Category Archives: photography

Home Again

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A photo of Red and Mrs. that I selected for my first homework assignment for my workshop.

Vacation time has come to an end. Now I’m back home and I have to say, “There’s no place like home.” At the end of our vacation, we were both so looking forward to being in our home with our own creature comforts.

I have a ton of doctor’s appointments including seeing my orthopedic surgeon for one last look at my ankle. Three appointments at an imaging place for ankle, bone density and mammogram. Then there’s a colonoscopy plus a trip to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. I’m trying to fit everything in before I fly to California to take care of my daughter post shoulder surgery. I postponed some of these appointments due to my emergency ankle surgery. That was enough for me to deal with.

When I return from taking care of my daughter, I’ll be bringing home Waffles the pug. My daughter won’t be able to take care of him for awhile. So, I’ll be taking care of Waffy for a month or so.

My first photography class is Thursday night via zoom. The class I took from January through May was all online. We had reading, assignments, etc. But I never interacted with anyone but the professor. This workshop has five students who have taken it for two to eight years. I’m the newbie. It will be nice to see what other people are working on and to get feedback from students and the professor.

The first assignment was to take a new photo, or select one you’ve previously taken and write about it. The prompt is: “I want you to consider and relate to us in class, why you took this particular photo. In other words, what was your motivation?”

That’s easy. It’s Red and the Mrs. Of course I was motivated to take their photo!

I’ve had some Red and Mrs. sightings since I’ve returned home. I’ve taken a few photos, but they stop by one at a time. I like the photo above for the photography class because they’re both in it and I can introduce my cardinal couple to the class. The photo also tells a story of Red taking off and Mrs. wanting to know where he was going and what time he’ll be back!

What do you like best about Fall and the end of Summer?

Missing Red

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Here are a few of the best photos I got of Red this week, plus two of Mrs. I’m going to miss my backyard birds, especially my cardinal couple and quail. I have hired my former cat sitter to watch over the house and most importantly feed the birds! Hopefully, Red and Mrs. won’t abandon me while we travel.

Here are my favorite photos of the week:

Red perching on our beavertail cactus art.

Mrs. enjoying some bird seed.

Red on the fence. I liked how the morning light was shining through his crest.

I don’t get that many photos of Red with a front on angle.

I liked the sharp focus on this one.

Mrs. enjoys the beavertail cactus statue, too.

Do you have a favorite photo this week?

What are your exciting plans for the weekend?

When Birds Pant

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Saturday four Harris’s Hawks flew in and out of my backyard. I enjoyed getting their photos, but unfortunately never captured them taking off. They are so dramatic in flight, but I’m too slow with the camera.

I noticed they were panting! I’ve never see a bird pant before. You’ll notice on several of these pictures that their tongues are hanging out! Maybe they cool off just like dogs do through their tongues.

They are such majestic, beautiful birds. And no little birds were bothered during their recent visit.

Along with the top photo, this hawk was panting.

This guy looks like he’s posing for me!

Another panting hawk!

This was the last guy left in my yard. Then he flew on the neighbor’s chimney. Unfortunately, I missed the flight from our fence to the roof.

I had to look up if the Harris’s Hawks were actually panting — or if it was some other type of behavior. Here’s what I found:

Yes, Harris’s hawks do pant. Panting is a common avian behavior used to regulate body temperature, especially in hot weather or after exertion. Harris’s hawks, like other birds, rely on panting to cool down when they overheat, according to the National Audubon Society. 

There you have it. Harris’s Hawks do pant when they get hot. We’ve had temperatures hovering around 110 degrees. Yes, I’d be panting too if I was out of our AC.

Have you heard of birds panting before?

What other animals do you suppose pant when they’re hot?

The Ordinary Guys

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While I’m resting and recovering from a bout of COVID-25, I discovered writing isn’t that easy. My head feels stuffy and thick. I’m doing better sitting inside the casita photographing my bird buddies. Instead of focusing on my cardinal couple Red and Mrs., I felt it was time for the ordinary guys to have their day in the sun.

The photo above is a House Finch munching on a sunflower seed. (Please feel free to correct my bird identification.) I like the wings of a dove behind him.

Papa quail and a teen in front of a Barrel Cactus.

The baby quails are growing into awkward looking teens.

A House Finch on top of a Barrel Cactus.

House Finch on Beavertail Cactus statue.

I liked the angle of the finch and a different cactus.

We have an abundance of White-Winged Doves. Here’s one in a tree.

One not so ordinary guy:

Last but not least, our resident Roadrunner, getting ready make his move.

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

What exciting plans do you have for the weekend?

Fun Photos of Red and Mrs.

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I was happy to see that Red and Mrs. did not abandon me while we were out of town. Maybe it’s because I put a seed block out called a “Cardinal Block” to keep everyone well fed including quail, finches and sparrows.

A few photos of Red and Mrs, plus a few buddies, that I took this week:

Red looks back to make sure I knew he was here. I heard him chirping in the distance and he came when I called him!

I think he associates my “Hey Red” chirpy voice with meal time!

Red was hanging out in a tree. The little tuft of feathers below him is the crest of Mrs.

Mrs. wants to know where Red is going.

Red wants to know why I allowed the White-Winged Dove on his rock.

Mrs. is staking out her spot on the rock.

Red and Mrs. together. Probably chatting about what to do about their photographer.

I think they want a little privacy from me constantly taking their photos.

Which photos do you like best and why?

A Few New Friends

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This beauty is a Western Tanager. I’ve seen them a few times, but I haven’t been able to get a photo until this weekend. He stopped by to drink from our bird bath.

I love the way the light goes through the Cottontail’s ears. We have an abundance of bunnies this year all around the neighborhood.

This Roadrunner loves our planter that has water in it. So do bunnies and doves. I spotted the roadrunner in the tree outside the casita, but as I reached for my camera, he flew down and ran through the fence. Then I spotted him in a tree outside the fence in the wash. But I couldn’t get a good view of him. I was thrilled to spot him back in the yard. I got a second chance at photos!

No day is complete without a few Red sightings. He sang his heart out up in our tree!

I have a busier than normal week ahead. Physical therapy, an HOA board meeting to attend for my newsletter, friends in town, a wedding in Northern California in a Redwood Forest. After getting used to a quiet, healing pace, I’m trying not to get too stressed out!

Do you have a slow or busy week ahead? What activities do you have planned?

Photo Roundup Starring Red

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Yesterday I got some new photos of Red. He seems to have made friends with my Costco pink flamingo. But every time I’ve tried to get his photo, he flies away. Yesterday I was successful.

Red’s been super friendly. He’s no longer ignoring me like he did when I was on the knee scooter, walker or wearing the boot. I must have looked pretty scary to such a tiny guy. Now when I go outside, I hear him singing. I took the trash out and he landed a few feet away from me on the wall. I just went to our backyard to go in the pool, and he landed in the tree above our chairs, singing his heart out.

Earlier yesterday, I saw him land on a rock on the backyard. I think he was waiting for me to feed him. I opened the casita door and he flew high into the tree.

I called out to him, “Hey Red!” in a chirpy voice. I put out some “Cardinal Seed Mix” and he didn’t fly away. I was able to get some more photos while he munched. Mrs. came and joined him, but she stayed in the shade and her photos were too dark to fix with Photoshop.

One of my lunch bunch friends who I worked with 30 years ago in Palm Springs asked why Red always faces left. I hadn’t noticed, but she’s a graphic designer and probably more in tune to things like that than I am.

I’m learning Photoshop for my photography workshop that starts in the fall. So I used PS to flip Red to the right!

A few more visitors this week:

A Desert Spiny Lizard doing pushups on the rock.

A Harris’s Hawk landed on the fence yesterday. I pounded on the window to get him to take off. I really wanted a photo of him in flight. But no luck!

Papa Quail looking out for mom and babies.

Have a wonderful weekend!

What are you planning on doing this weekend?