The quail are always in our backyard. There are so many families with mom and dad and a batch of babies that I can’t keep track. One family has two babies. Another has 10 or 11 and there are families with every number in between.
The poppa quail usually finds a perch on a bench or rock to have a good view of his family while they scratch around for birdseed in the gravel, or visit the birdseed block.
A pretty momma quail mostly stays with her babies. I see the moms calling out to them to round them up and keep them close by.
Here’s a teenager quail. There are very few little itty bitties around anymore. They grow up so quickly!
Here’s a group of babies hanging out in the shade of a barrel cactus.
Three young ones making their move to the bird seed block.
This teenager has legs!
Another poppa quail on the lookout for his family.
I will miss these quail families when the babies are all grown up and they start their own family units. That will be next spring.
Male and female House Finches on a cactus in our backyard. The male is the colorful one.
Bird of the Week: CLXXIII House Finch — Haemorhous mexicanus
SIZE: Sexes similar. 5-6 in (13-15 cm); wingspan: 8-10 in (20-25 cm); weight: 0.6-1 oz (17-28 g).
House Finches are a very common backyard bird. They are part of my daily birdwatching. All photos were taken in my backyard.
COLORING:
The males are brightly colored with a red eyebrow and forehead. Their throat and chest are red, lower underparts whitish, with dark stripes on their sides. I remember the first time I saw a House Finch, I was amazed by the bright red color. I was living in Palm Springs, California and saw one during my daily walk to the park. I thought it was some exotic bird, but found out it was a common House Finch.
A male House Finch on our cactus statue made of horse shoes. This is a good example of male coloring.
The females and young House Finches have plain brown faces, blurry stripes all over pale underparts. They’re very easy to overlook in our backyard compared to the males.
A female House Finch on a cactus. Notice the dull coloring compared to her mate.
RANGE AND HABITAT:
Originating in the Southwest United States, the House Finches are now common from coast to coast. I read that in the 1940s, New York pet shops released finches from their cages because it became illegal to sell them. They wanted to avoid prosecution. All these years later, the birds from those pet shops have grown in numbers and thrived.
House Finches can be found on farms, urban areas like city parks, backyards, as well as forest edges across the continent. In the western U.S., you’ll find House Finches in their native habitats of deserts, grassland, chaparral, and open woods.
FOOD:
House Finches are primarily herbivores. They eat seeds, grains, fruits and berries and a smaller part of their diet are insects like aphids. House Finches are regulars at bird feeders and especially like sunflower sees.
NESTING:
House Finches use a variety of sites, such as conifers, palms, cactus, holes in manmade structures, and may search around homes on ledges, window boxes or other safe areas preferring nests about 12-15 ft above the ground. Sometimes they use hanging planters and old nests of other birds. Nests are built mostly by the female. Nests are shaped like an open cup made from grass, weeds, twigs, and other plant material and sometimes with feathers or other debris.
House finches are monogamous through breeding season and the following winter. They may stay together for several years, but also may instead find new mates.
CALLS:
House Finches have an extensive warble and song similar to House Sparrows.
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?
My bird of the week is the Northern Cardinal with the scientific name Cardinalis cardinalis. We have a cardinal couple who have visited daily for more than a year. I’ve named the male “Red” and the female “Mrs.”
Yesterday, I had a close encounter with Red. I slept in and was late filling the bird feeder. As I sat drinking coffee by a window, Red flew a few inches from the window and stared at me. He flapped his wings hovering in place. I got the message. He sat above me on a tree branch as I filled the feeder and was the first bird to hit the feeder.
If Red wants food, he isn’t shy. Usually he sings loudly at me. But approaching the window for my attention was a first.
Cardinals are song birds and they have distinctive songs and calls. Here’s a LINK to their sounds from All About Birds.
Mrs. doesn’t have the bright red coloring of the males. Female cardinals are tan with olive tones and highlights of red-orange on their crest, tail and wings. Their bill is a bright coral. Males are typically brilliant red with a black mask. There is a rare genetic mutation that causes cardinals to be bright yellow. There’s only been a few sightings in the wild of yellow cardinals.
Cardinals are located in North America from the southwest, parts of Mexico across the US to the entire east coast. Their size, according to All About Birds, is length: 8.3–9.1 inches (21–23 cm) weight: 1.5–1.7 oz (42–48 g) and wingspan: 9.8–12.2 inches (25–31 cm).
Fun facts about Cardinals:
Male and female cardinals mate for life.
They are-non migratory and are year-round residents — even in the snow.
Cardinals are territorial and will chase other male cardinals away.
Early settlers in North America from Europe named the cardinals after Catholic cardinals because their bright red plumage reminded them of red robes worn by clergy.
Many people believe that cardinals represent a visit from a loved one who has passed away.
I’m thrilled to have Red and Mrs. take up residency in our backyard. I hope to see fledglings someday. But in the meantime, they are my favorite subjects to photograph.
Thanks to fellow blogger from Down Under Bushboy for suggesting I join the Bird of the Week challenge.
What facts about Cardinals were new to you? Do you have any to add?
Red and Mrs. are my Northern Cardinal couple who live in a cholla cactus in the wash beyond our backyard fence. They have been arriving daily, but separately. Perhaps there are babies on the way and someone has to be in the nest at all times?
Red arrived and sat on his favorite pink flamingo. I watched him nibble and bite at the flamingo’s head. Maybe seeds blew down from the tree onto the flamingo?
Mrs. watched quail, a mourning dove and house sparrow devour a seed block.
I saw a strange sight. Two female cardinals together on our patio. They flew away before I could get a photo. One was larger than the other. I googled how or why two females would be together. First, I learned that it could be due to an abundance of birds in the area — which we have. Second, it could be mother and fledgling.
Mother cardinals are dedicated caregivers, often seen feeding and guiding their fledglings, which are brown-grey with dark beaks and sparse feathers. Fledglings leave the nest within 10-12 days but rely on parents to feed them for several more weeks while learning to fly. Parents, including the mother, frequently feed young on the ground or in low shrubs. –Allaboutbirds.org
Red got tired of being ignored by the flamingo, so he moved on.
The papa quail and mourning dove were more sociable to Red than the stuffy flamingo.
Mrs. told a quail couple about her visit with the other female cardinal.
Mrs. found a perch on the cactus statue to watch over the backyard actors.
I charged up my Bird Buddy AI feeder this past weekend. It hasn’t been outside since last Spring. It doesn’t survive the desert heat of summer, so I retired it for awhile.Then I started taking my own photos of birds and forgot about it. I hadn’t seen Red since our Christmas vacation, so I thought maybe he’d like the feeder, where I used to see Red and Mrs. all the time. So, the first day I put Bird Buddy outside, look who showed up?
I’m late posting the January reading list from my Daughter-In-Law’s AP English class. I got sidetracked earlier in January. After Christmas vacation, my husband and I both got sick. I was in bed for more than a week. Then I had other business to deal with that was a nightmare. Better late than never. Plus the reading can be done anytime. It’s fun to see what we’ve read and find new things to read.
Each month goes back in time periods. The syllabus started with today’s literature. In January, we’re reading 1865 to 1905.
Here’s the syllabus for January:
FYI, my surgery Monday went well. Tuesday I was up and walking wearing my boot. I even went outside for a short neighborhood walk with hubby.
Here’s a photo I took of Red since his first appearance at the Bird Buddy. It’s a little blurry because he wouldn’t sit still for me and he was clear across the yard. My photos of Mrs. weren’t worth sharing. She’s a flighty little thing.
What have you read on January’s Reading List?
Is there anything on the list you’ve wanted to read but never have?
