My first day back home and I was thrilled to have visits by Red and Mrs. They haven’t been fed in the week that we were away, so I was afraid they left. My husband reminded me that they live in the wild. All of our birds have to find their own food — unless I’m home.
Mrs. the cutie pie was first to arrive after I put out the seed block. The seed blocks usually last four days. This one was gone within 24 hours. The birds must have been hungry. The pouring rain didn’t stop them from feasting.
Red and friends munching away.
This wet momma quail was hanging out under a bench to get out of the rain.
Can you see the rain on the barrel cactus spines?
The last bits of the seed block enjoyed by quail, sparrows and Red.
No, the quail aren’t fat, but fluffed up their feathers to protect from the rain.
Red with his House Sparrow buddies braving the rain.
Here I am minding my own business, taking photos of quail and working on my photography presentation due Wednesday (today). Then I checked my email and I’m receiving dozens — no make that hundreds — of emails about a free Bugatti.
What’s a Bugatti, you ask? I googled it and this is what I found:
Everyone on the spam list is replying all with “remove me” to more colorful expressions that begin with the letter “F.”
I was on the phone with my son and told him what was happening. I’m trying to block the sender and move them to my junk folder. But they come in faster than I can click.
One reply made me laugh out loud. “This looks legit. Can I send you my bank account number and mother’s maiden name?”
But I’m literally receiving hundreds of emails every hour. I mark them junk and block or mute the sender. They’re coming into my Apple email folder and the culprit is from China. Not good. I’m worried I could be hacked.
I may turn off all my email devices like laptop and phone until tomorrow!
More QUAIL:
“Where’s she going?”
What a beauty this poppa quail is.
Here he is again! I think…might be another guy.
Busy times on the birdseed block. I can now navigate the stairs that go down to our sunken pool bar which I used earlier this year — prior to my broken ankle — as my bird blind. I can now take photos on level again with the critters.
Have you been spammed like that with hundreds of emails? Have you been hacked? How did you handle it?
I liked the finch on a flamingo because of the light and background. The flamingos were a birthday present a few years ago from friends. At first I didn’t know what I’d do with them, but they’ve become a highlight of my photos and backyard.
Here’s Red underneath a bench in our backyard.
Mourning Dove loves to rest on top of the same bench. One day he/she was there for hours.
This is a bouquet of glass flowers on our outdoor fireplace. The prior owners of our house left them with us. I like the morning light on the edge of the fireplace and glass flowers. A hummingbird visits the flowers every morning to try and get some nectar.
Red stuffing himself while standing under the flamingo. Those two poles behind him are the flaming’s legs.
Mrs. found a perfect perch on a flaming’s head. She often stops there while grabbing a bite of seeds.
Our skies normally are bright blue. I’ve enjoyed a few cloudy days.
Seriously, Red asks. You’re still taking pictures of me?
Which photos do you like of the ones I posted this week?
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?
I was watching this Great Egret on the beach during one of my twice daily walks. FYI, all photos are from my iphone since I left my Nikon and telephoto lens at home.
I had to look this guy up. He’s a Long-Billed Curlew.
The Long-billed Curlew is North America’s largest shorebird and is a member of the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae. Although it is considered a wading shorebird, it is primarily ground-dwelling, using short-growth grassland prairies for survival. The genus, Numenius, is Greek and refers to the crescent-shaped bill. https://sanctuarysimon.org/dbtools/species-database/id/649/numenius/americanus/long-billed-curlew#
These guys are Sandpipers.
Sandpipers have long bodies and legs, and narrow wings. Most species have a narrow bill, but the form and length are variable. They are small to medium-sized birds, measuring 12 to 66 cm (4.7–26.0 in) in length. The bills are sensitive, allowing the birds to feel the mud and sand as they probe for food. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpiper
This gull was checking us out for snacks. They are very crafty and can get into bags of food the minute you walk away. Fortunately, we haven’t been taking snacks to the beach.
Seagulls are widely considered to be intelligent birds, exhibiting problem-solving skills, memory, and complex communication. They are known to learn from experience, adapt to different environments, and even pass on learned behaviors. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/how-identify/identify-gulls
The shore birds are different than my desert bird buddies. What they have in common is they are all fun to watch. I doubt I’ll get a chance to make friends with shore birds the way I have Red and Mrs. I hope you enjoyed my short lesson on Shore Birds. I learned about them by writing this post!
Which Shore Bird do you like best out of these four species?
Do you have any of these birds where you live?
We ran into this flock during an evening walk. I’m thinking they are Plovers. Anyone know for sure?
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?
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?
