ink_in_hand | Day seventeen

I love these guys. And I wish the fandom would write/draw about them more. Now for an update...

Yesterday's post was a little incoherent, so I'm going to clarify.

I have a ball python, and she refuses to eat anything but live mice. Now, it got to the point that buying her dinners every week got to be a hassle so I started to raise my own. This is all good, except if you don't monitor them they can breed like crazy. That phrase 'breed like rabbits'? Has nothing on how fast mice can pump out the little ones. It's a nice arrangement, in that I know that the mice are treated and fed well (they get a lot of food scraps) and I can weed out the aggressive mice early on. They have excerise wheels, hidey holes, and save for the fact that they eventually become dinner are treated like any pet mouse or hamster.

But lately my baby hasn't been eating much, and save for a mouse today (which had me crazy happy) and one a few weeks back, she's been fasting for a number of months. And considering that it isn't always clear cut which mice are males and which mice are females, I had far too many on my hands. This happened last year too, and fortunately I found a raptor rescue group who were more than happy to take three dozen, though this time it was at least five dozen. I had a problem.

And as I have a fancy new camera that I got last summer, I have bird pictures.

A Turkey Vulture who, to my embarrassment, I can't remember why he's there.

And another because I love these guys and because shoelaces are fascinating, here he's messing with Rebecca's but he couldn't keep his eyes off mine for the longest while.

An American Kestrel, who they're pretty sure was hit by a car.

An immature Peregrine Falcon, she broke her humerus flying into a building.

A Red Tailed Hawk, she's been there for... six years I think.

And another of the Turkey Vulture.

A Saw Whet Owl who isn't too happy with having his frozen mouse stash taken out. Did you know that freezing meat removes vitamin B?

And here is the Great Horned Owl from yesterday, he's human imprinted.

Holy crap, this post took an hour to type up.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh wow, they're beautiful! It's so sad that something like that has to exist, but I'm glad it does so there is a place for those beautiful birds to go when they need help. Thanks for sharing.

Birds are gorgeous and I love that there's others who're devoted to their care. You're welcome, I'm glad it's appreciated. I have more pictures in my photobucket account, if you want I could PM you the password (I have it locked as an art thief deterrent) and link so you can look through it?

Also? I love your icon.

I'd enjoy that. I'm such a nature freak, and birds of prey in particular are a favorite of mine, right behind dolphins.

You might enjoy these (http://ink-in-hand.livejournal.com/28228.html) posts (http://ink-in-hand.livejournal.com/28812.html) too, I haven't posted photos nearly as much as I probably should.

Oo, you're lucky to live in such a nice naturey area. Thank you for linking those.

I am lucky, and I certainly don't take where I am for granted for sure. You're welcome, I'm always happy to share the nature love.

The expression on that Saw Whet is beautiful! It needs lol-captioning I think.

I adore raptors... owls in particular. I'm a Barn Owl fiend :)

And I just can't get into the Coneheads' heads... *pout* Otherwise I'd write them for you.

Yeah, yeah. You clean my box human.

Oi. What chu doin'?

Wait... are you taking my mice?

YAH TOOK MAH MICE!!

Oh it's on now.

Barn owls are gorgeous birds, I'm just sad that they're on the west coast and such, we don't get them.

Pffff, thank you anyway. You made my day.

Ohm they're beautiful... *Feels terrible something like that's needed*

As for the pis up top: CONEHEADS! I love those guys!

*doesn't understand that feeling* I tend to focus on that these places exist, that there's a place for these birds to go when the bad things in life happen. Now if it were a recuperation center for abused animals I can understand, but it's not and I don't get it. It's like feeling terrible that hospitals exist.

Yes. There needs to be more Conehead love.

I love big birds like that! Owls are the coolest. A few months ago there were two Great Horned Owls hanging out in my back yard. I couldn't see them, but I could definitely hear them hooting away when I was letting the dog in.
When I was in Wyoming back in October, my boyfriend and I happened to see a Golden Eagle chowing down on some unfortunate animal. We tried getting closer for a picture, but it flew off.

Isn't it such a thrill when that happens? I had a pair of courting Barred Owls outside my window last year, and then later in the summer there were a trio of chicks learning to fly about a five minute walk away.

A Golden!? Wow, that's pretty impressive. We're lucky to even see a Bald Eagle, and their yearlings that look like Goldens.

Day seventeen

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