Skitten was ill recently - which is most unlike it. And kind of strange given that @withoutaleaf and I have had not even a sniffle this year thanks to all of the anti-covid measures also protecting us from common viruses. Its eyes were streaming and it was sneezing up a storm. Luckily after some vet-prescribed eye-drops and pills, it’s right as rain again, full of beans and following me down to the kitchen every single time - ever hopeful of treats.
Balcony Birds No. 5. I used to be confused about what this was. It’s not a turtle dove. It’s a red-eyed dove - cunningly named after a feature that’s really difficult to spot with the naked eye. The easier way to tell is that they’re much larger than the Cape Turtle Dove, which is really quite a little thing. The Red-Eyed Dove is almost pigeon sized. It also has a pinky shade to its head and breast while the turtle dove is… dove-grey. They really are lovely, gentle things. Even if they’re not exactly geniuses.
Trinket woke up early and was ready for tea.
Skitten in the clouds. I thought I might post the one of Skitten yawning to show its single remaining fang. But it might not approve.
The sleepy midday Crumb.
Here’s another one of Trinket. Taken about this time yesterday when the late sun comes washing through the window of the little room where I work currently. Sometimes she visits and greatly enjoys standing on the table completely obscuring the screen and keyboard. But then sometimes she sits in the window and photosynthesises - as cats do. Got the Nikon adapter so I’m trying a very old Nikkor 50mm f1.4 instead of the Olympus Zuiko 50mm f1.8 I’ve been using for cat portraits ’til now. ...
It’s the sleepiest time of the day for the crepuscular ones.
@withoutaleaf in her office with her colleagues, Mr. Crumb and Trinket, doing script timings.
#balconybirds No.4 The Cape Bulbul. Distinguishable from other Bulbuls (or Greenbuls, I should say. I think they’re all called Greenbulls now) by it’s white eye-ring. These are fun little birds. Busy as heck foraging about in small groups. In fact, about 30 minutes after taking this two sat up on the line and were being incredibly sweet - the one grooming the other’s neck in the golden light. Of course my battery would die then. And of course I’d find the other was uncharged…
#balconybirds no.3. The Red-Winged Starling. This is a magic bird. From this angle you can’t see its dashing brick-red flight feathers that give it its name. This is one smart bird. Outside our old house I’d hear them give their special growling alarm call when our cats went out - to warn their foraging spouse and child that they’d spotted a predator. They hang about in these family groups. Males, like this. Females with their grey head. And the youngster who may look just like the parents but just hangs about waiting for handouts. It’s a cliff bird. Like many cliff birds including the European Rock Pigeon that’s ubiquitous worldwide, it’s adapted easily to the edifices of human cities. And being a great deal cleverer than pigeons, they’re not constantly being run over by cars. It’s a big and thoroughly charming starling.