My Panthera is quite the hunter. I have to keep the windows on the enclosed patio almost closed as I've had a hummer come in and Panthera caught him/her and had quite a meal, there was nothing left but a few feathers. Now he can't hunt hummers anymore but he sure is watching them hanging around the feeder which is why I put the feeder there: for entertainment, not for him to have a banquet.
WOW, Panthera has some skills! Hummingbirds are so fast I've never seen one caught. Panthera deserves some kind of award!
Well, the hummingbird flew in and could not find its way out so it probably flew around butting the glass panels until it was exhausted and thus was easy prey for Panthera. However, I must say to his defense that this is not the first time he has caught a bird and ate it and he also catches flies and moths and butterflies that invade what he calls his territory. Anything that flies in is fair game as far as he is concerned. And if it crawls (lizards) or otherwise makes it to the second floor (squirrels) and comes inside the patio it is also fair game. As long as they stay outside the patio (where he can't reach them) they are safe although he will be slavering and giving them the evil eye. He needs to put up a sign that says "trespassers will be eaten".
When I was growing up, our Kikko was extremely into lizards. The back part of the back yard was his "lizard patch" and we often saw lizards missing their tails. These would grow back eventually. My mom used to hang out wash up there, and she'd sometimes come back inside with blood running down her legs from our Mighty Hunter defending his lizard patch. He was a fierce, fierce predator.
We loved him tremendously.
That's an absolutely gorgeous pic of Missy,
mama africa
-- she is so photogenic, which I'm sure makes all viewers feel PAWSitive!
tarasgirl06
- I think this little (almost-Zone-6) microclimate is just about ten weeks behind yours. The Chinese Redbud is still a day or two away from being in bloom:
Unfortunately I don't keep a garden journal,.
"Mann tracht, und Gott lacht," claims the old adage. I'd planned to start cutting the lawn today, overslept (if there really is such a thing), and awoke with that, "I'm already behind," feeling. Not to worry - it rained overnight... not a 1910 Fruit Gum Company kinda rain, but the Santana At Woodstock kind.
That makes today a, "day off" (f there really is such a thing), and now that the rain has stopped and the skies are clearer, a, "big honkin' cheeseburger on the grill," day as well.
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...and the Forest Pansy is beginning to fill out its branches. If you keep a garden journal, let me know what day in February yours came to bloom.
Also blooming today: Bradford Pears on the slope leading from the high bank to the river's edge, the two youngest apples, the White Cherry, and a single bloom on the Japanese Kerria.
.
1CatOverTheLine
but 10 weeks sounds about right, though I have noticed this year especially that things are late in blooming, because of the climate change craziness. My Chinese Pistache is just now starting to leaf!
Unfortunately I don't keep a garden journal,
tarasgirl06
- Chinese Pistache? I am soooooooooo jealous!
Likewise on so many levels,
This area still appears to be about ten days behind also, although here the cause was clear - we had Summer in February and the dead of Winter at the end of March. Magically, the Beale's Barberry (i.e. Leatherleaf Mahonia) buds are opening as I type this - probably the clearest yellow flowers I've ever seen!
.
1CatOverTheLine
You'll perhaps be even more so after reading that our city has a tree program (it's known as Tree City USA, much to my neighbors; consternation) whereby an arborist will come out and advise on where to plant the trees the homeowner requests from among those offered by the program. They deliver them -- nice tall young trees! -- and you plant them. If they are well maintained by the homeowner after 1 year, they are free to us. I got two -- the Chinese Pistache and a Brisbane Box. 
Likewise on so many levels,
tarasgirl06
- That's fabulous! My trees are wel-maintained, but thank Heavens my arborist makes house calls!
Shane Kent
a little bit, I have no doubt that he's already in his car, headed south.
tarasgirl06
, my vegan Friend - an asparagus and Morel crêpe?
1CatOverTheLine
- Never had a Morel but it looks like a mushroom and I like mushrooms very much.
The air is comfortable and dry, good for working outside, I'm in the midst of Spring cleanup and there is so much cleanup to do after the winter storms we had!
1CatOverTheLine
mentioned is new to me, but I am thinking what a good and interesting idea it would be to keep brief notes of what is going on and when, in the natural surroundings. I could list birds spotted, blooming times, insect visitors, wildlife spotted, what plants seemed to thrive. I guess it would be more of a "natural surrounding journal" than a garden journal, but it would indeed be interesting to compare notes from year to year. 
1CatOverTheLine
Oh, I wish I was vegan! but I'm not. I avoid dairy because it does NOT like me, and I avoid animal products for the most part, but I do occasionally eat tuna and even more occasionally, chicken and shrimp. 
Norachan
What a MAGNIFICENT Asiatic Silver Lion!
tarasgirl06
- Oh, sweetie -
Norachan
is lyin' 'bout that lion. That's a Japanese Forest Cat, also known as a Fujiyama Puffball.
After two days of heavy rain and thunderstorms we finally have sunshine this morning.
That means I'll be able to get out and finish the woodwork project I've been doing and maybe even do a bit of yoga on the deck.
The rare and elusive Asiatic Silver Lion was spotted out in the enclosure this morning. It's going to be a good day. LOL! I really like that description of Forest, he really does look like a miniature lion with that haircut.
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No, no. This is a Fujiyama Puffball.
