The Madagascar malachite kingfisher looks similar to the malachite kingfisher found in South Africa, but according to our Animals of Madagascar book, it’s a different species that’s found only in Madagascar and the Comoros islands. Read more …
Can anyone ID it? After getting home, I ordered this micro lens for my phone camera in case I ever see another cool spider. I think the chances are pretty high.
Baltimore orioles have been visiting our hummingbird feeder and splashing the sugar-water everywhere. I don’t mind. They’re fun to watch and don’t seem to scare off the hummingbirds—at least not often. Here’s one of the orioles, as seen through my kitchen window in the early evening. You can see the ceiling light’s reflection against the glass, just above the oriole’s head. … Read more
I made some quick chili based on a recipe in the Moosewood Cookbook, but with some tweaks for the ingredients I had on hand. I also used a pressure cooker instead of slow simmering on the stovetop—quicker cooking means less heat in the kitchen. After the beans and wheat are done soaking, it takes about half an hour for the … Read more
We had an exciting evening here. It started when Companion was eating dinner and watching a pair of red-tailed hawks hanging out on the neighbor’s roof. When one of the red-tails decided to fly off, it instead ran straight into one of the roof’s satellite dishes. Read more …
Not having baked anything in a while, I figured our first 80ºF+ day of the year was the perfect day to whip up a batch of muffins. I assure you, there is some logic in that sentence. Hot, humid weather gives me migraines. The kind of migraines that make me useless for desk work or going for a walk, even … Read more