I always heard that fathers were protective of their babies but I never knew to what extent.
I had this plan to sit on our verandah (called “a deck” in this region, as if the house were a ship) while its still not intolerably hot, reading a book and rocking Klara in her pram. N, however, is not happy about the idea because in the trees in front of the verandah there is a big nest. You can see it in the photo but keep in mind that I zoomed in on it. The actual nest is really big. There’s probably a hawk, an eagle or a large owl living in it.
N is afraid that the bird will fly out of the nest, grab the baby out of the pram, and fly away with it. I keep telling him that I’ll be sitting right there by the pram plus it’s highly unlikely that the bird will be able to get the baby from under the blanket and the pram’s protective shield but N is still worried.
And it was only a few years ago that N found it funny that his brother-in-law wanted his little daughter to wear a helmet in case she fell down and hit her head. These days, I’m afraid of reminding N about that lest he’ll decide to go buy a helmet for when Klara learns to walk.
Clarissa's Blog 
Here in Arizona owls and other birds of prey aren’t shy about swooping into yards and going after cats and small dogs. I don’t let my cat wander around in my fenced-in backyard when I’m not outside with it.
Your big bird isn’t going to come down while a big creature like you is nearby, but use common sense and don’t leave the carriage (pram) outside with Klara in it while you take a bathroom break. (Nowadays doing that in America could get you arrested for being an unfit mother,anyway.) :p
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According to the Wiki, the Bald Eagle has been known to build nests over one ton in weight. OTOH, a bald eagle in your neck of the woods would probably weigh 8 to 9 lbs at the most.
So this is what you tell N: Let’s say it weighs 9+ lbs.(4 Kg.) How is a bird suppose to carry a payload that weighs as much or more than it does at a significant airspeed?
I once saw a crow struggle to fly at about 10 ft above the ground with a big nut or fruit in it’s beak that probably didn’t weigh as much as it did, but it just couldn’t do it. He had to settle for a low flight to get away from the road where he found his prize.
I know who needs a helmet when they go outdoors in the future. It isn’t Klara.
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That’s exactly what I’m telling him! She’s already 11 lbs at almost 2 months old. What kind of a bird will be able to lift her? She slows even me down when I carry her.
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Also according to the Wiki, eagles can’t accurately judge the weight of a small animal from altitude, and have been observed attacking (and killing while on the ground) prey that ultimately was too heavy for them to carry off.
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OK, now I’m definitely rethinking the verandah plan.
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“I’m definitely rethinking the verandah plan”
And N’s check to Dreidel is in the mail.
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Sorry, didn’t know where to put this.
http://www.ibtimes.com/panama-papers-mossack-fonseca-leak-reveals-widespread-international-corruption-2347638
“A massive leak of documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, dubbed the Panama Papers, is blowing the lid off of widespread international corruption connected to offshore tax shelters. A dozen world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, are among those linked to the offshore accounts exposed in the leak.
More than 12 world leaders have been linked to offshore accounts handled by Mossack Fonseca, including Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Alaa Mubarak, the son of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson. Gunnlaugsson is expected to face calls in Parliament for a snap election following news of his involvement.
Many more world leaders have close friends or relatives linked to the offshore tax shelters, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the Guardian, the leaks reveal a network of more than $2 billion in money extracted from Russian banks and stored in offshore accounts with a paper trail leading directly to some of Putin’s closest associates. “
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It’s really cute how they all found their way to the same place. Rich people are a world of their own.
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It’s a convenient location for doing business — you could almost walk from the marina to their offices, although it’s usually more convenient to arrive via one of the helicopter landing pads around Donald Trump’s little cluster of developments so you can semi-discreetly be driven there …
Or if you want to hang out with the plebs instead, there’s a food court down at the mall, just look for where the Cinta Costera goes full motorway grade and becomes the Corredor Sur, you can’t miss it.
[… and try not to trip over one of the locals, you might bump into one of the Secret Squirrels instead …] 🙂
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That’s possibly big enough that it could be a raptor nest …
I wouldn’t do much on your own about it, but if it becomes a bigger concern, you might see if you have some local wildlife protection people who can cope with it.
On the off-chance that it’s a nest for American Bald Eagles, it would be far better if they dealt with it — what’s considered a buzzard-like pest in Canada could get you some steep fines if you mess about with it in America …
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Even buzzards are considered a protected species in most states in the U.S. They can attack you, but you can’t fight back. Note the shocking example:
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Those look like vultures not buzzards!
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You’ve been saving this for just the right occasion, haven’t you?
🙂
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I agree with Dreidel, in your position I wouldn’t leave my baby alone outdoors, just to be on the safe side. It’s an impressive nest. The shape of the bird doesn’t look like an owl or a turkey vulture, beyond that I don’t know, I’m not familiar enough with north American raptors.
I do actually envy you having a raptor nest so nearby, I’d get a powerful pair of binoculars to watch what happens. I’m a bit of a wildlife geek and love to watch nesting peregrine falcons and osprey on webcams, it’s fascinating! There are currently five ospreys all contending for one nest platform. http://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/stream
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I wouldn’t leave her alone outside. However, she’s in more danger when she’s ambulatory. It’s a good time for N to start baby proofing the house and the immediate environs outside.
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I don’t think that is an eagle’s nest. They don’t usually build nests near developed areas (i.e., suburbs) and their nests are very large: 4 to 5 feet in diameter and 2 to 4 feet deep. I’ve admired the eagle’s nest at our local zoo, which is big enough to fit a small person and made of fairly thick branches, not half-inch in diameter twigs.
Also, you can set N off on baby-proofing if he needs something to occupy himself with but you still have a fair amount of time before Klara is even crawling. I forget all the interim steps but she isn’t even old enough to sit up on her own or roll-over yet. It is easy to go overboard and buy all sorts of gee-gaws you don’t need — the baby-proofing industry thrives on, and encourages, paranoia. My favorite is the cloth slip-cover for the baby seat on a supermarket cart, as if the plague is waiting on the handle. All of us would already have died off if a supermarket cart was that sort of vector.
Still, I remember checking on my son in the middle of the night to make sure he hadn’t stopped breathing, so I do remember the anxiety about having such responsibility for such a small, helpless being.
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A friend in my neighborhood has a large flock of chickens that are free range in her back yard. She’s lost at least 6-8 chickens to hawks, foxes, and racoons. Basically, I’d be careful of large birds. Even if they couldn’t fly away with her, they might try attacking, at which point, she could be injured. Just keep your eyes open.
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