Late springs walk + koan tree

Catching up. 

From a number of morning walks near bright Pond and in Glencarlyn Park in late spring.

We really like our new neighbor, Earl the Vulture, who now lives at Long Branch Nature Center. A friendly guy. Really. 

Earl

Koan tree with goose

 Bright Pond, Reston, VA. 

 This goose and its family knows us, and vice-versa.

Dear Aggie - in memoriam

Our dear friend and neighborhood favorite, Aggie the fish crow, passed away sometime Sunday night/ Monday morning. She was a lively bright creature who lived at the Long Branch Nature Center, beloved by many.

Fly free dear Aggie, you will be remembered always with affection. 

I will greatly miss our conversations and fun.

Blueberries and games of keep away.

Ballad of Shirley and Doodle (Bright Pond)

Our local Canada goose couple, Dan and Shirley hatched a brood of three goslings recently. The male, Dan, lost his life protecting the family from the fox that also carried off two of the goslings. So far Shrley and the remaining gosling, who Ruth & I have dubbed Doodle, are OK. 

Interestingly, a second goose couple has arrived and seems to be acting as a guard for the mother and child.

We wish them well.

Good friend Aggie

 Our local crow celebrity.

Autumn observations / Bright Pond koan

 

My friend Aggie

Introducing my lovely friend Aggie, a fish crow. 

She likes to play “keep away” with sticks. 

She sometimes shares stuff with me - half a dead hornet, a quartz pebble, a yellow tulip poplar leaf, an acorn. Then she wants them back.

Cracks me up. 

Aggie is a sweet, energetic, funny, bright, and social creature. 

She’s a rescue crow who lives in a quite large well-kept enclosure behind the Long Branch Nature Center, near my house. 

I visit her almost every day. 

I am learning to speak a bit of crow. 

Aggie doesn’t seem interested in learning English. I get it.