Date: 16 July 2020. Birds bring Happiness.

© janice142

Each day I am thankful for my life aboard Seaweed. I get dressed then wander out to my dinette/desk. A fresh cup of hot tea is my morning nectar. On days when I turn on the netbook I am greeted by Buddy, my desktop background. It is such a treat to see his face each morning.
 

One of the things I like best about my netbook is the background picture. Meet Buddy:

If you look to the left behind one of my 85 watt solar panels is Buddy's girlfriend. She is timid.

Having birds that trust me enough to visit is such a treat. This friendliness is encouraged by the regular purchase and sharing of the cheapest hotdogs sold at a local grocery store. My feathered "kids" like their dogs.
 

The birds are also rather insistent upon my duty to feed them on a regular basis.
 

Isis for instance doesn't like to wait. She watches me until I weaken.

 

Isis is perched atop my wheel in the pilothouse. She had been standing in the doorway. I ignored her so she flew up to the wheel, continuing to stare at me.
 

As a side note, neither the grey night heron Buddy nor the Isis the snowy egret make any noise. I do hear Buddy's wings when he flies, but never any vocalizations. They do not squawk at me.
 

HOWEVER, before I covered my hatch Buddy would bang on the window above my head to get me up. He could see me, and as I was the source of his morning snack... KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK with his beak on that window!
 

I tied an old pillow sham to the hatch so Buddy could not spy on me.

The cover also kept my cabin darker and cooler in the summertime. Of late it is also one
component of my sleep system. Buddy cannot see me, thus he does not use his beak to rouse me.

One of the neighbors has a different name for Buddy. Captain Dave calls him HotDog. The birds answer to any name, especially when food is involved. Being able to call out "Buddy" and hear wings flying in lets me know he is my friend.
 

There is something magical about how some of the birds have come to trust me.

The newest visitor is a GREAT WHITE EGRET. She also likes hotdogs.

Page ↑ taken from my Birds of North America book. Folks who like bird-watching should own this book.
 

I had a "pet" great white egret named Charlie when cruising in the BAHAMAS ↓.

Friends of ours on a motor yacht bought frozen *ballyhoo fish for Charlie.

*Ballyhoo: I checked all three of my fish books and cannot find a picture of said fish. As I remember it, the ballyhoo were silver, approximately 8" long, slender (about 1" around) and would be used as a baitfish for tuna and the like. They were bought, frozen, in white boxes. Only rich folks could afford them.
 

The birds do bring a great deal of joy to me. I have always been observant of the world around me. Watching how the critters interact and hypothesizing as to why such occurrences happen is fun. I have shared some of that in Dolphin Moment,  Dallas and the Pelican, plus Manatee Mama and Baby (calf).
 

I would encourage everyone to look for the wildlife around you. It is there hidden in plain sight.

Ella the great blue heron has been causing trouble of late. Here she is hiding in the mangroves.
I am not currently thrilled with Ella. She has been pooping a lot, on my solar panels. Argh!!!
 

And that is life aboard a boat in Florida. To each of you, thank you for reading. I appreciate that.

Do you have any feeders set up for hummingbirds, butterflies, squirrels or anything else outdoors?
I'm wondering if folks with pets also pay more attention to the outside critters...
 

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