CASCADES

CASCADES

Original Watercolor 13x18.5 inches on Arches 140cp

By Leenie

WHITE RABBIT OR MARCH HARE?

There was no bright sunrise as I walked along the bike path this morning.

The only bird to welcome the day was a meadow lark on an electrical pole.

The orioles are probably still enjoying the sun in Arizona. The only leaves on the cottonwoods were left over from last fall.

I turned the corner and thought I saw a glimpse of a big white snowshoe rabbit slipping into the tall grass.

But it was only a tabby cat out hunting.

Cat: Oh, by the way, if you'd really like to know, he went that way.

Me: Who did?

Cat: The White Rabbit.

Me: He did?

Cat: He did what?

Me: Went that way.

Cat: Who did?

Me: The White Rabbit.
Cat:  What rabbit?

Cat: If I were looking for a white rabbit, I'd ask the Mad Hatter.

Me: The Mad Hatter? Oh, no no no...

Cat: Or, you could ask the March Hare, in that direction.

Then the cat

disappeared.

MANSION BY THE RIVER

There is a nest on a bridge over a nearby river.  It is not an ordinary nest.

It is a mansion, or maybe a castle as nests go.

It doesn't belong to the swans flying by.  It's an osprey nest.

Here is the neighbor's nest. It's a starter home on a platform constucted to discourage nest building on the cross beams of electrical transmission poles.  Big nests on power poles are bad for power lines and birds.  The red fibers are plastic twine from hay bales recycled by the osprey into nest material.

According to Wikipedia the osprey's diet consists almost exclusively of fish.

"Its toes are of equal length, its tarsi are reticulate, and its talons are rounded, rather than grooved. The Osprey and Owls are the only raptors whose outer toe is reversible, allowing them to grasp their prey with two toes in front and two behind."

This is particularly helpful when they grab slippery fish.

All photos are mine except the last one.  This is from an amazing series of photos posted here.

And worth checking out the fight between an osprey and an eagle.