Stand-In

I'd hoped to wow you with a photo of a female Varied Thrush who taught herself how to land on our high feeder, but none of my photos quite captured her awkward but determined efforts to land, balance, and grab a few bites now and then. Fortunately, this Pileated Woodpecker was happy to oblige with an effortless landing and a pleased expression at the food on offer.

In other aerial news, my daughter M phoned to say how much she'd enjoyed her demo flight this morning in a little helicopter. Her instructor told her she was a natural at it as she flew over downtown Seattle for half an hour. (He did the take-off and landing in the dual-controls helicopter.) I'm proud of her interest in having new experiences, even if the mere thought of this one makes me feel weak!

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