A fuzzy, fluffy Roadrunner. I found out this is a juvenile because of his dark eyes, small crest and yes, fluffy feathers.
With my stressful, busy week that included worrying about my dad in ICU, an Xray, an eye appointment, dinner out with the ladies and two PT appointments, I can’t think straight. That’s why my posts this week consist of photos.
I found photography to be especially soothing and grounding this week. I took more pictures I’m proud of and happy to share. One of my favorite bits of photography is connecting the SD card to my laptop and looking at my captures. I never know what I’ve gotten, because I don’t look at the photos on my camera. I did get one new lifetime bird, so I’ll be working on a “Bird of the Week” challenge next week.
Another photo of the Roadrunner.
The squirrel is a talented climber and somehow avoids the cactus spikes on his tummy.
Mr. Squirrel likes to eat his birdseed on a bench where he leaves quite a mess!
A male House Finch is a pretty red and settled at the birdbath for me to get a few photos.
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.
“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.” — Harry S. Truman, 33rd U.S. president, 1945
I spent a quiet Memorial weekend with my husband who is now on week three post surgery. I took a few photos that I was pleased with and will share some today.
I read two books this past week by fellow bloggers and enjoyed both immensely. If you haven’t read Cupcakecache’s second book, “Quest for Absence,” you should! I read it within two days and couldn’t put it down. This is Eve Marie’s second book in what will be a trilogy starting with Bayou Heist. Many of the same characters appear in her second book but it’s placed in the home of her youth, Catskills of NY. I enjoyed her setting and getting more details into the story and plot she wrote about in her first book.
The other book is “Perfect” by P.J. Gudka. Pooja’s blog is Lifesfinewhine. I usually go to bed between 8 or 9 p.m. but I read until midnight to finish her book. I fell asleep on the sofa and finished it the next day. The characters and plot kept me enthralled. I learned about “Perfect” by a Heart of the Matter podcast and also on Lauren Scott’s blog Baydreamer Writes for her review on her blog post.
Both books are on Amazon plus Pooja has a link on her website.
Two brand new baby quail. I tried to get photos with their mom, but either the babies or the mom were out of focus. These guys are super tiny!
A House Finch couple on a cactus.
A momma quail with her brood. These are older than the two babies above.
A momma quail trying to scare away a squirrel by fluffing up her feathers. Papa quail is in the background as reinforcement.
Americans began to recognize Memorial Day in 1868, and the country established it as a federal holiday in 1971. Originally known as “Decoration Day,” the holiday started with communities coming together to decorate the graves of those who died during service.
Theories of the first Memorial Day
After the Civil War, Americans across the nation began holding tributes to honor the approximately 620,000 soldiers who lost their lives — about 2% of the population at the time. These early observances typically included decorating graves with flowers, reciting prayers, and paying respect to the fallen. But history records show more than one theory about which event marked the first official Memorial Day.
A discovery by a Yale University professor at a Harvard archive suggests the earliest observance of Memorial Day was held by a group of formerly enslaved people in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1865. Records show that the group transformed a racetrack that had once served as a prison for Union captives into a proper burial site.
On May 1, 1865, thousands gathered for a procession led by 3,000 school children carrying flowers and singing patriotic songs.
In 1966,the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day when President Johnson signed a presidential proclamation stating Waterloo celebrated the first Memorial Day. That day, in 1866, the city closed all businesses so residents could decorate the gravesites of soldiers with flowers and American flags.
Other records show that the first Memorial Day came after the Civil War, when communities came together at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868. It remains one of the country’s most notable Memorial Day ceremonies.
But the history doesn’t end there: As recently as the 1990s, historians have found records of earlier celebrations.
Happy Memorial Day!
Here’s a video of a family of quail including 10 babies!
What were some highlights of your Memorial Weekend?
I was thrilled to see this cactus in bloom. But then a rabbit stopped by and ate the bud on top. It didn’t get a chance to bloom.
Red was mixing it up with the quail families.
One of the many families of quail who stopped by over the weekend. We have families with tiny babies up to teenagers now. The smallest family has two babies, another has three, then we have those with six, seven up to 10 babies.
A lone baby quail. One little guy flew up to the windowsill and hung out by me.
I took this with my iphone sitting at my little table. Eventually he flew down to catch up with his siblings and mom and dad.
I’m not sure, but I think this is a Desert Spiny Lizard after looking at photos of Arizona lizards.
A House Finch observes the scene in the backyard. It was a busy weekend for birds. I did get a photo using my iphone of a Harris’s Hawk eating it’s kill on top of a saguaro. But I thought better of sharing it. It’s kind of gross looking.
Red says “What are you guys looking at?”
I have a week of doctors appointments and driving my husband to PT. I even have one appointment for myself.
I wanted to know more about my backyard buddies, so I looked up a few facts. I’m sharing them with you along with photos I took this week. I hope you enjoy them and they add a delight and smile to your day!
Papa Quail sits high above other quail on a bench on a raised patio. I love how there’s always one quail acting as a sentinel as his mate and covey eat on the ground. If he senses danger, he’ll call out.
This male House Finch beauty has been hanging out on our cactus statue the last few days. They are common in Arizona and eat seeds and have a beautiful song.
Although this guy looks like a chipmunk he’s a Harris’s Antelope Squirrel. I wonder how he got the name “antelope?” I learned that they regulate their temperature by “heat dumping” which is laying in the shade spread out on their tummy when they are overheated. They use their tail as an umbrella to create shade. They live in underground burrows that they dig under shrubs or trees.
I captured a White-Winged Dove and Mourning Doves at the Bird Buddy Feeder. Here are a few facts:
White-Winged Doves can fly 25 or more miles to find water. In the Sonoran Desert, they are able to obtain needed moisture from saguaro cactus fruit. When migrating they can travel in groups of up to 4000 birds to nesting sites.–Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
From Birds and Blooms about Mourning Doves:
They are gentle, quiet, and calming birds known for their soft cooing and for feeding on ground-scattered seeds, often helping clean up feeders. They are viewed as symbols of peace, love, and hope, often nesting on flat surfaces like planters, patio eaves, or windowsills.
Fun Cardinal Facts:
Photos below of Red, the male, and Mrs., the female half of the Northern Cardinal couple, who live in the wash behind our home.
Northern Cardinals are iconic, non-migratory songbirds known for their brilliant red plumage, distinctive crests, and year-round presence in North America. Both males and females sing, with females often singing from the nest to communicate with their mates. They are monogamous, highly territorial, and are the state bird for seven US states. — Birds and Blooms
I captured a few more bird photos that I really liked over the weekend. I like how I caught the dove in flight as it wanted to take over a spot at the bird feeder.
A house finch caught my eye in the Firestick plant. Then it flew to a cactus. I really like the background of the photos. I’m trying to focus on the overall photo rather than just the subject.
Which house finch photo do you like better?
This squirrel found a perfect spot to sit upon a rock.
I cleaned and refilled the bird bath and a mourning dove was much appreciative of my efforts.
Red is hanging out daily immediately after I fill the feeder.
I had a great visit with my daughter. My only complaint was that it was too short. The mountain passes are clear so her drive home shouldn’t be too bad. She motivated me to take better care of myself. She’s on me to ice and elevate more often — as well as continue with my PT for my ankle.
My daughter was impressed that when I go outside the birds arrive and sing. She said, “They recognize your voice! That’s amazing.”
The secret is to keep the bird feeders filled.
Here’s to a good week ahead and getting the taxes done!
I saw Red and Mrs. over the weekend. Plus, an intruder, another male Cardinal. There was a chase between the two bright red birds and it didn’t look friendly. Mrs. was on the fence sitting between her Mourning Dove friends watching the show. The Cardinals dashed around and flew out of the yard. Mrs. flew away, too and I haven’t seen a Cardinal since.
I haven’t been taking many photos, because I only have “ordinary birds” in my yard. But yesterday I sat outside and watched them and decided they are all beautiful in their own way. That reminds me of a song that I posted below.
A Sparrow in the Fire Stick plant.
Mrs. Gambel Quail with her spouse.
A Mourning Dove sat on a branch floating in the air.
A Gila Woodpecker took over the Bird Buddy AI feeder. The blur on the left hand side is saguaro cactus spines.
Mourning Doves on the fence.
Quail playing King of the Mountain, or king of the rock!
I hope you enjoy my backyard “Ordinary Birds.”
Here’s the Grammy Award-winning song by Ray Stevens from 1970. I don’t think this song would be produced today with the opening of children singing “Jesus Loves the Little Children.”
I have one more week of recovery and then my post op appointment. I’m not in pain, but am unusually tired! I guess that is to be expected.
What’s on your calendar this week?
Do you have any favorites of the ordinary birds?
What birds do you view as ordinary where you live?
