I want to give a "Happy Bird-Day" shout-out to my parrot Pascal, who joined 
our household 25 years ago today. She helpfully draws my attention to 
raptors camouflaged in the trees or soaring high overhead, and points out 
noteworthy visitors on our back deck ("Look at the bird... interesting"). To 
be honest, although her vocabulary includes the words crow, grackle, towhee, 
cardinal and hawk, her ID skills are unreliable and her bird-call imitations 
only fair. However, she provides an excellent subject for close-up study of 
avian anatomy, feather structure, and molt. I guess all the years of 
shredded possessions -- and occasional shredded flesh -- have been worth it.

Now, to make this a legit posting, I'll note that a Swainson's Thrush is 
hanging around the rapidly-disappearing remains of our temporary "lake," 
which last week hosted a Solitary Sandpiper for two days, and this week had 
three Mallards swimming in it.

Janet Millenson
Potomac, MD (Montgomery County)

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"Look at the birds!" -- Pascal the parrot