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Brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) are parasitic birds, as they do not create a nest of their own but lay eggs in other bird's nests. The young tend to be larger than the host bird's actual young, and generally the cowbird chicks boot out the bird's actual hatchlings. So in the end, the cowbird chick is the only one left in the nest, and the mama bird has been fooled into thinking it is one of it's own.  A brown-headed cowbird chick demanding food from its "mom," a song sparrow.
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 Attracting a large crowd, these Aldabra tortoises (Geochelone gigantea) were having a go at it at the National Zoo. The International Spy Museum http://www.spymuseum.org/ is a pretty cool spot to visit when in Washington, DC. It's pricey, around $20 per person entrance fee, unlike most of the museums in DC that are free, but it is worth it if you want to learn a lot about the history of spying and the gadgets that go with it. There are a lot of interactive bits, and lots of videos, so if you want to really see all the bits, you need to set aside a fair block of time. I loved it, but would have liked to see lots more spying hardware as that was what I was most into. It also lacks top end modern spying stuff, but the room dedicated to the idea of taking down America's electrical grid was pretty scary stuff.  First up was doing some spying on the tourists from the vent work. A fun little bit.  Spy guns were interesting, here is a "hands free" pistol.  This gun seemed more useful than most.  Historical stuff, as no one uses a cigarette case anymore, but a clever gun.  And a really good one here, a poison dart umbrella.  So, a spy car. There are three big hints in the photo that should lead you to the person who used this car. Can you figure it out? First hint: The steering wheel is on the right side. Second hint: Note the rear wheel has an extendable spinner. Third hint: You can figure it out from the front license plate  Mom deer in the brush. This is a white-tailed deer and a native species that lives in the zoo without fences.  A fawn following mom.  Roseate spoonbill in the trees. The National Zoo has two Andean bear cubs on display for a few hours in the morning. They are 7 months old, so just the right age to get in trouble. 
This cub is exploring the rock wall that keeps it in its enclosure. Note the wire nearby, which is an electric fence.
The cub has now made it to the wire...and after a ZAP noise could be heard it yelped and ran back to mama.
Mama bear cuddled the youngster, and huffed and growled at the area where it got zapped.
Mama then dragged the cub away from the area by the scruff of her neck (yes, this cub is a female).
The bears stared at the area for some time, and mama went back over there a number of times trying to figure out what gave her cub such trouble. But the cub quickly forgot about it and went about other things.
Railings at Columbia Plaza with blooming flowers in the background.
A bit of symmetry near the China Town metro station.
Pentagon City, a mall on the outskirts of Washington, DC
The Metro station at Rosslyn.
A geometric created by a block window at Pentagon City Mall.
A large North American Porcupine (Erethyzon dorsatum) I ran into in the woods near Bear Knob, Pennsylvania.
The gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) from Falls Church, Virginia. I take enough pictures of squirrels, and with a bit better light and more time I will upgrade this photo when I get a chance.
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Keith Christenson Wildlife Biologist Archives
September 2021
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