In The News

As most of you probably know, Nelson Mandela died today at the age of 95. I knew it was coming. He’d been sick for a long time. I heard just yesterday on the news that he wasn’t doing well. Many young people probably don’t know who he is or what he did for South Africa. I am old enough to remember apartheid. I remember in the late 80s when musical groups refused to do concerts in South Africa because of apartheid. I remember when he was let out of prison and then when he was elected President of the country. He was arrested in 1962 and was in jail until 1990. He was an amazing man who might be compared to Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s a sad day in South Africa and across the world.

Mandela

In other news, the flying squirrel is back at the bird feeder. I know that news isn’t as shocking or saddening as Nelson Mandela dying but I haven’t seen this little guy in a long time. I wondered what happened to him. He showed up earlier this week and then again tonight. I just had to snap a picture of him. Of course the flash scared him away. But he’ll be back.
squirrel

Flying Squirrel

The flying squirrel is back. He’s been coming to my bird feeder all summer and nibbling the seeds. I don’t try to scare him away or discourage him from eating the seeds. I figure that if he has the ability to climb seven floors to reach the bird feeder, he deserves to have a few seeds. Now that its Labor Day and the weather will be changing soon I wonder if he’ll continue to come by. We’ll see.
squirrel

Eastern Wood Pewee

Today we took an early morning walk along the C & O Canal Towpath. We didn’t see or hear any birds until we got to Fletcher’s Cove. Walking around the grounds here we saw lots of little birds flying around. We could identify most of them. When I got home and put my pictures on the computer I realized I had captured a new bird. Here’s a Eastern Wood Pewee. It’s bird #56 for the year.
EasternWoodPewee

Late this evening I was able to capture my bird feeder bandit on camera. This little flying squirrel likes to come to the bird feeder and enjoy the seeds. But he only comes at night. I didn’t scare him away. I let him enjoy some seed. I don’t think he eats too much and he doesn’t bother the birds because they eat during the day.
Bandit