls, whose interesting vocalizations I *can* hear! ;-)

]]> By: Dave https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1854 Sat, 02 Sep 2006 00:44:54 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/31/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1854 Yes, it’s a wood turtle looking out of its shell. It was an overcast day, so unfortunately I had to use the flash. If you click on it and go to my Flickr page, you can see a few other pictures of it in the photostream.

q.r.r. – I think you’re right.

]]> By: Natalie https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1853 Fri, 01 Sep 2006 21:13:34 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/31/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1853 Dave, the disappearing wound on your elbow – a very very strange story. Not being disrespectful or sarcastic : is there such a thing as an elbow stigmata?

That photo: I can’t understand what I’m looking at. Is it a turtle looking out of its shell? Is it a nest of newly hatched birds? Whose nostrils are those?

]]> By: quiet regular reader https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1852 Fri, 01 Sep 2006 17:20:00 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/31/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1852 yes, the much-maligned starling. I too enjoy listening to them. And, they parasitize house sparrow nests (I’ve been told) and drop the eggs for humans to find and fawn over. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

]]> By: Dave https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1851 Fri, 01 Sep 2006 16:02:22 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/31/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1851 No, that’s right, I certainly didn’t mean to imply that Marja-Leena was nuts! I’m sure it’s a different species. I don’t think ruby-throats even range that far west (Vancouver).

David, you live in an east-coast city, I take it?

Our crows have dwindled in numbers, but there are still some around. I’d really miss them if they all died out (though we do have a resident pair of ravens, too.) I always enjoy watching English sparrows whenever I’m in a town or city. They’re so scrappy! And starlings, as I think I’ve written here in the past, just amaze me with their range of vocalizations.

]]> By: David Harmon https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1850 Fri, 01 Sep 2006 14:18:03 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/31/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1850 M-L: It’s OK, he was just noting that you probably had a different species. Different species, different dances — indeed, sometimes the courtship dance is enough to identify a species! While your birds were probably showing off for each other, I’ve seen a number of parrots, cockateels, etc. who did use their mating displays to impress humans rather than their own kind.

Around my urban home, most of the birds I see are pigeons, sparrows, and starlings, with the occasional robin. (I’m not *that* far from the water, but apparently out of seagull range. And the crows got nuked by West Nile a few years ago.) The fledgling sparrows (that is, this spring’s brood(s)) are notably less shy of humans than the adults are. They’ll hang out almost within arm’s reach of me, even when I’m not wielding food. The adults tend to retreat when I get within two meters or so.

Furry life is mostly on leashes, except for squirrels in the trees and rats in the subways. I did spot a raccoon the other week — it was checking out the sidewalk gutter, but then retreated to some bushes to watch me pass by.

]]> By: marja-leena https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1849 Thu, 31 Aug 2006 23:19:06 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/31/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1849 Sorry, I didn’t mean they were ruby-throated. I think they had iridescent blue and lime green throats, but I’m not sure now, not being a bird expert. Anyway, I’ll not forget their aerial dance, a one-time treat.

]]> By: Dave https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1848 Thu, 31 Aug 2006 23:03:25 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/31/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1848 Huh. Ruby-throated pairs don’t court that way, I don’t think. The males just do this crazy parabola-shaped courtship flight, like a buzzing pendulum without the clock.

]]> By: marja-leena https://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1847 Thu, 31 Aug 2006 22:03:25 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/31/bracing-for-ernesto/#comment-1847 Oh, be safe! And keep your elbow and your soul clean :-)
I can imagine your expression being like that turtle’s as you struggled with your essay.

Your hummingbird reminds me of a courting pair we had in our yard a few years ago. They would take turns sitting on the clothesline near us and do a lovely flying dance in the air, meet up and kiss, then repeat it many times. As if they were showing off for us.

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