Comments on: More birds http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/ musings, thoughts, and writings of Barbara W. Klaser Sun, 27 Jul 2008 09:39:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.3-beta1 Comment on More birds by: Barbara http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13316 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:08:23 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13316 Eric, I just want to say, isn't it interesting how "pirate" and "parrot" even sound a lot alike? I would be scared, too, if I thought these were hoards of pirate parrots. :) I also sometimes think about the size of the eagles in <em>Lord of the Rings</em>, when I see a raptor gliding high up in the sky, and can't tell exactly how big it is. All I can hope is that it's a good eagle, if it's a giant eagle. I should post one day about what happened to a group of other adolescent girls and me while walking to school the day after we saw <em>The Birds</em> on television. Eric, I just want to say, isn’t it interesting how “pirate” and “parrot” even sound a lot alike? I would be scared, too, if I thought these were hoards of pirate parrots. :)

I also sometimes think about the size of the eagles in Lord of the Rings, when I see a raptor gliding high up in the sky, and can’t tell exactly how big it is. All I can hope is that it’s a good eagle, if it’s a giant eagle.

I should post one day about what happened to a group of other adolescent girls and me while walking to school the day after we saw The Birds on television.

]]> Comment on More birds by: violetismycolor http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13280 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:19:40 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13280 Though I love seeing these hunting birds, too, one of my friends (who has pet chickens) has been being stalked by a hawk for a couple of weeks now and it totally freaks her whole family out... Though I love seeing these hunting birds, too, one of my friends (who has pet chickens) has been being stalked by a hawk for a couple of weeks now and it totally freaks her whole family out…

]]> Comment on More birds by: Ken http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13233 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:08:30 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13233 I observed one squirrel yesterday in the expected location, so it appears the hawks haven't yet caught him. He or she does seem more skittish. I observed one squirrel yesterday in the expected location, so it appears the hawks haven’t yet caught him. He or she does seem more skittish.

]]> Comment on More birds by: Bev Jackson http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13220 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:47:35 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13220 Hi Barb, Oh jeez, I JUST read this poem on Carol Peters' blog this morning, and then I came over to read your blog....coincidence? Anyway, it brought me to my knees so thought you'd like to read it... [from Daisy Fried's My Brother Is Getting Arrested Again, 2006] The Hawk <I>On July 21, 2005, Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.) voted for a bill to extend the Patriot Act for another 10 years. President Bush hailed the vote.</I> From the playground's biggest tree's biggest branch the hawk through daylight drops to the monkeybars top deck, claws sunk in plunder. The hawk shakes its gray-brown feathers, leans, with its beak unzips the little squirrel suit, probes into the hot mess. Nothing bothers it. The raincoated tourist grabs his wife's wrist knobs, gabbles a strange language, transfixed by the bird, and the scaly foot closes down. A mom clamps her hand over the eyes of her kid, his face so small her hand covers it. She hustles him bellowing away; he wrenches at her fingers, will break them, will, if he can, to see. Watchers gasp, groan, video. "I love this," a man whispers, hands in his suit pockets. "I'm a hunter but I never get to hunt anymore, so I love this!" The hawk from the carcass extracts a bit of bloody intestine. Flips it long, thin, looplike, over his beak. A gewgaw. Tilts, eats. Gets another. Loops and eats again. <I>My Brother is Getting Arrested Again (Pitt Poetry Series)</I> Hi Barb,
Oh jeez, I JUST read this poem on Carol Peters’ blog this morning, and then I came over to read your blog….coincidence? Anyway, it brought me to my knees so thought you’d like to read it…

[from Daisy Fried’s My Brother Is Getting Arrested Again, 2006]

The Hawk

On July 21, 2005, Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.) voted for a bill to extend the Patriot Act for another 10 years. President Bush hailed the vote.

From the playground’s biggest tree’s biggest branch
the hawk through daylight drops to the monkeybars
top deck, claws sunk in plunder. The hawk
shakes its gray-brown feathers, leans, with its beak
unzips the little squirrel suit, probes into the hot mess.
Nothing bothers it. The raincoated tourist grabs
his wife’s wrist knobs, gabbles a strange language,
transfixed by the bird, and the scaly foot closes down.
A mom clamps her hand over the eyes of her kid,
his face so small her hand covers it. She hustles him
bellowing away; he wrenches at her fingers,
will break them, will, if he can, to see. Watchers
gasp, groan, video. “I love this,” a man whispers,
hands in his suit pockets. “I’m a hunter but I never
get to hunt anymore, so I love this!” The hawk
from the carcass extracts a bit of bloody intestine.
Flips it long, thin, looplike, over his beak. A gewgaw.
Tilts, eats. Gets another. Loops and eats again.

My Brother is Getting Arrested Again (Pitt Poetry Series)

]]> Comment on More birds by: cassie-b http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13205 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:10:38 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13205 The first time I saw a purple finch, I thought it was a sparrow that was bleeding. We have lots of them now, and their behavior is much like sparrows. We had a red shouldered hawk that made a nest in a neighbor's large birdhouse - long abandoned. So we had the privelege of watching the young hawks leave the nest. Cas enjoy! The first time I saw a purple finch, I thought it was a sparrow that was bleeding. We have lots of them now, and their behavior is much like sparrows.

We had a red shouldered hawk that made a nest in a neighbor’s large birdhouse - long abandoned. So we had the privelege of watching the young hawks leave the nest.

Cas
enjoy!

]]> Comment on More birds by: Eric Mayer http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13199 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:21:46 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13199 Interesting array of avians. I guess you see more interesting things when you know enough about what you're seeing to know it is interesting. I wouldn't have identified those birds or probably realized the Ringneck Dove was something different. A few weeks ago, on the way down the path to the road, I did nearly trip over a Ringneck pheasant. That's pretty hard to miss. Feral parrots sound scary however. I imagine them swooping down at people cackling "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!" Interesting array of avians. I guess you see more interesting things when you know enough about what you’re seeing to know it is interesting. I wouldn’t have identified those birds or probably realized the Ringneck Dove was something different. A few weeks ago, on the way down the path to the road, I did nearly trip over a Ringneck pheasant. That’s pretty hard to miss. Feral parrots sound scary however. I imagine them swooping down at people cackling “Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!”

]]> Comment on More birds by: Sarah http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13193 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:39:37 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13193 The picture I wanted to send you is the last one in yesterday's Rhubarb blog. Just for you! The picture I wanted to send you is the last one in yesterday’s Rhubarb blog. Just for you!

]]> Comment on More birds by: Sarah http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13192 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:33:09 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13192 I'm going to see if I can send you a birdwatcher picture. You'll enjoy it, I think. Oh, dear! I've lost your email address. Oh, well. Some other time. I’m going to see if I can send you a birdwatcher picture. You’ll enjoy it, I think.
Oh, dear! I’ve lost your email address. Oh, well. Some other time.

]]> Comment on More birds by: Mark http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13191 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:21:22 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2008/02/23/more-birds/#comment-13191 The birds around my place are so sophisticated they don't even bother to chirp at Emerson. The birds around my place are so sophisticated they don’t even bother to chirp at Emerson.

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