Fall at Greenbelt Lake and a Feathered Event

[lavendertook]

I told mews1945 I'd try to post pics I took a couple of weekends ago as I walked around Greenbelt Lake, so I'll go do that one or two pics at a time, and try to keep them coming. The fall we had 2 years ago was probably the gold standard for beautiful leaf turning in this area, and I posted a bunch of pics then and never did upload all of them. We'll see how many of this year's I can show you. With the wind and rain the last couple of weeks, leaves have dropped and browned out more quickly this year, but 2 weeks ago was a good beginning of peak.



This is the creek I cross over at the entrance to the lake right behind the community center and down the woody hill I live on.



Tuxie here is overlooking that woody hill. Yesterday afternoon, we had an exciting, slightly frightening, but exhilarating event to watch as a huge flock of migrating grackles--sleek black birds with an iridescent sheen like the rainbows in oil puddles--took a travel break in the trees surrounding our building. The kids, Tuxie and Moo, took their stations in the windowed sun room, but Saki was sitting in the foyer oblivious to this prime time Feline Event of the Century, so I picked her up and put her purring on the watchtower scratching post in the sun room and we all settled down to watch them swoop and flutter all around us, their presence doubled by their shadows racing across the ground below. And the cacophony around us through the screens, loud, raucous, yet musical still, was wondrous. After about 20 minutes, the swarm took to the sky road and continued on south. Two thumbs, and paws, up for that natural performance.

It balanced out the more prosaic and unfortunate bird event later in the day, when I dropped the pan of turkey thighs I was roasting and spattered me and the floor with turkey grease and marinade. Could have been worse, as I'm thankful for the absence of cats in this scenario, who were also good about staying back from investigating the accident scene when I shooed them.

Yes, there were actually no hobbits mentioned in this post. It happens sometimes. Not too often though.

Comments

[mererid]

Wow, what a sight that must have been. Sometimes we get small groups of juvenile grackles, which are generally entertaining but nothing like you and the kitties got to witness. :D Your picture of the creek is gorgeous, and I love the one of Tuxie staring out the window. :D

Look at your pretty grackle icon!

[lavendertook]

I always think of you when I see birds, and when it's a good sighting, wish you were here to see it, and this was no exception. It's cool to be in the rest stop for a grackle migration. (-:

Thank you! I suspect a live bird would be safe with these cats, but I wouldn't test leaving them alone with one that wasn't at least equal their size until after a long acclimation process. The black bird or raven I saw in a branch close to the window today was thinner, but easily as long or longer than Saki, and would definitely send the larger Tuxie into hiding.

[leaflet.livejournal.com]

You live in a very pretty area and my cat is now jealous of your cat. :D

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

The DC metro area in general is not a place I love--I much prefer northern MD like where mews is, but I'm pretty fond of Greenbelt.

*sends catnip*

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

You have such a beautiful surrounding!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

My apartment building is more set back in the trees than any of the other apartment buildings on the street, which gives it the nicest view. I can pretend I live out in the woods, when it's actually a crowded street, pretty close to the town hall, community center, and grocery store, as well as the woods and lake.

[romeny.livejournal.com]

That pic is lovely, almost looks unreal. Are your cats outdoor cats btw? I think I'd be afraid with the other wildlife around.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you--fall foliage makes it so easy. No, I'm on the second floor and I don't let them out, and happily, they aren't really interested in going out. Tuxie and his mom Moo were strays living out in those woods, so I think they had enough of it. And yeah, it was nerve wracking for me until Moo decided to move in permanently--Tuxie chose to do so fairly quickly--I'm too much of a Jewish mother to not worry.

Is that icon a pic a kitty who was yours?

[romeny.livejournal.com]

Is that icon a pic a kitty who was yours

No, I had a cat for 20 yrs that we had put to sleep about 4 yrs ago but I don't want another pet.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I just thought it might have been an icon of the cat you had because it had a name on it.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

That bird event must have been both wondrous and torturous to the kitties! :D

Ouchie! (the turkey thighs)

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

No, they were entertained, but not frustrated. Saki used to chatter at birds, but she hasn't done that in years, and is not as interested in the windows as she used to be. And Tuxie was definitely nervous. When he was last in the woods he was a third of the size he is now and could have been prey for some of the raptors we get in these woods, and I don't think he gets how big and muscular he is now. And the blue jays and mocking birds can be pretty rough on a small cat around here, too. Moo was rivetted but not jumping at the screen. So none of them were raring for a paws-on experience.

Yeah, it was crappy, but they came out OK anyway. Cooking is not the fun it was when I was younger--I drop and burn things too often.

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

Pretty pics and what a lovely show you and the kitties had! I've had flocks of grackles and starlings visit my yard. Such a noise they make!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It was fun to be in the middle of all that swooping and chatter.

[shirebound]

I'm really thrilled for you that you live near a beautiful lake and nature area, and that you didn't miss the Feline Event of the Century!

But oh, sorry about those turkey thighs! Hope you weren't burned.

Any mention of food is hobbity. :)

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I rubbed an aloe branch on my arm, and what burn there was luckily was mild enough that it took care of it.

This is true! (-:

[honeyandvinegar.livejournal.com]

Garsh, thas' pretty. Sorry about the turkey, though!!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It was still tasty--just had to do more cleaning than I planned.

[ex-lbilover.livejournal.com]

Lovely pics! Fall at your lake is so beautiful. I love the pic of Tuxie looking out the window. A large flock of grackles is an impressive if noisy sight! And eeps, I hope you didn't get burned by the turkey grease!

Just to be on the safe side: hobbitshobbitshobbitshobbitshobbitshobbitshobbits

*hobbity hugs*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The first 13 pics here are from 2 years ago. It was a fun noise to be immersed in, though.

I did a little, but it was mild enough that rubbing an aloe branch on it took care of it. I must not cook in a kitchen without an aloe plant in it.

Heee--thank you! That always makes things better!

*hugs tight*

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

What a beautiful place you have for walking. I love the picture of Tuxie at the window.

My god, grackles are so noisy, aren't they? My friend who rehabilitates injured or orphaned animals had thirteen baby grackles one year, and had to keep them separate from all the other birds because they were so raucous they'd keep the other birds in a state of panic all the time. I called them The Hells Angels.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I'm not happy if I'm not living near a stream or body of water I can walk to. Am such a Pisces.

Heeeee! Scrappy little buggers! It was a fun noise to be immersed in for a little while, even if it had a little of a Hitchcock-ish creepiness to it.

[melyanna-65.livejournal.com]

No hobbits mentioned, but the place looks very hobbity to me! And I love the kitty looking out.

*purrs and hugs*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I think of Greenbelt as a hobbity town. (-:

*purrs, nuzzles, and headbutts you*

[strangemuses.livejournal.com]

Aren't grackles pretty? Sounds like they put on quite the show for you and the kitties.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

They are--I love that rainbow sheen. It was a wonderful Hitchcockian show to be in the middle of a huge raucous flock!

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Yes, there were actually no hobbits mentioned in this post. It happens sometimes. Not too often though.
Just don't let it become a habit!!! :P

Lovely pics though!