Bird possum
Tuesday March 27th 2012, 11:06 pm
Filed under: Knit,Wildlife

As I knit some ice rose dk silk from Colourmart (if they have any colors left at all on that page tomorrow. US postage is included.) Oh, and if you want some really nice shawl patterns, Purlescence has my book in stock. Just sayin’.

I made a mistake on this new pattern and I knew what I’d done. It was easy to fudge; the instructions I wrote were correct, it was just me that wasn’t. Just lift a strand between stitches and call it a yarnover and no one could ever tell–but the moment I made that decision rather than rip back, it wasn’t book knitting. Book knitting has to be done perfectly, checking every stitch and counting across on every row; this one’s the learning-as-I-go version, then.

And a really really pretty learning-as-I-go shawl. But it’s only fair anyway; there’s no point in dangling a yarn that’s an industry remnant that may or may not be repeated (and I knew that from the start). Truth is, I was simply knitting this, for the moment, to make me happy, while wondering where it will end up.

Sea Silk next time. I have some waiting its turn.

Birds. Scene: suet cake in a green wire cage, hanging down in the middle of the patio where there’s nothing for a squirrel to jump from to get at it. A house finch pecking away at it–or trying to.

Except that finches have this profound need to be at the top and the top half of that cake was already gone. She’d landed at the bottom, where there was plenty, but climbed up to where there was none no matter how many times she jabbed her head hard in there as far as she could reach. She did it again and again, straining as if she could squeeze her shoulders inside the cage too.

Air headed.

Later, I had someone working in my yard today (that branch gouging the side of the house after the storms had to go) and I had to stop and go out and explain to him why I was looking out the window and laughing: not at him.

One of my fearless little chickadees had flown to that wire cage and then realized late that there was an intruder, it was big, and it was quite close. And coming closer. Bigfoot!

And so it froze. There was no escape without giving its position away. It froze so perfectly and for so very long that I wondered if it was okay–I’ve been watching my birds for three years and I’ve never seen that behavior before. I’ve assumed it, after they’ve scattered from a hawk and melted into the trees, but I’ve never seen it up close.

Having caught on too late to zoom towards safety, the little bird was playing possum; if it couldn’t get away, at least it could blend in and become one with half a suet cake, the top of its head bowed to it as if in reverence.

The man was delighted. Seldom does wildlife stick around to be admired when he’s at work. I loved that he loved that it did.


10 Comments so far
Leave a comment

I refilled the birdfeeder the other day, and it’s been getting some concentrated feline attention–the cat sits in the window, rapt with the view. The birds get it that he can’t hurt them–but they still peck the seed- dart a glance at the cat- peck the seed- look to be sure the giant carnivore hasn’t moved…I feel a little bad, it can’t be good for their digestion!

Comment by RobinH 03.28.12 @ 3:53 am

On the bird watching front, I was graced with a pair of cranes, not sure if they are Sandhill or Brown, I was pulling out of the grocery store parking lot and across the street is the part of the marsh and there they were a couple looking and snacking away. I was wondering if they were having the housing discussion,”You know this would be the perfect location for the nest, food and water nearby,” “but Harry there is a downside we are so close to the highway here.”The youngest may fly out in the road”!!

Comment by Kris 03.28.12 @ 6:55 am

was the man the intruder or was there another bird? What a wonderful thing to get to watch. Hubby makes a suet type cake with bacon fat, peanut butter and bird seeds, freezes it in a ziploc container and then puts it in the suet feeders. g

Comment by gMarie 03.28.12 @ 7:45 am

My mojo salutes your knitting just for happy’s sake and raises you some bird-watching while you’re at it.

Comment by Channon 03.28.12 @ 8:19 am

“ice rose” is such a cool color name! hoping to see pictures of the finished project

it’s amazing how the birds keep coming up with new “acts” for your enjoyment

Comment by Bev 03.28.12 @ 8:44 am


my squirrels did exactly that today! a big bird-of-prey was soaring above my woods for a few passes, and Fat Charlie, Friar Tuck and the others just froze in place until it was gone.

Comment by Tola 03.28.12 @ 5:13 pm

How did this posting get past me? Anyway, the wildlife sure puts on a show for you. And probably without any rehearsal.

Comment by Don Meyer 03.29.12 @ 9:06 am

I almost always end up knitting two versions f a pattern, too.
My stash is reduced right now, but I seem to have plenty for the kidling hats I’m knitting for Wool-aid. Of course I wound up with a new pattern. The Preemie size is published, now on to the next 5 sizes.
I am having to do lots of math to figure out the difference in number of stitches for each size, and extrapolate that into a percentage that I can apply to discovering how much yarn will be needed for each size. I think it needs to wait until tomorrow! (my morning sharp brain is gone on this side of the country)

Comment by Diana Troldahl 03.29.12 @ 10:36 am

Great tale of chickadee courage, but I was somehow expecting a flying possum. If one exists, I am sure it will end up in your yard.

Comment by twinsetellen 03.29.12 @ 6:19 pm



Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

(required)

(required)