So, was your curiosity piqued by the vaguely unappealing title? A little like a train wreck you can't look away from? Happily, the actual content isn't remotely like a train wreck - at least, I hope it isn't!
This hairy woodpecker is responsible for the first part of the title. She's wiping suet off her beak, using a bit of pine bark as a handy napkin. Such fine manners!
And this warty American toad is responsible for the second part of the title. I almost missed his presence entirely, since he blended in so well with the brown grass in my back yard. I'm always delighted to see this guy hanging around in the yard and gardens.
I have a soft spot for toads - when I was a child there was a toad that sat under a yard light every night in the summer, waiting for tasty bugs to be drawn by the glow. I would go out and sit beside it and pet it along its neck, just behind the eyes and it would just sort of hunker down and blink. It must have liked the attention, since it kept coming back and putting up with me night after night.
1 comment:
American toads put on a wonderful concert every spring here in northern Virginia. They give out long trills, and when 50 or a hundred do it simultaneously, it makes a lovely chorus. When I first heard it 45 years ago, I thought it was insects. Now, thanks to Frog Watch, I've learned the local frog voices here, including the American Toad, and knowing who they are adds so much to the enjoyment.
Waterbird
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