Jesse, reverting to his cat nature, killed one of the two baby bluebirds that we've been watching all spring and summer. Every morning the two parent birds would sit on the power line that goes across our front yard with their two babies and take turns diving down to the front lawn and swooping back up with food for the babies. We noticed the babies flying up and down a couple of weeks ago and wondered how much longer it would be until they all took off. Jesse would sit by the front door licking his chops, but we wouldn't let him out until the birds had finished their morning routine with their babies. We can't have bird feeders because of bears, so we rarely get to watch the same birds every day. Last night Jesse stayed out all night, and at 6 this morning he came in with the dead little bird. So sad. When I drew it I noticed it still had pin feathers. I buried it in the front garden and have had a hard time liking Jesse all day, even though I know he's just doing what cats do.
The raspberries are starting to come in. These are wild ones from the Jones Mtn. trail. I think it's interesting that what feels like soft fuzzy stickers all over the berry cases and stems are actually millions of tiny anthers that pierce the skin of the case that is like a nut case, and each one goes straight to one tiny ovary (see 5084). The little bumps all over the berries are the ovaries, each with a seed inside. I need to study a bloom to see where the stamens are and where the anthers are in the bloom stage.
oh, no, your bluebird! raspberry sex on the mountain (i should say i have them wild all over the edges of my yard and on the property). our are black raspberries, mostly.
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