BY JOHN KARRIGAN

My promoting last month of the complete lunar eclipse early on August 28 didn't do any good. It was one of several very stormy, cloudy nights lately. Oh, well, there is another eclipse in February 2008 that I will try to remember to write about.

Another item I mentioned last month, the family feeding frenzy of Cooper's Hawks, has either slowed down or stopped. At least one or more of the hawks is still in the park area but the young hawks have apparently learned the lessons and gone off on their own, as they are supposed to do. They were still active during the art fair and I saw one make a pass at the Great Blue Heron. He or she had not yet learned the principle of chasing birds much smaller, not much larger, than yourself.

No birds were harmed in the incident.

The ducks are progressing normally and the extended Canada Goose family returns every few days. Ring-billed Gulls are now flying over the lake regularly but I have not seen them stop, as they will start doing later in the season. The afore-mentioned Great Blue Heron is around the lake almost every day.
Chimney Swifts are still over the lake often. Common Night Hawks were in the neighborhood early in the month but I think they were just passing through on their usual early (compared to many birds) migration.

The small bird situation is sparse, as usual, this summer, but I have seen Kingbirds, Phoebes, Chipping Sparrows, Goldfinches and occasionally a Downey or Hairy Woodpecker in August.

I have reports from two people that the white domestic duck that was abandoned in the park this spring did not meet a terrible fate but was captured and redomesticated by some concerned neighbors and duck rescue people. I don't have the details of when, how or who was involved and am trying to learn more. I would appreciate it if the nice people involved would contact me.

I suppose many people noticed the large damaged Silver Maple tree on the south side of the lake. About one-third of the tree was lost on August 12, through either wind or lightning damage, and all but the stump was removed on August 16. As usual I would like to have seen the remaining two-thirds of the tree left for birds, mammals, people, etc., but the park board does not see it that way. Also, I have found more Elm trees marked for removal in the northwest corner of the park. The elm removal plan must be way behind this year. They have not been back for the three more marked trees on my block since before July 4 and I see many more marked all over the city.

Butterflies in the park (and yard) have been OK but not nearly as many in number or variety as last year. However, the dragonfly numbers and variety were great, at least until the rains came. I have learned that the book I need to identify dragonflies is an out-of-print, self-published book, "The Dragonflies of Wisconsin," which I am looking for.

The Yard
I have good, bad and normal news from the yard. Some of the news is that an immature Oriole made at least one more short appearance on August 10. A neighbor three houses away (with a fantastic yard) has also seen Orioles.
More good news is a Ruby-throated Hummingbird made a very brief visit on August 24 to the Cardinal Flowers in the rain garden. As in other years, the hummingbird visits are short and the birds so small I sort of assume that there are multiple visits every August and September but I only luck into seeing a few of them.
As happened last August, an immature but full grown Mourning Dove again visited the yard. The young birds look almost like mature birds, with some breast color differences. They display no fear (or common sense?) and can be approached, and approach people within a couple of feet.
The rest of the usual suspects continue to come to the yard.

The Big Finale
Rocky Raccoon, Jr., and sometimes his brother George, come through the yard every few nights. Of course, I don't really have any idea what sex either of the young raccoons is.
One morning (August 14 at 1:50 a.m.) I went out to talk to him as he was eating birdseed on the patio. He didn't run away but ambled off about 10 feet to the bottom of a tree. I was standing by the birdseed and started calling him back. He actually came back. On his way back, he stopped and stared into the neighbor's yard behind me several times. I thought he might be looking into the other yard for his mother or brother, for advice or reinforcement, but I did not see or hear anything. He came right back to my feet and continued eating birdseed. I thought of reaching down and trying to pet him but I reconsidered. I was only wearing shorts and thongs. (That is, thong sandals, not thong underwear. I do sometimes wear women's undergarments, but that has nothing to do with my nature writing.) Anyway, I figured he might try to bite my legs, feet or hands, or his mother might attack me from behind if I touched him, so for once I used good sense. After a couple of minutes, he walked to the birdbath and stood up to it, I stood on the other side and told him to be careful with the bird bath because it has been damaged, probably by raccoons, a couple of times this summer. He continued on to the other side of the yard, climbed the fence and left quietly.
Nine days (or nights) later, he and his brother were both eating birdseed and I went out again. Neither would come when I called, but they did not run away, just ambled away. I am fairly sure they have made other trips through the yard since then and I am hoping to continue my befriending project.

The Denouement

Now for my bad backyard experience, but it doesn't involve birds or animals, just low-life, rotten, anti-social scumbags.
On the night of August 27, one or more miscreants stole the 10-year-old small fountain out of the birdbath. It wasn't fancy, wasn't worth much to anyone else, but the birds and I loved it. It will be fairly expensive to replace, and then when replaced, will it last one week or 10 years before another creep comes along and takes it. As the late Kurt Vonnegut Jr. said, "And so it goes."
Comments and observations are always welcome. Send them to me, in care of the Southside Pride.