Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
The Odd Bird
It’s just an expression – like odd duck – odd ball – odd man out – but it seems to suit February, certainly an odd month!
For starters, I can’t ever remember how many days it has!
“Thirty days has September, April, June and November, all the rest have thirty-one, except……”
Except. Except, I can’t remember the end of the song! I only know it’s about February and something to do with the days. 28 or 29?
Every four years? Then why do they call it leap year, as though we’re skipping over something instead of adding it back? How odd!
And how do you pronounce it anyway? FEB – U – ARY? Then where’d the ‘r’ go?
It’s a mystery! But let’s get back to the bird.
I saw a Great Blue Heron on Lake Washington recently, looking exactly as a heron should.
But when I caught him head-on, he seemed to sprout great feathery tusks that looked like a Fu Manchu!
Odd don’t you think?
For Becky’s SquareOdds.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
Wow ! I have seen plenty of herons but I guess I have never seen one head on !
Me too! I was so surprised when I looked at the pictures, how strange he looked! 🙂
Wow what a strange looking bird haha! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it! I’d never seen a great blue heron looking quite like that!
Love the musings of a strange month with the strangeness of the Heron! A lovely weave, hugs, C
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Good Heron shots indeed, Susanne. I was watching one on the riverbank here yesterday. But Ollie scared it away, so no photos.
“All the rest have thirty-one, excepting February alone”.
In my London accent, I pronounce it as ‘Febberee’.
2022 is not a leap year, so just 28 days this time. 2020 was the last leap year.
(It ‘leaps forward’ one day, to 366 days)
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks, Pete! I’m glad you and Ollie got to see a heron yesterday. I’d never seen one looking so odd from the front!
Did you remember the little rhyme all these years? The ending always fades away in my mind. And ‘leap year’ always makes me think ‘leap over’ as if we’re skipping a day not adding one. I just look at the calendar to know how many days there are in Feb-u-ary or is it Febberee? 🙂 😉
I have always remembered the rhyme. We were taught it at school, parrot-fashion. That stuck in my head, just like reciting the times tables has done since I was 6. I see people looking up what 7 X 9 is on a phone! I give them the amswer befroe they can type that in in the calculator. Rote learning might have seemed boring, but it is incredibly effective. 🙂
I must have focused more on the math than the months! I still know the times table, but when something only happens once every 4 years I guess I’m lost! 😄
29 in a leap year
Yes, though I’ve always thought it a strange description for adding a day to a year. Thanks for your comment!
what superb shots of the heron, he does look odd straight on – and you’re so right about February!
Thanks so much, Becky! Great challenge for ‘odd’ February! 🙂
Sometimes I am inspired!
Never seen a heron picture from that angle! Interesting!!
An odd bird, for sure! 😄
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Odd and a bit aloof but stately and elegant too.
Yes, a stately bird indeed! I think I caught him when he was startled, on alert, and it certainly changed his appearance!
Thanks to Becky posting her roundup of Squares I am enjoying seeing many I have not seen. So many fun and interesting takes. 🙂
I don’t know when she finds the time.
Yes indeed! What a fun challenge!
Excellent Great Blue Heron photos!
Thank you so much! It was fun watching him!