Wildlife, butterflies, coyotes, kites and grandchildren

8 May 2012

Lots and lots going on.  Don't forget to vote today in the Cape Henlopen school board election. Jen Burton and Bill Downs have both put themselves out there to help guide the important business of educating our children and they deserve our effort to cast votes.  All you have to be is at least 18 years old and a resident of Cape Henlopen School District. Polls are open today from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Cape Henlopen High School, Mariner Middle in Milton and Rehoboth Elementary.

I spend a lot of time outdoors, love looking at wildlife, and love getting pictures from readers showing wildlife. Back in April Cliff Diver sent me a nice photo of cedar waxwings in the branches of a hackberry tree outside the window of his Lewes Beach residence. He wrote: "A flock of the always welcome Cedar Waxwings. I love the yellow tail. When the sun hits it, it goes neon."

I also received a nice series of photos this week from Kathi Karsnitz.  They show a wood duck duckling taking its first flight from a wood duck box near the home on Red Mill Pond.  Kathi wrote: "I thought you might enjoy the attached photos of wood ducklings leaving their nest for their first flight.  The wood duck boxes are at the edge of our back yard on Red Mill Pond where the ducklings made their appearance on Saturday, May 5.   It's really something to see!"

I've included their photos here, below, and others I took this last weekend.

I'm also hearing about lots of coyote sightings recently.  One person saw one on Lewes Beach and another reported seeing one walking down a street in Lewes Landing, on Route 9, with a cat in its mouth.  That reminds me of a waterman friend of mine who crabs the lower Chester River on Maryland's Eastern Shore.  He said he was trotlining one day when he saw a mature bald eagle fly over with a cat in its talons.  Later he saw a poster on a telephone pole asking for assistance locating the same unfortunate cat he had seen in flight.  "I didn't have the heart to call the woman and tell her," he said.

Nature doesn't care.

I've also included here a couple of photos of my granddaughter Maisy Peach McGilvray who was in last week from Seattle for a visit along with her mom, Megan.  Who doesn't love grandchildren?!? Straight to the heart.  We took her to Magee's at Wescoat's Corner to pick strawberries and she had a big time. Don't tell the nice lady there that you saw a picture of Maisy eating a strawberry.  When we were paying for our pickings, she asked me whether we had eaten any while we were at work.  I told her no.  I think she believed me.

Anyway, I like nothing better than including grandchildren - and children - photos here.  Me and Fredman.  So if you have some nice pictures, send them along. You can send them to me at dnf@capegazette.com. And thanks for reading.  You all are special!

Oh, one last thing.  We were doing a playground crawl in Rehoboth Beach last weekend with Maisy after biking down from Lewes.  (We're so blessed with great parks and great playgrounds.) At any rate, we played in the sand at the end of the Boardwalk for a while and then headed north to a grand display of kites in front of Rehoboth Toy and Kite.  The fresh northeast breeze off the ocean had all manner of cows, crabs, people and other figures flying high.  Very festive. Get out there and enjoy!