Saturday 12 February 2011

MrM, Ornithologist*


Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Order COLUMBIFORMES
Family COLUMBIDAE

Nests and Eggs of Ohio, 1879-1886.
Drawings by Miss Genevieve Estelle Jones,
Mrs. N. E. Jones and Miss Eliza J. Schultz.


*****

MrM has accompanied MrsM to the petshop.
MrsM is buying bird seed.

MrM
Fat Balls!!
What on earth are they for?

MrsM
The birds take little pieces of the fat
and use it to stick the twigs together
to make a nest.

MrM
Good grief...
I had no idea!

MrsM
It is a seasonal item
and that is why these are in multipacks.
You know...
spring is coming...
lots of nest building.

MrM
Of course!
Well, I never did!
You learn something every day.


When MrsM recounts this later
MissM is very shocked.
MissM
Please tell me that he didn't believe you!
What did he think that birds did
before fat balls were sold in petshops?

*****

*from Greek:
ὄρνις, ὄρνιθος, ornis, ornithos, "bird";
λόγος, logos, "knowledge"

19 comments:

  1. We put out fat-laden bird feeders one year, and our house was promptly infested with mice. The exterminator said we might just as well have put out a neon sign for rodents that said, "Breakfast served anytime."

    Darling nest, though. :D

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  2. You are a wicked, wicked woman, Mrs. M. How did you keep a straight face?

    I had to stop putting out suet&seed cakes (for winter energy, not for nest building...apparently birds in the US do things a bit differently) even in little metal mesh holders firmly attached to trees, because raccoons appeared in the dark of night, tore down the holders, ripped the metal doors off, ate the suet cake, and scattered the metal remnants far and wide. My dog was...excited. My ears are ringing at the memory.

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  3. i just wanted to tell you how much i enjoy your blog... on good days its that extra pick me up... on bad days i am reminded, through you of the good days gone by and that will most definitely follow... love from Lynn, Singapore

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  4. You are so NAUGHTY! We had the pleasure one year of watching a rat running up one of our trees. It continued along a branch and then hung upside down to help itself from one of the coconut shells I had filled with suet and out of date nuts from the baking cupboard!

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  5. Family humour obviously not dead!
    WV ponfach from the welsh poface

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  6. Very amusing! I notice that MrM hasn't added a comment - could it be that you haven't told him yet? Could you let it go on to the point where he starts to talk about his amazing new knowledge at work?

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  7. Hello and thank you for your beautiful blog - I love it. I had to de-lurk to tell you how much this post amused me. I shall laugh to myself all day.

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  8. I hope you've got plenty of walnuts in.

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  9. We can't encourage birds. Too many neighbours have cats. Fat balls would be luring them to their toothy deaths.

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  10. You are very very naughty!

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  11. That's very wicked, Alice. I couldn't have done it without cracking up - isn't it wonderful when someone falls for something hook, line and sinker and get quite serious about it!

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  12. I am going to be watching this space to see if Mr M has any snappy comebacks.

    Do you have mourning doves there? If not, I can send you a dozen or so.

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  13. I read that as 'Mourning Dave'. Am unclear whether this was a title, descriptor or instruction.

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  14. Thank you so much for making me laugh Alice. I started giggling at 'Fat Balls' and carried on to the end - a much needed and most appreciated exercising of my laughter muscles.

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  15. You are a wicked woman. Poor MrM. I do hope he is able to swiftly regain his composure - and is not minded to exact revenge.

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  16. MrsM is the only bird for me of course

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  17. Now THAT is a Valentine.

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