A Happy Bird Day

Sorry, I am late getting around to processing this week's photos. The past several days have been eventful and busy. I celebrated my eighth "double digit" birthday, which has occurred every 11 years since I was 11 years old. 

Sadly, my dear Aunt Jean passed away at the age of 96. She was the last of my father's siblings as well as the youngest and last of the second generation of descendants of Jeremiah Patrick "The Dam" O'Shaughnessy of Columbus, Ohio. (More about him below). I am the first and still eldest of Patrick's Great-Grandchildren.

My Aunt Jean was an educator and a loving person who kept her sharp mind until her death following a major stroke. She liked to tell how her schoolmates would not believe that she was an aunt at only eight years of age. I am so sad that my medical condition does not allow me to travel to her funeral in New Jersey.

I did get out to the back yard on my birthday and was pleasantly surprised to find a number of interesting birds. A male Scarlet Tanager had traded the bright red in his plumage for more subdued yellow:

It was difficult to find him in the Chestnut Oak, as he blended in with the acorns:

An American Goldfinch visited the Black Cherry tree, where only a few ripe fruits remained:

Two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in dull winter plumage also appeared in the cherry tree. This one was either a female or a juvenile:

The second had a reddish tint to its chest and was likely a mature male:

A Red-eyed Vireo had molted into fresh plumage...

...while a Chipping Sparrow was evidently in transition:

While I was processing my photos, our granddaughter Graci dropped by and helped me pick out favorites among the large number of sub-optimal shots. She was accompanied by her pet Cockatiel and took a birthday "selfie" with me:

Graci also insisted that this out-take would be an ideal "Where's Waldo" photo of one of the grosbeaks. Can you find it? (answer in header photo):

Graci's younger sister Cari just started college in Florida. She had to leave behind her very large pet rabbit, a Flemish Giant :

In the back yard, an adult Eastern Cottontail rabbit licked his toes:

Sunset over Hartford, August 30, 2023:

Once again I failed to obtain a reflection photo for my meme, so I reached back ten years into my archives and found a favorite, Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada in July, 2013:

More about Great-Grandfather "The Dam".

Jeremiah Patrick O'Shaughnessy was Superintendent of Waterworks for the City of Columbus, Ohio from 1896 until he died in 1921. During his long tenure as Superintendent, Columbus realized a wealth of modern waterworks improvements, including a storage dam and a water purification plant that helped to reduce dramatically the number of deaths from typhoid fever. A new dam was in the planning stages when he died. Two weeks later, the Columbus City Council unanimously named an additional storage dam the O'Shaughnessy Dam, in appreciation of "one of the most faithful servants this city ever had." The bridge which spanned the dam was also named after him. On August 22, 1991, the new O'Shaughnessy Bridge was dedicated as a memorial to Jerry O'Shaughnessy. 

This Week's Header: Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Where's Waldo crop)

= = = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to:

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Garden Affair

All Seasons

Image-in-ing

Nature Notes

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World
________________________________________________

Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
________________________________________________