Wednesday, April 13, 2011

animal freakin' planet

I just watched a squirrel fall from the roof of my neighbor's three story house.
There was a whole lot of chirpy commotion outside my window, the tree limbs waving about frantically, my tiny wind chime clamouring for my attention. I jumped to my feet in protective mode: a robin has made her nest right under my window, on the ledge created by the water pipe that runs along the outside the house like an afterthought before feeding into my kitchen. She's tucked in behind the pigeon spikes, which may deter the squirrels, but leaves her totally exposed otherwise, the tree still bare this early in spring.
I noticed her hanging around a few weeks ago but it wasn't until I looked up after parking my bike to the tree one day that I noticed her yellow beak and tail feathers amongst a circle of twigs. Peaking over the sill from inside, she flew away at the sight of my gigantic head, a perturbed magician, revealing three perfect little blue eggs. Babies! My neighbor is having babies! This is awesome! If I had a camera I would set up some kind of webcam, or at least get a still shot of it. Somehow, holding my entire laptop over the next to utilize the 'photo booth' program does not a good idea seem. So for now, use your fertile imagination.
But the squirrels! what the eff? There were two that fell off the roof (pushed?) by one parent squirrel who remained on the roof with a younger squirrel. I saw the first land but turned my eyes when the second one caught air. Both were fine, landed on their feet/bellies with the daintiest of thuds. I suppose they aren't that heavy to begin with*, and nature has probably built in some kind of safety feature in the way of high impact shock absorption, seeing as they live in trees and fall out of them sometimes. But then the two on the roof were joined by a crow who was bullying the youngin'. At which point the robin came back and pushed on the crow in a premature maternal 'don't eff with that baby and don't eff with mine once they are born' kinda way. Basically, all city wildlife hell broke loose on the roof top for about 45 seconds. I'm really hoping they got it all out of their system cuz I'm totally looking forward to baby birds waking me up in the a.m. I just hope they like funk music, cuz my neighbor is gonna give them an earful.

*ok, so adult squirrels are actually pretty heavy, deceptively so. how do I know this? I've picked one up. by the tail. to move out out of the middle of road, for starters. until the time comes that I learn that they increase in density post mortem, I shall remain duly impressed by their agility and strength.

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