After a week in Mexico we arrived at Deeny’s with a suitcase full of dirty clothes, so Sunday was spent doing laundry and taking stock of our stuff. We also spent most of the day chatting with Deeny and catching up on all the news. Deeny and I went to Publix, the big supermarket chain here in Florida, but that was probably the most productive thing that we did.
Christine met Deeny in Malta when she was 10 and they have been friends since then – 63 years. Christine’s father was a ham radio buff and Deeny was in Malta with her husband who was stationed in Malta with the U.S. Navy. Deeny was pregnant and Christine’s father would radio Deeny’s family back in upstate New York to keep them posted on Deeny’s condition and whether she had given birth. Christine was very shy and Deeny took notice of Christine’s interest in reading. She brought a Scrabble game over to the house and brought Christine out of her shell in playing Scrabble. From then on they’ve had a very special relationship. I’ve been fortunate to now be included in the friendship.
Other than hanging out and doing laundry, we went out to dinner at Captain Eddie’s, a very good seafood restaurant. We had a wonderful dinner. Our server was a very nice woman who knew Deeny from the Venice Arts Center. Her name was Giselle, and of course Christine got very interested in her as Christine’s daughter Eve’s middle name is Giselle, so Christine wanted to learn more about Giselle, our server.
After dinner we returned home and watched all the Sunday evening PBS shows.
Monday we hung out some more. What’s really great is all the laughing we’re doing. I told Deeny I thought she was a hoot. She’s very witty and funny and we all get downright silly, but we’re having so much fun.
I am still trying to get over a bad cold and so Deeny and I went to CVS to get me cold remedy supplies. I sat up for a couple of hours during last night because I couldn’t stop coughing. I’m now armed with cough syrup, throat lozenges, and Alka-Seltzer Cold Plus. That should help.
The big activity today was visiting the Venice Area Audubon Rookery. We do this every visit and I’ll never get tired of watching all the birds swoop in to the little island in the middle of this very small lake. The area is right near a main highway behind the Venice municipal offices, not an area typically thought to be a great location for a rookery. But it is really wonderful.
Starting about a half-hour before sunset, birds start flying in to roost for the night. During nesting season, pairs build their nests all over the vegetation on the little island in the middle of this tiny lake. Nesting won’t start until next month, but nevertheless, as birds drop down onto the vegetation there are fights for placement. The biggest birds are the Great Egrets, and they certainly go at it when someone lands on another’s turf.
When we first arrived there were only a few birds roosting, but as sunset neared more and more birds arrived.
Christine and Deeny sat on a bench while I walked around the lake.
Little egret 
Egret taking a drink 
Egret with another bird reflected in water 
Some type of heron
Within about 30 minutes, the little island became covered in birds, mostly egrets and ibis. I really love the ibis coming in showing their black wingtips. For some reason I think of Ichabod Crane when I see an ibis in flight, all kind of gangly with their curved beaks. Some of the birds swoop around and around the island, I expect looking for the best spot. Others just plop down after making a beeline for a spot. And the sound! All grunts and growls, chirps and chatter. A real cacophony of sounds.
Only a few 
More birds have landed 
Space is filling up
The photos only show one side of the island, so you can image just how many birds there are roosting when you consider the other side. It’s amazing to watch the birds coming in both as single birds or in small and large flocks.
The other very cool thing at the rookery is the bat houses. Several houses were installed near the lake.
Deeny said that the bats start leaving their houses 15 minutes after sunset. With the sun down, we were waiting for the exodus of bats. It was getting chilly and Christine had forgotten her jacket so she shared Deeny’s jacket each with an arm in a sleeve.
And Deeny was right. Exactly 15 minutes after the official time of sunset, the bats started dropping out of their houses and flying off to feed. One or two dropped out and flew off. It was a slow start, but eventually clusters of bats come out in a line and fly off. There are likely hundreds of bats in these house. We watched for a while and then headed back to the car for the ride home. Below is a short video of some of the bat action. It may take some time to load but it captures a little bit of the action.
A visit to the rookery is a tradition for us and each visit is a joy. It’s really a marvel that in the midst of a busy commercial area one can sit and watch a wonderful show of nature.
The rockery is an amazing place to sit and watch! What I can’t understand is how hundreds of bats live in those little houses!