When my kids were very little, we adopted a whale through the Whale Adoption Project. She was one of a group that summered at Stellwagen Bank (off the coast of Massachusetts), and we adopted her for quite a few years in a row. Her name was Salt, and there had been a children’s book written about her and her first calf, Crystal.
Category: Wildlife
Creature Thoughts, Aug 2018: Forever, Stars
I know that Stars would want to thank everyone, all her friends and fans, for all of the love that has been sent her way. Some might say a Starling wouldn’t understand enough to feel grateful for such love. But I know, and you know, that Stars would. She would call you all her hamsters, her very favorite word to use about things that made her happy. And you are all my hamsters, too.
Fly Free, my darling Stars
Stars, the Amazing Starling, has gone beyond. Farewell, my special friend, my little teacher, my communicator, my Mommy’s Bird. June 26th, 2008 – July 15th, 2018
Creature Thoughts, June 2016
Teach Your Children Forewarning: This issue is not your usual Creature Thoughts fare, and may be disturbing to the sensitive. Look upon your children that they may face the winds, And walk the good road to the Day of Quiet. —segment of a Sioux prayer We have a situation in our area that is…
2015’s Rehab Failure: Imprinting in Baby Wildlife
On my Animal Family page, I describe briefly how my pet Starlings and House Sparrows arrived in my life. In addition to the various other animal-servant hats I wear, I’m also a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In particular, I care for baby songbirds, raising them for release back into the wild. Most of the time, this…
The Truth About Starlings
Not long ago, I was watching an episode of a DVR-recorded television show in the den. The television is near our large aviary. Stars likes to sit on a high rope perch, where she can look down at the screen. An email came through on my cell phone, so I paused the playback for a few minutes to tend to it.
Stars, began to chatter. She started with, “Hi, Hi, Hello, Hi.” After each greeting, I absentmindedly responded in kind. Finally, sounding quite insistent and even frustrated, she blurted out, “I see to Mommy’s TV!”
Apparently she was growing impatient that I had paused her show. I pressed Play, and she happily returned to watching the program.
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