A field full of birds

Ever since they cut the old grass field behind our house last week we've been blessed with a bevy of birds of all kinds, from sparrows and wrens and plovers to crows, hawks, and turkey vultures. Most are seeking the seeds that fell from grass and weeds as they were cut; a few are looking for the dead mice and gophers killed by the mower—or maybe just lost in the taller grasses. It's kept us and Zoé, our cat, well entertained.

Yesterday we watched as a crow caught a mouse, only to be chased by a big hungry turkey vulture. A second crow moved in to pester the vulture on the ground, repeatedly flying into its tail and distracting its attention while the first one gobbled its lunch. The crows aren't the only ones bothered by the vultures. Even the smaller birds harry them when then get too close to a nest. Brave parents!

The cutting of the field is a welcome sign that summer may finally be on its way.


And introducing Zoé

Zoé is our new cat, our first since 1996 when we left Winston to study voice with our friend Sue and went off to Turkey for a year. Unfortunately Winston died while we were gone and we've been without a pet ever since. Until a couple of weeks ago, that is. We visited the Willamette Humane Society and found  Zoé and brought her home. She's three years old and very loving, though at the moment she's unhappy because she can't go outside. She has mastered the pathetic meow and we're not sure how long we can hold out, though the original idea was to have an indoor cat. Care to place a bet on who wins this battle?