One of the easiest ways to attract birds to your yard is to put out a bird bath. It may take them a few weeks to find it but once they do you will have an assortment of birds stopping by for a drink or to freshen up.
I added a tray of water on the ground so the squirrels would have a place to drink and stop jumping up on the large bath. Instead, I spotted a family of robins using the lower level.
The robins are my favorite birds to watch in the water. They don’t just take a sip or a quick dip; they jump in and splash around, sometimes for quite a while.
In the photo above, dad robin (he’s on the far left) was showing his three youngsters the water.
You can easily tell young robins by their speckled breasts and quizzical expressions. Junior stopped by the edge of the water and thought about it for a while as if he was hesitant to get wet.
But eventually he jumped in.
For more bird photos check out my previous Weekend Birding posts.
I link up my bird photos on Saturday Snapshot hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
I saw this book on Shelf Awareness a few days ago. The description has a P.K Dick feel to it where reality and illusion become blurred.
Luminarium
by Alex Shakar
To be Published: August 23rd 2011
Soho Press
Do you feel… Your life is without purpose? Your days are without meaning? There’s something about existence you’re just not getting?
Fred Brounian and his twin brother, George, were once co-CEOs of a New York City software company devoted to the creation of utopian virtual worlds. Now, in 2006, as two wars rage and the fifth anniversary of 9/11 approach- es, George is in a coma, control of the company has been wrenched away by a military contracting conglomerate, and Fred is broke. Near despair, he’s led by an attractive woman, Mira, to a neurological study promising “peak” experiences and a newfound spiritual outlook on life. As the study progresses, lines between subject and experimenter blur, and reality becomes increasingly porous. Meanwhile, Fred finds himself caught up in what seems at first a cruel prank: a series of bizarre emails and texts that purport to be from his comatose brother.
Giveaway Winners
Mary of Bookfan and Julie S. were the winners of The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott.
Congratulations and I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.
Grilled Zucchini
With all the hot weather we have been having the zucchini plants in my garden have been working overtime, producing more zucchini than I know what to do with. Family, friends and neighbors are receiving the extras, freshly picked and grown organically. If you’re on the receiving end of baskets of zucchini, I have lots of recipes which I am happy to share.
When grilling dinner, create a quick side dish by tossing some slices directly on the grill. This is a favorite of mine and goes great with my chicken kabobs.
Ingredients:
Young Zucchinis (about 6 in or 15 cm long)
Olive Oil
Garlic Pepper Seasoning
Preparation:
- Cut zucchini lengthwise into slices about ¼ inch thick (½ cm).
- Brush olive oil on both sides and season with garlic pepper.
- Let sit for about a half hour.
- Grill on medium-high heat turning after 3 minutes. Grill other side for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Really Random Tuesday is hosted on random Tuesdays by Suko at Suko’s Notebook. It’s a way to post odds and ends–announcements, musings, quotes–any blogging and book-related things you can think of.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The July host is Gwendolyn at A Sea of Books.
I have two new books this week. One for review and one I purchased.
For review and a giveaway from the publisher.
The Things We Cherished
by Pam Jenoff
An ambitious novel that spans decades and continents, The Things We Cherished tells the story of Charlotte Gold and Jack Harrington, two fiercely independent attorneys who find themselves slowly falling for one another while working to defend the brother of a Holocaust hero against allegations of World War II–era war crimes. Rich in historical detail, Jenoff’s astonishing new work is a testament to true love under the worst of circumstances.
I purchased this one and an extra copy for giveaway.
The Joy of Birding
by Kate Rowinski
More than 50 million birders can’t be wrong. No matter where you live, you have the joy of hearing and seeing birds. This easy-to-use, full-color guide will provide you with the answers. Here you’ll learn how to identify different bird species by observing their body-parts, understand birds’ behavior and habits, get to know the birds around the home or a vacation spot, attract and make a good home for these new feathered friends, and much more! Designed especially for the home birdwatcher, but with information on destination vacations, this book teaches, “If you’re prepared to see them, they will come!”
Red-tailed Hawks are the most common hawk found in North America. They can usually be seen circling high above open fields or perched at the top of tall tree or telephone pole.
Variations in color and pattern will occur in these hawks depending on what part of the continent they are located on but one identifying feature they all have in common is a reddish brown tail. Juvenile red-tailed hawks, no matter where they live, do not have red tails. They are a lighter color which will change gradually over several molts.
A few weeks ago I was attending a bird walk and as we were listening to a presentation on Purple Martins a young hawk landed in a nearby tree. He stayed for the presentation so I took photos of him too. This was most likely a juvenile hawk because of the light colored tail feathers and lack of red coloring.
Another hawk showed up and began making a scolding call lasting 2 to 3 seconds. It was a loud, rasping scream. This is the call movie studios use to represent the call of an eagle. Eagles have a lovely sound, nothing like what Hollywood leads us to believe. I later learned there was a red-tail nest in the area so they were probably just keeping an eye on us!
The photo on the right (click for larger view) is a red-tail that sat in a tree in front of my house for about an hour. Every bird in the area was alert and chirping their warning calls and even circling the tree in an effort to get the hawk to leave. They aren’t commonly found in backyards but occasionally I will see one in the tall trees or pines.
Interesting Facts:
- Their diet consists of mostly small mammals and birds.
- They can spot a mouse from a height of 100 feet.
- Both the male and female build the nest.
- Males and females look alike although females are usually 1/3 larger.
- Mated pairs typically stay together until one of the pair dies.
For more bird photos check out my previous Weekend Birding posts.
I link up my bird photos on Saturday Snapshot hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
The Upright Piano Player
by David Abbott
Genre: Literature, Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Doubleday / Nan A. Talese
Publish Date: June 7, 2011
Format: Hardcover | 272 pages
Rating: 5 of 5
The Upright Piano Player begins at the end of the story on a sorrowful note at the funeral of Henry’s young grandson, Hal. We learn the heart wrenching details in those first few pages of what happened to Hal and how Henry feels responsible. Then we jump back in time four and a half years to find that Henry, a once successful businessman, is being forced out of the firm he founded. At his retirement party he pretends everything is alright, but Henry’s orderly life soon begins to become unraveled.
Unable to forgive his wife a brief infidelity and now estranged from his son, Henry lives alone in his large home with help from a loyal housekeeper. Convinced that he needs to get out more Henry attends a New Year’s Eve party only to become the victim of a random act of violence that leads to a succession of harassing incidents. Soon he finds out his ex-wife, Nessa, is very ill and Henry begins agonizing over his past mistakes. He must decide whether to contact Nessa and his son, who now has a child he didn’t even know about, and time is running out. Meanwhile the harassment by the mysterious stalker is escalating.
Henry is not a particularly exciting man and this is not always a happy story, but in many ways it is very compelling. Indeed, he is a very flawed character. Much of Henry’s unhappiness is caused by his own decisions and inability to forgive, to move on, to avoid more mistakes.
The book is an easy read but not a book to read quickly. I read slowly as the layers of Henry’s life were peeled away and we learned what brought him to the events of the tragic first pages. It is beautifully written, the prose is clear and graceful, the story is heartbreaking.
Henry occasionally plays jazz piano but it wasn’t until almost the end of the story that I grasped the significance of the title, The Upright Piano Player. Bill Evans’ song “Waltz for Debby” is mentioned as playing in the background several times. I love jazz piano and this piece really sets the mood for the book, at times both melancholy and happy.
I’m not always a fan of starting a novel with the ending and I wasn’t sure it was the right way to start this book when I first began reading. However, why the author choose to do this soon becomes apparent. As Henry begins to reconcile with his family and enjoys a loving relationship with his grandson, the opening becomes all the more tragic. I went back and read the first chapter after I finished the book. It had an entirely different effect on me with the second reading.
I highly recommend this debut novel by David Abbott and hope to be seeing more from him in the future. This is definitely one of my top ten books of the year.
Two Copies to Giveaway
Thanks to Doubleday Books, I have two copies of The Upright Piano Player to give away to my readers. Fill out this form for a chance to win a copy. Enter through Sunday, July 24th, US addresses only. I will draw the winners using random.org when I turn on my computer Monday morning.
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Review copy provided by Doubleday Books.
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More Wordless Wednesday.
Under My Apple Tree 