Tag Archives: nature

Bird of the Week — Lesser Goldfinch

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This is a female or juvenile Lesser Goldfinch who paid a visit to our birdbath yesterday. This is the first time I’ve seen one. I was pleased to have a new bird for Bird of the Week.

Lesser Goldfinch – Spinus psaltria

I learned that this goldfinch is called “Lesser” because it is smaller than its close relative the American Goldfinch. In North America, It’s the smallest goldfinch and one of the smallest finches.

COLORING:

While the males have black caps and white patches on the wings, the females and juveniles look just like the photo above with dull yellow underparts and an olive back. They also have two white wing bars.

SIZE:
Length: 3.5-4.3 in (9-11 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (8-11.5 g)
Wingspan: 5.9-7.9 in (15-20 cm)

LOCATION:

Lesser Goldfinches can be found in deserts, mountain canyons, weedy fields, in the brush of open areas and urban areas.

FOOD:

They mainly eat seeds from thistles and the sunflower family. They are attracted to backyard feeders especially with hulled sunflower seeds. Birdbaths are also a plus because of their diet of seeds. The Lesser Goldfinch needs hydration.

NESTING:

They do not mate for life, but stay together for breeding seasons and find a new mate the next year. The female chooses an area for a nest in trees or bushes. The nests are built four to eight feet off the ground in a protected area by leaves or branches. While the female builds the nest, the male watches.


She uses leaves, bark, cocoons, grasses and spiderwebs and weaves these together into a cup. The female lines the nest with hair, feathers, wool and fibers. Nests are about 3 inches wide and an inch deep. They have one brood per year with three to six eggs.

SOUNDS:

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

Odds, Ends and Quail

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I have only seen Red and Mrs. a few times since we got back home from Hawaii for the New Year. I was disappointed with the photos I took. They were blurry, fuzzy and altogether not good. While I was taking photos of my quail, Red showed up and posed for me on the pink flamingo. I kept trying to snap photos, but my camera wasn’t cooperating. There was a large “E” on the screen.

Then I exchanged the camera battery, thinking that might be the issue. It wasn’t. I glanced back at my laptop to see the dongle plugged in with a card reader. The SD card wasn’t in my camera. No wonder the photos of Red weren’t going to happen.

Red flew away. I had to be content with quail photos.

A female quail acting as “look out” in the tree. This is normally a man’s job.

A male doing his job.

Then he flew up into the tree from the rock.

While in Hawaii, I received an email from my photography professor. He said the class is no more. I had registered for Spring semester which was to begin this month and run until May. There were five others in the class along with me. The class is by invitation only, so there’s no signing up if the professor didn’t think you’d be a good fit for the class. He told me before I joined that everyone is dedicated to learning and improving in photography. That everyone is on the same learning curve, just at different points along the way.

I’m sad the class won’t continue. But in the meantime, I’ll continue working on my learning curve, wanting to improve my photography. What’s really sad is that professor said after 26 years of working at the college, he was sent an email coldly telling him he was no longer employed.

I’m starting off the New Year with a very light calendar. No more ladies’ group, newsletter, photography class. Even the neighborhood coffee has ended. With all this free time, I’m going to get back to my focus on writing. I have several projects and manuscripts that need my attention.

What would you do with a cleared calendar?

Is there a project you’d like to start on or continue?

Squirrel!

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I had three squirrels running around the birdseed block yesterday. It turns out they like the sunflower seeds and run quickly to get their fair share. Here are a few photos of them, plus a description of the type of squirrel:

Harris’s antelope squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and in Sonora in Mexico. They are adapted to hot weather conditions. — Wikipedia

I had Red, Mrs., quail and a gila woodpecker hanging out as well.

Here’s Mrs. on a firestick plant.

This gila woodpecker likes to hang upside from time to time.

A handsome poppa quail keeping an eye on his family.

Red also likes the firestick as a perch.

I’m waiting to find out my son’s surgery date and when I’ll return to Northern California with Waffles.

Plus I need to prepare a presentation for my photography class about a photographer or photos that I’d like to share with the class. I’ve selected Inge Morath who was married to Arthur Miller for 40 years after he was married to Marilyn Monroe. I’ll share more about her with you — after I’ve done my homework and selected a few photos of hers.

What’s on your agenda for this week?

Photos of my favorite backyard characters

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I have always enjoyed my quail and I’m looking forward to seeing babies. Certainly some of our quail are having babies? In the past, I’ve found nests in planters. As soon as I see quail families, I’ll post photos.

My favorite bird of all. Red is so striking.

Mrs. Is pretty cute, too! Isn’t it something how the males in nature have all the bright colors?

Red shares the spotlight with a quail. There’s always one quail who keeps watch for predators. He’ll be up higher and alone and start squawking if he senses danger.

Then there’s this guy. There are three chipmunks who hang out together. One looks like a parent with two babies.

What are your favorite characters in your backyard?

Here’s a PS I wasn’t expecting. I saw a foot and ankle surgeon about a painful left foot I’ve been dealing with for years. Finally, I decided to inquire about surgery. In the meantime, during our stay in the cabin on the lake last weekend, I fell and twisted my right ankle last Friday. I asked the surgeon (since she’s a foot and ankle specialist) if she could check it out for me while I was there for my left foot. Big surprise. I fractured my fibula and have been walking on it for five days! Yesterday was especially painful and swollen. No wonder. They are trying to get me into surgery ASAP. If you miss hearing from me for a few days, that’s why. I may have to wait for insurance approval and scheduling, but the sooner the better.

The Hawks are Back!

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This Harris’s Hawk made an appearance yesterday, which is my second or third sighting since I began my beginning photography class.

Harris’s Hawks

You might notice the difference in photos? The first one, I took yesterday. The hawk was on the next door neighbor’s roof after I shooed him out of our yard. The photo with two hawks was taken in December before my class began.

I used to love it when the hawks came to visit. But now I’m a mother hen looking out for Red, the Mrs. and their nest. When the hawk decided a good place to hang out was next to the Reds’ nest, I got in his face with my camera. He didn’t like that and landed on the roof next door.

This Mr. Harris Hawk right next door to Red and Mrs.’ nest. It looks like he could be staring into their nest — which could bring a new meaning to “empty nest.”

I got these photos of Red and the Mrs. after the Harris’s Hawk flew away.

Before my photography class and getting to know my beautiful cardinals, I believed nature should take its course. Now I have one eye nervously glancing out the window whenever I see a large bird fly by. I’m right out there with my telephoto lens to snap pictures, which also scares away the predator birds.

My next adventure is to learn some of Adobe Photoshop. I’m beginning today, and am thankful for a professional photographer friend of more than 30 years who has offered to help!

What are your thoughts on my wanting to interfere in nature and being protective of Red and his wife?

Two Snippets

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I snapped this photo out the casita window. It looks like this chipmunk is doing push-ups. But in reality he’s eating the blossoms on top of the cactus. Seems like it would be an uncomfortable place to be.

I have the radio on when I drive. There’s often short little snippets of helpful information during breaks of programming. Here’s two I heard this week that stuck with me:

MUSIC
I heard the reason we think music was better in our day is because music holds many strong emotions for us. Our interest and love of popular music peaks around age 20. When we hear music from that time, it triggers memories. That’s why no matter our age, we think music from our teens and 20s are the best. It’s also why we don’t always relate to current music.

FOREST BATH
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese practice that involves immersing oneself in a forest environment to promote relaxation and well-being by engaging all five senses. It can help reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall health by connecting with nature.

Even if you don’t have a forest near by, like me, five minutes outside can do wonders for stress and health. If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, go outside. Focus on what you see, hear, smell and touch. Breathe, relax and nature will restore you. I think that’s why I enjoy my daily walks so much. I’m getting exercise but also connecting to nature.

Have you heard of or tried a Forest Bath before?
Why do you think our music was the best?

TED Talk on Creativity

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“Human creativity is nature manifest in us.” — Ethan Hawke

I was finishing up my photography assignments Saturday. There was a page of resources the professor left for us. Included with short videos by famous photographers discussing their work was this gem of a TED Talk by Ethan Hawke, actor, writer and film director.

It’s definitely worth the less than 10 minutes to hear his views about creativity, humanity, and our connections with each other. He discusses that our own enemy is wanting to create something of importance or something great. In Hawke’s opinion, children throw themselves into any project with abandonment. They don’t care if they’re “good” or not. They are willing to try and don’t bring habits into the project.

Happy Monday and enjoy this TED Talk.

After watching this video, what impressed you?

How did you find it helpful for your own writing or blogging?