Capital Giraffe – adventures of a washingtonian – Page 4

Float Like a Butterfly

July 9th, 2019

My Great-Aunt Mimi has a passion for butterflies and has an absolutely divine butterfly garden. I went to visit Mimi over the weekend and there seemed to be hundreds of butterflies out that day, flitting from flower to flower in the hot sunshine.

Mimi has chosen the plants in her garden with care. She prefers native plants that support the butterfly population.

One such butterfly/plant duo is the spicebush and the spicebush swallowtail butterfly. Spicebush swallowtail butterfly larvae eat the leaves of the spicebush, so where you find one, you may very well find the other. There was a large crowd of the inky-black butterflies in Mimi’s garden when I was there.

Mimi and I spent the whole day in the garden. We weeded, we watered, and we talked, but mainly we relaxed and enjoyed the spectacle of all the beautiful butterflies who come to stay every year in my wonderful Aunt Mimi’s garden.
Dressed Up in Blue

July 2nd, 2019

“Pssst! Flash of bright blue to the left!” I hissed at Hector and then I quickly, but hopefully silently, poked my head into the tree branches on the left side of the trail. Hector’s head popped in to the foliage moments later.

We both scanned the tree branches for the blue bird I was pretty sure I had just seen fly by. Would it be a blue jay? A black-throated blue warbler? Would we be able to find it?

Hector and I stood still and waited, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever bird I thought I had seen.

And then I saw him: an indigo bunting! It was very exciting!

“What kind of bird is that, Bernice?” Hector asked. “What a beautiful color it is!”

“That is an indigo bunting – a male – you can tell by his color. The females are light brown,” I whispered. “The males have bright blue feathers for the breeding season, otherwise they are mostly brown too,” I added.

“I love being able to see birds in their breeding plumage. It seems to be their best-looking attire,” Hector grinned.

“Me too. This bird is so beautiful. I hope his partner is suitably impressed!”

Hector and I were able to watch the indigo bunting for a few moments more. Then the bird flew away.
Meow?

June 25th, 2019

“Meow? Meow?”

I looked over my shoulder and saw my dear friend, Hector, with his neck stretched way down, nose to the ground, face-to-face with a grey catbird. My funny friend was meowing at the bird.

“What are you doing, you nut?” I don’t know why I asked. I could see clearly what Hector was doing.

“I am hoping to hear this grey catbird say meow, Bernice,” Hector answered in a whisper. He then continued to do his cat impression. “This catbird is not cooperating!” Hector whispered, exasperated, after a while of uninterrupted meowing.

“I imagine the bird was stunned speechless when he found himself face-to-face with a meowing giraffe!” I giggled. “The sound isn’t really a meow anyway. It’s more of a short, squawky, mew sound. I don’t think grey catbirds sound like cats at all, though I seem to be alone in that opinion.”

“Well, I would like to hear for myself and make up my own mind about it,” Hector huffed.

“I’ll keep my ears open and let you know if we hear one, Hector.”

“Thanks, Bernice. You’re the best.”

We resumed our walk.
Celebrating Dad!

June 18th, 2019

My mom, dad, Louisa and I all had a delicious Father’s Day breakfast (prepared by yours truly) and then we headed out to play a few games of groquet.

What’s that you say?

You’ve never heard of groquet?

Ah, well, you’re not alone.

Groquet is a little-known game popular with giraffes the world over. It is similar to croquet, but the equipment is different in a few key ways. Groquet balls are larger and softer than croquet balls. And we giraffes do not use mallets. We swing with our necks and hit the balls through the wickets with our heads.

My dad was the east coast champion groquet player when he was in college. Alas, he missed winning the national championship by one game. His nemesis – a giraffe named Leonard who hails from L.A. – won that game.

That disappointment aside, groquet is my father’s favorite activity. It was an absolute no-brainer that we had to play it while celebrating Father’s Day.

No one in my family plays anywhere near as well as my father does, so I personally found it quite suspicious when Louisa won two out of three of the games we played. She crowed with glee the whole way home. My dad swore up and down that she won fair and square, but I have my doubts.

Were you able to see your dad on Father’s Day? If so, what did you do to celebrate?

XOXO,
Bernice
Ava Sees a Firefly

June 11th, 2019

The first official day of summer may not be for another ten days, but as far as I am concerned, once the fireflies start twinkling, summer in D.C. is well underway.

I went to my assistant’s house to check in with her regarding some illustrations she was very late completing for me (tsk tsk). We talked shop for a while and then NuNu told me she had to take her puppy, an eight-month-old Scottish Terrier named Ava, outside.

Auntie NuNu and I noticed the soft green glow of fireflies as soon as we got out the door, but at first Ava was too busy sniffing the ground for an acceptable place to do her business to notice the insects. Then the gentle green glow of a lightening bug hovering just in front of the little dog’s nose caught her attention.

Ava sat on the grass and stayed uncharacteristically still. She monitored the dark space in front of her nose with total focus. A few seconds later a firefly lit up from where it had flown to – about four feet away. Ava seemed mesmerized. I don’t think I have ever seen anything cuter in my entire life.

Do you have fireflies where you live?

XOXO,
Bernice
One Thing in Common

June 4th, 2019

The birds I see with the greatest frequency here in D.C. are American robins. I see them all year round too – they are permanent residents. Even though I see robins on a daily basis, I never have any idea if the robin I am looking at is a male or a female. They look exactly the same to my eye, though my understanding is that the females are slightly paler than the males.

Some birds are like that – the males and females look almost the same. But many birds are sexually dimorphic and there are differences between the sexes that are obvious.

Hector and I decided to go explore Fletcher’s Cove early Saturday morning. Quite a few folks were already there when we arrived. Some kayaked, some fished, and some were birding, just like us.

We were absolutely thrilled when we saw a black-throated blue warbler perched on a tree branch on the edge of the cove. I was immediately able to see that the bird was male. Male and female black-throated blue warblers do not look alike.

The males have black throats, black faces, and are a bright-blue color on the tops of their heads and down their backs. Their tummies are white. The females are a dull greenish-brown color with yellowish-white bellies.

As far as I know I have never seen a female black-throated blue warbler, but I cannot say for sure. Since the females are less flashy than the males, it seems like I may have seen one and not realized it.

When I got home from our walk to Fletcher’s Cove, I looked black-throated blue warblers up in my birding field guide to refresh my memory regarding what the females look like. I learned that the males and females have one plumage thing in common: they each have a white patch on their wings. This white patch will help me identify a female if I am ever lucky enough to see one. I’ll keep my eyes peeled and let you know if I do!

XOXO,
Bernice
Swift as the Wind

May 28th, 2019

On summer evenings, about an hour or two before the sun goes down, chimney swifts dart back and forth across the sky above my garden. I absolutely love to watch them. They look like they are having so much fun!

I do not know if the chimney swifts I see are courting potential partners, zipping around catching delicious insects for supper, or if they are playing a game, but I do know that I find them delightful!

You will never get an easy, close-up view of a chimney swift ambling across the lawn, perched on a tree branch, or bathing in a birdbath. Chimney swifts have very small legs which are not good for walking, perching, or wading.

Chimney swifts do almost everything while airborne. They eat insects on the fly. They even bathe on the fly by swooping down and skimming across water.

When it’s time for chimney swifts to sleep, they roost in (summertime and therefor fire-free) chimneys. They cling to the interior walls of chimneys with their toes. Because they roost inside chimneys, it is highly unlikely you will ever see a chimney swift during its downtime.

All of which is just to say that since you will probably never see a chimney swift who is not airborne, you should familiarize yourself with the chimney swift’s silhouette as seen from below. That way, when you see birds of the same shape darting back and forth across the early-evening, summer sky, you can be pretty sure you are watching your neighborhood chimney swifts.

Chimney swifts are migratory birds who winter in South America, so keep your eyes peeled while the weather is hot, y’all!

XOXO,
Bernice
Babysitting

May 21st, 2019

Sunday I could be found, once again, at Rock Creek Park. I was babysitting my sister, Louisa, and her BFF, Teddy. We decided to take a hike and to do some birdwatching. The day was hot and humid so it was nice to be in the shade of the hiking trail.

Now, as I have mentioned before, it is important to be quiet when birding. The kids were in playful, rambunctious moods and they were making a ton of noise, so the trip was a fail in terms of finding birds, but we had a lot of fun anyway!

“Last one there is a rotten egg!” Teddy shrieked and took off at a gallop.

“Hey, you started before me!” Louisa yelled as she tried to catch up.

When I caught up to the kids way down the trail they were discussing who was and who wasn’t a rotten egg.

“Why must the last one be a rotten egg?” I asked. “Why not a moldy bagel or a rancid walnut?” The kids giggled and then, predictably, Louisa began running again.

“Last one there is a putrid mushroom!” she bellowed as she charged full-steam-ahead through the trees.

“Last one there is a fetid brussels sprout!” Teddy, not to be outdone, whooped as he took off after Louisa.

By the time we got home, the kids had tired themselves out and were more than ready for their afternoon naps.

XOXO,
Bernice
Celebrating Mom!

May 14th, 2019

Sunday was Mother’s Day and so I went to my parents’ place first thing to help my dad and Louisa prepare a special brunch for my mom. We had been planning to go on a picnic, but the weather was all wrong for that idea. It was a cold, rainy day here in D.C..

My dad made my mom’s favorite salad. He added his crispy acacia bark topping which adds a delightful crunch to each bite. It’s a secret family recipe, so I cannot share it on this blog. Sorry!

I brought my mom a potted peony, which was in full bloom. My sister, Louisa, gave my mom some leg-warmers she and my dad found at the giraffe boutique a few weeks ago.

I asked my mom about her first Mother’s Day and she reminisced about how small I had been then – a mere six feet. I can’t remember what life was like when I was that small, but I do remember when Louisa was a newborn, so I do know what it’s like to have a wee giraffe around.

We had a splendid celebration with good food and even better company. I think my mom had a terrific day.

Did you have a nice Mother’s Day with your mother? If so, what did you do to celebrate?

XOXO,
Bernice
Summer 2019 Goals – an Update

May 7th, 2019

Baltimore Orioles are another type of migratory bird on the way north for the breeding season. They will depart again for their winter territories as early as July, so keep an eye on the treetops for bright orange feathers in the next couple of months!

I don’t know about you, but when I think of birds’ nests, I usually think of a sort of bowl made of twigs. Yet not all nests are shaped that way.

Orioles weave distinctive nests, which hang from tree branches like little purses. If you see a little sack made of plant fibers hanging from a branch high in a treetop, you can be pretty sure you are looking at the nest of an oriole.

A female oriole knits a new nest every year, so if you spotted one of these special nests when the trees had no leaves over the winter, you won’t be able to simply return to that nest to see a Baltimore Oriole’s current nesting sight. These birds do, however, sometimes use old nests to collect material to build their new ones, so you might want to check anyway – maybe you’ll get lucky and spot one of these orange and black birds gathering supplies for the new breeding season.

I found a couple of terrific links explaining oriole nest construction. One is a video from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism which shows how a Baltimore Oriole builds its nest. The other is a podcast from BirdNote on the same topic. Both are about two minutes long. If you have time to spare, you should definitely check the links out!

Last week I mentioned my summer 2019 goal of finding a hummingbird nest. I am adding finding a Baltimore Oriole’s nest to my list. I’ll be sure to let you know if I find either one!

How about you? Do you have any summer birding goals?

XOXO,
Bernice