3rin's View…

Well, as you can see, several species of birds that visit my feeder are looking a little rough these days. Don’t fret, they aren’t sick, they’re just molting.

Molting is a very visible signal that nesting season has ended. Birds can either raise a family or they can look good, but they can’t do both.

Like tending offspring, shedding and regrowing feathers is an energy intensive process. Which means it’s still important to keep my feeder stocked with high protein seeds (though insects are also gobbled for their nutrients).

Molting happens in stages, body and wing feathers are shed individually (so the bird can still fly) while head feathers are dropped all at once (hence the raggedy appearance).

Did you know that feathers are almost entirely made from keratin, just like our fingernails? Based on that, if you want better nails maybe consider adding some insects to your diet…

Yesterday afternoon my friend Jenn and I visited the James Museum in downtown St. Pete. Though we both love the outdoors, with the hot and humid weather, we opted for an indoor adventure instead.

We were further enticed by a special National Geographic exhibition, Wolves: photography by Ronan Donovan. Donovan focused on two distinct packs of wolves; one that roams Ellesmere Island and Mollie’s pack (one of the original packs that were introduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995).

I found the exhibition especially interesting as I had attended a screening of Lost Wolves of Yellowstone a few months back. The documentary shared recently discovered, behind the scenes footage of the politically fraught, but biologically sound, plan to return wolves to the Yellowstone ecosystem.

The story of the wild canines was compelling enough but the director entwined it with that of Mollie Beatty, the first woman to lead the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (she oversaw the wolves’ return).

I won’t go into detail, suffice it to say, wolves would not be in Yellowstone today if it hadn’t been for the tremendous effort by Mollie. Only fitting that, in a rare departure from protocol, Alpha Female #5 (one of the first wolves released) was named after her.

Though both their namesakes are deceased, members of Mollie’s pack still roam the park, a fitting testament to those two strong females.

Afterward, Jenn and I walked over to the waterfront for a bit of a nosh. Thankfully, by then the heat had eased as clouds chased across the sky.

If you have a chance to catch either the exhibition or the documentary, I highly recommend them both!

This mango-sized fruit caught my eye when I parked at a nature preserve recently. It was a new species to me so I snapped a few photos and thankfully a park ranger was able to identify it as an Alligator Apple (Annona glabra).

I’ve read about the fruit, but never spotted one before. When fully ripened in the Fall, the fruit has a custardy texture that tastes like a mild melon. Humans must proceed with caution because the seeds are toxic. Though the toxin doesn’t appear to affect our large swamp crocodilians, as they are known to devour the whole fruit, often launching from the water to snap one from branches above (hence the plant’s common name).

Early native populations used the poison in the seeds to stun fish. This medium-height wetland tree native to Florida’s southern swamps has another claim to fame, it’s a host tree for the gorgeous, yet sadly endangered, Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii).

Next time I’m wandering through the swamp or a mangrove tunnel or a cypress bald I’ll keep a lookout for this cool tree.

As a reward for being practically perfect in every way during his weekly grooming session, I refreshed Westley’s bag of catnip this morning. My sweet boy seems pretty chuffed about it!

And no, I did not color match my cat to my floor, it just worked out that way!

What to do when one wakes up early on a weekend? Check the weather and tide apps – if all looks agreeable, throw your gear in the car, drive to the kayak launch, and get out on the water.

I didn’t have any exciting wildlife encounters but it was definitely a lovely morning. And the best part? I was back home before the heat and humidity really cranked up.

What a great way to start a weekend!

After a few rainy days it was nice to catch a bit of color as the sun slid behind the clouds. Don’t think I’ll ever tire of that view…

Two days after returning from my uncle’s service I was fortunate to attend a choral performance at the nearby college. The evening’s selection, “Requiem for the Living”, couldn’t have been more fitting.

A requiem is traditionally for the deceased but composer Dan Forrest reimagined the form to reflect the grief and sorrow felt by those left behind.

The first of the five movements begins with “Rest eternal grant to them, and let perpetual light shine upon them” while the last one ends with a fervent wish, “Grant us peace”.

Though sung in Latin, the soaring melodic harmonies and haunting solos left me with a tranquil feeling. It was a much needed soothing evening.