Bird of the Week — Cactus Wren

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Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)

The Cactus Wren is the state bird of Arizona, where we live. I was curious why. If it was up to me, I’d have selected the beautiful bright red Northern Cardinal.

According to Arizona State Parks, the Canyon Wren became Arizona’s state bird in 1931 because it embodies the unique spirit, toughness, and beauty of the Sonoran Desert.

SIZE:

It is the largest species of wren:

  • Length: 7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm)
  • Weight: 1.1-1.7 oz (32-47 g)

COLOR:

It’s a speckled brown bird with a white stripe across and above red eyes, to the sides of the neck. They have light cinnamon sides and their backs are brown with heavy white streaks. Cactus Wrens have white chests with dark speckles. Males and females look alike, but juveniles are slightly paler and have brown eyes.

PERSONALITY:

Cactus Wrens are not timid and love to perch on cactus or forage for food out in the open. I often have a Cactus Wren perching on a chair outside my window. He stares at me unafraid as I’m on my laptop.

FOOD:

They mostly eat insects, seeds and vegetable matter such as fruit pulp. They don’t need to drink water but get their hydration from cactus fruit and insects.

NESTS:

They weave football shaped nests with one entrance from grasses and twigs inside the safety of cholla cactus or other protective bushes. The male may make several “dummy” nests and the female will choose one to lay her eggs. They mate for life.

CALL:

I have heard the loud gravelly sound of Cactus Wrens months before I saw one.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cactus_Wren/sounds

RANGE:

They are found throughout the Sonoran Desert and other arid regions of Arizona. Also found in Southern California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.

My Home Away From Home

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This is my favorite hotel to stay in when we visit our kids. It’s the Claremont in Berkeley. I was walking to the most amazing bakery across the street when I stopped to take this picture of the tower and flag.

They don’t make hotels like this anymore! This is the backside of the hotel.

The Claremont Resort & Club opened in 1915 as a grand 22-acre Tudor Revival landmark overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Known as the “White Castle on the Hill”, its origins trace back to a late-19th-century private estate that burned down in 1901 before being developed into the iconic hotel. — The San Francisco Standard


Isn’t it gorgeous? I took this photo from inside the health club with a gym, pool, tennis courts and spa. I was on an elliptical machine and you can see the window reflection across the photo.

I zoomed in on the city view from the strategically placed outdoor sofas and chairs where I enjoy peaceful quiet time outside.

The Golden Gate Bridge is part of the view. The main restaurant has a deck where you can sit outside and enjoy these same views. Inside there is a wall of windows facing the bay.

The hotel’s prices vary from reasonable to too expensive. It all depends on what is going on at nearby UC Berkeley. If it’s parents weekend or a football game — forget about it. This past week, there was nothing going on, so the hotel was no more expensive than any other hotel like a Marriott Courtyard.

This is one of many hallways on the main level. It’s easy to get lost trying to find your room because there are hallways taking off in many directions. By the time we are ready to return home (like today) I have it all figurerd out.

An early morning view. I’ll share more highlights of our trip later this week including a visit to Sonoma and the Marin Country Civic Center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Have a wonderful week! What are your plans for the rest of July?

The Color Red

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We have had a true Monsoon week with thunder and lightning storms every few nights and an abundance of rain. Thanks to the rain, we have cactus blooming again in beautiful pinkish red.

Here are a few photos of the buds and blossoms:

Then of course there’s my bird buddy Red:

Red with a mouthful of millet.

Red found a new perch, a little table next to a covered chaise lounge.

Red was flitting and flying around our backyard.

Have a wonderful weekend!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Which photo do you like best?

Bird of the Week — White-winged Dove

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Scientific name: Zenaida asiatica

Size:
They measure 11 to 12.5 inches (28 to 32 cm) in length, possess a wingspan of 19 to 23 inches (48 to 58 cm), and weigh between 4.5 and 6.5 ounces (125 to 187 grams).

White-winged Doves are very common birds in our backyard. The Mourning Doves outnumber them, but White-winged Doves are a close second. Their coloring is either brownish or gray. They have very noticable white tipped wings, bright blue eye-shadow and bright orange or red eyes. When they are in flight, their white wings are more prominent.

Diet:
They are frequent visitors to our bird feeder and eat sunflower seeds and millet. In the wild, they eat seeds from desert willows, ocotillo, agave, as well as cacti fruit. They can fly up to 25 miles in the Sonoran Desert to look for water, plus get moisture from Saguaro cactus fruits.

Range:
White-winged Doves have been seen as far north as Alaska, Maine and Ontario Canada, but are mostly found in the Southwest.

A White-winged Dove in our backyard tree.

Nesting:
A female finds a location to build a nest such in vines, in thick desert brush, a clump of cactus or a tree limb. She builds a nest out of sticks that the male bird will bring to her. They are known to use their nest from a prior year, or they will reuse a nest from another bird. They are not monogamous for life, but more likely to stay together for breeding season.

Sounds:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-winged_Dove/sounds

Getting a bit of help

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This is how I’m packaging my cards. However, my folded cards have not arrived yet. This is my first trial run that turned out with the photo on the front and blank on the back. I hope to have my first folded cards in a day or two. Then if I’m happy with them, I’ll order more including Mrs., Poppa Quail and Roadrunner.

I’ve been working on a website, ordered business cards and each day I find a little something I want to change or improve.

Then it dawned on my that I will be visiting my son this week and he has skills and talent to review and improve my projects. How great is that? I asked him for help and he said he’d love to. Also, while we are in the Bay Area, he and his wife are treating me to a day in the North Bay — to visit Sonoma and a quaint town I’ve never been to before.

Another treat is staying at my favorite hotel and taking the kids to Chez Panisse.

I’ve made the executive decision to continue working on this card project, but it’s not going live until our summer vacations are over. I won’t be here to get delivery of cards or do fulfillment if I happen to get any orders. So, I’ll keep working on getting things just right.

What are your plans for the week?

Friday’s Photos

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A Harris’s Hawk landed in a tree in our backyard. We haven’t had one stop by for months, although I see them soaring overhead. I could hear his call and I spent a bit of time trying to spot him behind branches. The link is to a Youtube video of Harris’s hawks in flight with their sounds. I wouldn’t want to mess with those claws or beak!

This is a compilation of my favorite photos that I took this week.

Papa quail shares the birdseed block with a few of his babies.

A White-winged Dove perches on a flamingo buddy.

Bully bird Curve-billed Thrasher lands on the cactus statue before scaring everyone away from the birdseed block.

An adult House Finch feeds it’s juvenile.

Red watches over the rain meter during a Monsoon week.

Do you have a favorite photo? If so, which one?

What fun plans do you have for the weekend?

Bird of the Week — House Sparrow

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A male House Sparrow on our cactus statue.


Latin Name: Passer domesticus

House Sparrows are one of the most common birds we have. Their success in the wild is a result of their close relationship to humans. They are found in backyards, cities and throughout North America and most parts of the world. The House Sparrow was introduced in Brooklyn, New York in 1851. By 1900 they spread to the Rocky Mountains. They originated in Eurasia and North Africa.

Here’s a map of their range in North and South America:

This is a female House Sparrow on the birdseed block.


They are a small bird that has an average length of 16 cm and a mass of 24–39.5 g. Females and young sparrows are pale brown and grey, while males have brighter black, white, and brown markings.

They eat mostly seeds but will also eat insects as well as left over fast food from people or bread crumbs.

A House Sparrow visiting our birdbath.

They nest in manmade objects like eaves of houses, light boxes and planters. They also take over other birds nests in trees. A typical clutch size is three to four eggs and they may have several broods per year.

Three male sparrows splashing in the bird bath. House Sparrows are my most frequent visitors to the bird bath.

Calls: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/sounds