Blinking Finch, Scraping Squirrel, and Other Observations

By Krysta Denzer

Flowers bloom, birds fly, and seeds begin to sprout in the bird feeder. I find a young male house finch as he sits serenely on the porch. I watch as he stands, blinking every few seconds, slowly, barely, raising and lowering his tail. I saw the slight red on his head and breast, as well as a small red patch on his rear just above his tail.

By the sidewalk, a squirrel noisily scrapes his teeth on a large nut, intent on his prize within. And over there, another squirrel makes off with a mushroom, bringing it back up the tree. A lizard peeks out from under the backyard shed, where a small toadstool grows. Later, a raccoon climbs through the trees, enjoying an early-evening meal of wild grapes.

A little moth must have just left its cocoon (shown hanging from the grass to the left). It's wings are soft and floppy, blown and bent by the wind.