I loved the photos but especially I enjoyed the story of your travels.  What a thrill it must have been to have Alice the Great Horned Owl on your knee.  Nora and Joe sound like the best hosts ever, and I'm glad you all finally got to meet face to face.  Thanks for sharing!

Dot in PA

Yes, it was in today's paper but I did not find any other indication of a date so do not know for sure how current it is.  Their website is www.mcall.com/ but this particular piece is not listed there that I could see.  I found it buried in the back of the paper just before the classified ads.  Perhaps Google might turn it up if you searched under "eco-friendly cities", which was the headline.

Dot in PA

  Finally some good news! When we lived in upstate NY, Toronto was a city always in the forefront of dimming lights and other measures to protect night-migrating birds.  The Allentown morning paper today listed the top eco-friendly cities of the world, not necessarily referring to lights dimming, just overall "greenness", and I thought you might enjoy seeing the list:

#1 Reykjavik, Iceland
#2 Portland, Oregon
#3 Curitiba, Brazil
#4 Malmoe, Sweden
#5 Vancouver, Canada
#6 Copenhagen, Denmark
#7 London, England
#8 San Francisco, California
#9 Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador
#10 Sidney, Australia.

Dot in PA

  This is an interesting excerpt from the PA Game Commission peregrine report today.  Peregrines will remain on the state endangered species list because most of the current nests are in cities and not on cliffs in the wild.
Dot in PA


HARRISBURG – The peregrine falcon has firmly reestablished itself in the Commonwealth 50 years after its near extinction. But the Pennsylvania Game Commission wants more from peregrines before it will remove them from the state endangered species list.

“The peregrine falcon’s ongoing comeback and expanding nesting range have sparked considerable excitement throughout Pennsylvania, from our quietest rural areas to our largest cities,� said Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe. “There are 29 active peregrine nests in 14 counties and they have drawn great interest. They truly are an attractive, charismatic species and their recovery from the brink of extinction has everyone pulling for them.

“However, peregrines need to occupy more of their historic nesting sites before we can remove them from the state endangered species list,� Roe explained. “This year’s 29 nests are great news when you compare them to the 40 or more sites they used annually in the early 1900s, because it represents substantial progress. But only four of the 2010 nests are on cliffs, which was where almost all of their nests were located prior to their dramatic decline after World War II. So we’re looking for peregrines to occupy more river bluffs and precipices. Then we’ll relax a little more.�


It’s not that the Game Commission considers the preponderance of peregrine nests on building ledges and bridges to be inconsequential in the big picture. Just that biologists believe lasting peregrine population stability is directly related to reclaiming the cliffs where they’re less susceptible to the unique mortalities associated with living on manmade structures directly over large rivers and above cities.

[You might check online for diseases affecting hydrangea flowers. I took a real quick look and saw this description:]

You might check online for diseases affecting hydrangea flowers.  I took a real quick look and saw this description:

Outbreaks of Botrytis blight can be seen in the landscape on hydrangea flower buds and blossoms.  On hydrangea, symptoms are usually limited to the flower buds and especially the petals. The small water-soaked spots seen on the petals quickly expand into reddish brown irregular blotches. Brightly colored petals quickly fade to a brown, withered mass.

The trouble is that the various diseases usually occur in wet humid weather which we haven't had.  But it's the only mention I saw of anything resembling "melting flowers that turn into black blobs".  I didn't have time to search thoroughly so you might want to check online yourself.

Dot in PA

[Jemison looks like her head is on backwards looking up at Callidora on the roof. Love The Exorcist look!Dot in PA]

Jemison looks like her head is on backwards looking up at Callidora on the roof.  Love The Exorcist look!

Dot in PA

[Great job, Lou! My hair was standing on end looking at your shots from the base of the nest box. Yikes! I also really liked the night shot of the War Memorial. Thanks for sharing!Dot in PA]

Great job, Lou! My hair was standing on end looking at your shots from the base of the nest box.  Yikes! I also really liked the night shot of the War Memorial.  Thanks for sharing!

Dot in PA

[Jim, that was wonderful! It was frightening to see exactly how exposed that nest box area is with nothing but sheer drops on all sides but encouraging to read that the girls seem to be pretty confident up there. for the report!Dot in PA]

Jim, that was wonderful! It was frightening to see exactly how exposed that nest box area is with nothing but sheer drops on all sides but encouraging to read that the girls seem to be pretty confident up there.  for the report!

Dot in PA

[Nerve wracking! Is Callidora the largest offspring ever from Rochester? I remember Gahastey being very large too. Hard to believe a girl that size will be able to fly in the next week or so.Dot in PA]

  Nerve wracking! Is Callidora the largest offspring ever from Rochester? I remember Gahastey being very large too. Hard to believe a girl that size will be able to fly in the next week or so.

Dot in PA

[so much, everybody, for my happy birthday wishes. I am slowly recovering from a broken back so your greetings really cheered me up.Dot in PA]

  so much, everybody, for my happy birthday wishes.  I am slowly recovering from a broken back so your greetings really cheered me up.

Dot in PA

[Shaky! I am a Ray Charles fan and Frostie can really dance!Dot in PA]

  Shaky!  I am a Ray Charles fan and Frostie can really dance!

Dot in PA

[Annette. Those cool photos went well with the earlier butterfly pix.Dot in PA]

Amazing tricks of caterpillars
http://discovermagazine.com/photos/09-how-clever-caterpillars-survive-to-butterflyhood

  Annette.  Those cool photos went well with the earlier butterfly pix.

Dot in PA

[Loved the butterflies! The Butterfly Conservatory is definitely worth a visit. I've been twice and my husband had to drag me out by the hair both times.Dot in PA]

Another beautiful Discover gallery...

And when trying to discover what the other side of the Indian Leaf Butterfly looked like,
vs.
I came across this site, with even more images to peruse.... Unfortunately for us, it's in Wales... but it made me itchy to go visit the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, Ontario...

Loved the butterflies!  The Butterfly Conservatory is definitely worth a visit.  I've been twice and my husband had to drag me out by the hair both times.

Dot in PA

[Lou, that was spectacular! Glad you like to roam the internet finding such goodies for all of us.Dot in PA]

     Lou, that was spectacular!  Glad you like to roam the internet finding such goodies for all of us.

Dot in PA

[Thanks, Carol. But there was a post yesterday in the Rfalconcam Now / Mariah category that said:"3 falcons at nestbox! War has ensued!" That's the one I was waiting for further information on.Dot in PA]

There wasn't much more to report.  Dan and I were too far away.  I wasn't able to get any pictures.  Neither of us saw a split wing tip.  Female based on size.  We believe adult.

Many of the Watchers continue to check out the areas where Mariah had been seen, but nothing yet.  We'll keep watching.

Thanks, Carol.  But there was a post yesterday in the Rfalconcam Now / Mariah category that said:
"3 falcons at nestbox!  War has ensued!" That's the one I was waiting for further information on.

Dot in PA