Tag Archives: Arizona

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

Weekend Captures

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I had some fun bird photography this weekend.

Plus, we had guests over that I was so excited to see. One of our kids’ friends from club swimming in Palm Springs who lives in Tempe with her husband and six-month old first born baby! We made lunch and they played in the pool.

I also managed to get a few captures of bird photos that I like.

A Roadrunner darted about chasing quail. This clever guy hid himself in a planter at the far end of the yard with only his head showing. He’d jump out “Beep beep!” and go for the chase. Fortunately, he didn’t have success.

Curve-billed Thrasher with fuzzy feathers make me believe he’s a youngster.

This Abert’s Towhee juvenile explored a planter.

More juvies looking for trouble!

A Gila Woodpecker up in the tree surveying the quail spectacle below.

This grown up Curve-billed Thrasher was keeping an eye out for the young one.

Mrs. and Red hung out in the morning before it got too hot!

We even have a juvenile croc!

Which photos do you like best?

What fun did you have this weekend?

Bird of the Week — Abert’s Towhee

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Bird of the Week: CLXXV

We had a newcomer to our yard last week. This is Abert’s Towhee, a sandy brown large sparrow with a black patch around its beak. My Merlin App that identifies birds by their calls had ID’d Abert’s Towhee months ago, but I had never seen him. I was excited to finally get a glimpse and have a new bird to photograph.

Abert’s Towhees mate for life and can be found in dense brush in the Sonoran Desert along lakes, streams and in urban neighborhoods. They build their nests in mesquite, cottonwood, willow and mistletoe.

Abert’s Towhee was named in 1852 for Lt. Col. James William Abert (1820–1897), a U.S. Army officer in the Topographical Engineers who obtained the first specimen during a survey of New Mexico at the end of the Mexican War.

From Audubon:

Description

Both sexes — Length: 8.3–9.5 in (21–24 cm); wingspan: 10.4–11.6 in (26–29 cm); weight: 1.5–1.9 oz (43–54 g). Slim and long-tailed. The Abert’s Towhee is warm buffy brown with a black face and a pale gray bill. Usually in denser habitats than the Canyon Towhee, and has a different voice.

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/aberts-towhee

RANGE:

Abert’s Towhee is a very local bird to the Sonoran Desert where I live. They are territorial and do not migrate. Here’s a map of their range:

FOOD:

Their diet consists of insects and seeds. They like beetles, ants, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and cicadas and seeds from grasses and weeds.

CALLS:

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

Bird Watching

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This is a fledgling who appeared with Red in my Wednesday post. This is such a fun year with a possible three babies to watch with Red and Mrs., my backyard cardinal couple.

Add to that multiple quail families with babies ranging from brand new and itty bitty to rangy teens.

Baby quail.

Papa guarding his babies.

A family of older babies hanging out in the shade under a bench with daddio. Smart birds! It’s gotten hot!

These are the itty bitty babies.

Then there’s the backyard bully bird — the Curve-Billed Thrasher. He doesn’t look so mean perched on a pink flamingo a friend gave me from Costco for a birthday present.

A female Gilded Flicker can make a quick dent in the food block.

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

What’s on the agenda for the first weekend of June?

It’s All About Red

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I took quite a few photos of Red this week. He was a frequent visitor. I had two close encounters with him that were special moments. Both times I could hear him loudly chirping away. When he does that I believe he is calling me to fill the bird feeder.

I walked outside to the feeder with birdseed and called out, “Hey, Red,” as I always do when he’s chirping at me. I couldn’t see him but then he flew straight to me from the neighbor’s yard. He landed in a bush next to the bird feeder a couple feet away from me.

Red has landed in this planter a few days in a row. I’m wondering if there are some natural seeds or things to eat in it. In any case, it makes a pretty picture.

This is kind of a strange photo. Red swooped down to the birdseed block to take a bite of goodies while still flying!

The other close encounter with Red was I saw him blast off like a rocket flying over our fence to the wash behind us. I called, “Hey, Red!” He made a U-turn in the air and flew back to where I was standing. Once again he landed in the bush by the bird feeder.

It felt really special to have my friendly Red come to me when I called him. Or, maybe he just likes me for my birdseed.

Red on a barrel cactus.

Happy Friday!

Which Red photo do you like the best?

What are your weekend plans?

Bird of the Week — Curve-billed Thrasher

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Bird of the Week: CLXX

Curve-billed Thrasher — Toxostoma curvirostre

  • ORDER: Passeriformes
  • FAMILY: Mimidae

I call the Curve-billed Thrasher the bully bird of our backyard. With their curved strong beaks, they often intimidate other birds and take over the bird feeder. Once in the feeder, the Curve-billed Thrasher uses his beak to thrash back and forth through the birdseed. Most of it lands on the ground where our quail gladly gather.

Without our bird feeder, the Curve-billed Thrasher uses its beak to endlessly overturn ground in a sweeping motion foraging for insects, spiders and other food. This is similar to how they approach the bird feeder. They also eat the fruits and seeds of saguaro, prickly pear, and cholla.

Curve-billed Thrashers live in the desert Southwest of the United States and Mexico.

Map from All About Birds.

A Curve-billed Thrasher perching on a pink flamingo.

Measurements (both sexes):

Length: 10.6-11.0 in (27-28 cm)
Weight: 2.1-3.3 oz (60.8-93.6 g)
Wingspan: 13.4-13.6 in (34-34.5 cm)

They have strong legs, a curved beak, long tail and bright yellow orange eyes. The Curve-billed Thrashers in our Sonoran Desert are gray, but further south in Texas and Mexico they have lighter chests and are often speckled.

Curve-billed Thrashers mate for life and defend their territories that are five to 11 acres of desert land. They build nests in cholla or prickly pear cactus where the spikes protect them.

Call: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Curve-billed_Thrasher/sounds