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.
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 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.
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?
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.
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.
The Thumb: Is it a gas station, car wash, wine store, gift shop, bakery or BBQ?
Inside The Thumb gas station.
We discovered The Thumb while visiting Arizona two years before we moved here. While driving to dinner one evening, our car told us to get gas and directed us to the closest gas station.
The car sent us to The Thumb. While my husband pumped gas, I noticed the two-story building that was unlike any gas station I’d ever seen before. I witnessed a stream of people leaving the building with white plastic bags with red lettering. Waving in the breeze were banners that said “BBQ.” There was a pig statue by the entrance as well as on top of the awning over the gas pumps.
What kind of barbecue is found inside a gas station, I wondered. The Thumb’s website says it’s “Just your average gas station…” Yet, it’s been featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on Food Network.
This past Wednesday, I was driving my husband to his appointment for PT following a doctor’s appointment for me. Hubby was hungry and said he didn’t eat breakfast. We had 45 minutes to kill between our appointments. I noticed the last time I drove to PT that The Thumb was close to his PT.
I got a three-cheese quesadilla with brisket. He ordered an amazing breakfast burrito. It was so delicious! I wanted to look around the shop because the inventory has changed since my last visit. We went to The Thumb a couple times after first moving to Arizona, but it’s out of the way so we quit going.
From my first visit to The Thumb:
There was an extensive gift shop with all sorts of kitschy things like hand towels with funny sayings, Pug cha cha, cactus and other statues for the yard.
There was a pretty extensive wine section plus a bakery that looked so mouthwatering. I should have tried the snickerdoodles or homemade pop tarts! They looked scrumptious. One side of the building had a huge chandelier with tables for those eating in, plus a patio with more tables for dining al fresco. A huge aquarium had several people entranced.
Then there was the barbecue. People were lined up to order and people were stocking up on the six flavors of sauce.
We ordered a pound of brisket, some coleslaw and tried a few sauces. We both decided the original was best. After getting our gas we headed back to the condo we were staying in and surprised our daughter with an amazing dinner from the gas station!
The fish tank inside the gas station.
So why is it called The Thumb, you ask? It’s named after a famous mountain and hike located in the preserve by our house called Tom Thumb. I found this photo online with thousands of Tom Thumb’s Trail images. It does look like a thumb.
If you happen to be driving through Scottsdale on the 101, I highly recommend a stop at the Thumb for a car wash, bakery, bottle of wine, barbecue, gifts — and oh yes, gas.
What unusual gas stations or shops have you discovered during your travels?
