This is a Gilded Flicker on our birdbath. I was excited to see I had captured this photo. Maybe I’ll use this in the future for a Bird of the Week challenge that I’m posting on Wednesdays.
I’m out of energy taking care of my husband post surgery. He’s not very demanding, but I’m trying to make things as easy as possible for him. He’s going to Physical Therapy already and I’m driving, which if you read my previous posts, you know is not my favorite thing to do!
For today’s post, I’m using some of my favorite photos I took this week. And I am going to be light on words.
Papa Gambel’s quail with a little one in tow.
Another Harris’s antelope squirrel practicing heat dumping, which is how they cool down. He was close to the window looking straight at me and my camera.
A Brown-Headed Cowbird made his first visit to our backyard. The Mourning Doves seem fascinated with the newcomer.
Momma quail with a few babies. We have three different quail families visiting our backyard every day. The tiniest ones are a family with three babies. I spotted them for the first time Friday. They are so adorable! Then there is a family with seven babies and one with eight.
Aren’t they cute?
Today we left the house at 5:15 a.m. to take my husband to surgery. I spent Sunday stressing about it. Not only am I worried about him, I’m worried about my own anxiety getting out of control. I have to drive him home from surgery, plus to follow up appointments and PT. I’m not a fan of driving here and once in a while I get a bout of driving anxiety. I think I’m talking myself into it as I sit and worry.
Hence, I’m focusing on cute baby quail.
Here’s to a speedy recovery for my husband and no driving anxiety for me!
Bird of the Week: CLXVI Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii)
A male and female Gambel’s quail that I photographed in our backyard. Every day I enjoy watching quail because they have gregarious personalities. There’s something about their topnots bobbing up and down that not only make them stand out, but add to their silly look.
“Gambel’s quail have a chunky round body with a feather plume on their head. Males have a dark and thick plume, a black face, neck and also a black patch on the breast. Females have more dull and thin feather plumes and lack the black markings. Mature males have much more striking plumage than females.” —Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.
Gambel’s quail can be found throughout the southwest United States. Mature birds average eleven inches long and weigh from 5.1 to 6.5 ounces (160 to 200 grams.)
Here’s a link to Gambel’s Quail songs and calls from All About Birds.
We have a quail’s nest with 12 eggs in a planter of a succulents called elephant’s food. Unfortunately, the quail picked a busy place next to where our trash bins are stored. I moved our recycling into the garage, but our coming and going into the garbage storage area scared away the mom and dad. This is the second time this has happened to us. The other time, they picked a planter of elephant’s food next to the garage while we were on vacation. When we returned home with the car, those eggs were abandoned, too.
I was so excited a few days ago, to have baby quail visit our backyard with their mom and pop. I put out a birdseed block so the babies can get plenty of food. At this time, they aren’t able to fly up to our bird feeder. I have several families visiting in the morning and evenings.
Fun Quail Facts
A group of quail is called a “covey.”
A male quail will act as a sentinel standing guard over his covey from an elevated location. If he senses danger, he will call out loudly in warning.
Males and females pair for life.
The male has a top knot plume that is actually 6 feathers together, and is used to intimidate other males.
Their food of preference is wild bird seed, followed by uncooked rice or sunflower seeds.
Nests are mostly in pots or window boxes, and are made by hollowing out the nest in dirt.
There can be a total of seven to 28 eggs per nest, with the female laying one to two per day. It is common for two females to share a nest, which is called “egg dumping,” and the female only sits on the nest after all the eggs are laid.
Eggs are speckled brown and arranged in a neat oval called a “clutch.”
Incubation is 25 days at a temperature of 100 degrees, and eggs are turned often.
Before hatching the babies peep inside the egg.
They are born with a full coat of feathers, eyes wide open, and are able to feed themselves.
They all hatch on the same day and leave the nest immediately, usually in late May or June.
Chicks are able to leave the nest within hours of hatching, foraging with their parents, and are capable of flying short distances within a week
Quail couples can cohabitate and share the nest with a second couple.
A Gila Woodpecker in our backyard. This photo has nothing to do with my story today, but I thought you might enjoy it.
I received a strange envelope in the mail with a black and white flyer inside. It said, “Thank you! Thank you so much for your purchase! We truly appreciate your support and hope you enjoy your product.” Then there was a logo and the company name, which I didn’t recognize.
I looked through my Amazon orders to see if I purchased anything from them. I did not.
I went to their website and didn’t recognize it. It had a variety of tabs across the top for products, shopping, etc. I wanted to know what products they sold, so I clicked a tab and nothing happened. Then I clicked on another. A scary thought dawned on me. Maybe they sent me the strange envelope and flyer to get me to visit their website and click! I used my map app to look at their address. It didn’t exist.
I called my brilliant son and thankfully he answered in the middle of his work day. I explained, while freaking out, what I had done. He googled the company and said it came up as a known hacker site.
I told my son I had purchased Malwarebytes to scan for malware. He said I also needed to use a password manager, which he has been telling me for years. He did set one up for me years ago but I must have made a typo in the master password and I was never able to use it.
By using Facetime, my son accessed my computer and took over. We spent the next three hours on my computer updating passwords. He had me practice the last hour and I’ve spent the better part of the weekend working on this tedious but well-needed project. Next, he’s going to take over hubby’s computer and help him through the same project.
I read a page on USPS.com about scams. Usually the scammer mails merchandise to the unsuspecting victim. The person who receives the package knows they didn’t order whatever is in the package and wants to return it to the sender. The scammer uses the recipient’s name and address to create a fake “verified buyer” account, posting glowing reviews to boost their product ratings. USPS says to throw the stuff away or keep it. Buy do not engage with the sender. They call this scam “brushing.”
My husband said he’s so thankful he’s not the one to click on a potential dangerous site, but that it was me. That’s because we’ve always been wary that he would click on an email or link that he shouldn’t. It’s been a running joke in the family.
My son says AI is going to bring scams to a new level and that as boomers we are targets.
Needless to say, I’m behind in my reading and commenting on blogs. But as this project winds down, I’ll catch up!
Have you heard of my scam or been scammed yourself? If so, what did you do?
The Curve-Billed Thrasher at the bird bath.
I thought of this song when I wrote my title for today.
The quail family with Momma, Papa and seven babies were right outside my window. But I didn’t see them. I was too busy taking pictures of Red. He was flitting from the cactus statue to the fire stick plant. His bright color captured my attention.
My husband sat down next to me and I said referring to Red, “Look out the window!”
“Itty bitties,” he said.
I thought he was referring to the handful of house sparrows darting to and from the birdbath.
He repeated himself and I finally looked and saw the quail babies! Our first family this Spring. I was thrilled!
I watched as a few daring babies wandered out of the group looking for food. Most stayed clumped together following mom and dad. I took a ton of photos, but they moved so fast only a few photos turned out. I love their cute little mohawks that someday will become topknots.
I checked our dozen eggs in a planter and they remain unhatched. I’m afraid the parents abandoned the nest after being frightened away.
A dozen quail eggs remain in a planter of elephant feed. I don’t have the heart to throw them out, in the slight chance the parents return.
In the meantime, I was so excited to have my first quail babies in our backyard. They waddled away and jumped through the fence into the wash behind our house. I hope the family returns and I get to practice taking photos of the itty bitty ones.
Have a wonderful weekend. What exciting plans do you have?
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?
I was out for my walk yesterday when I saw the neighbor’s Argentine Giant Cactus was blooming. So, of course I turned around to get my camera from home and set out again. In our little park was another one in bloom. I took photos all around the neighborhood, enjoying the sights of Spring cactus blossoms.
There were lots of bees. I was lucky enough to capture this guy on a cactus bud.
Here’s a close up of the beautiful Argentine Giant blossom taken with my 105 mm lens. In fact, all the photos on this page are taken with that lens.
I love the color of this blossom.
This was at the neighbor’s house. We have one Argentine Giant Cactus and it was one lone blossom in bloom yesterday, gone today.
At the park.
This purple beavertail cactus has a beautiful yellow flower. I wondered why some beavertail are green and others yellow. This is what I found out:
Beavertail cacti (Opuntia basilaris) turn purple primarily as a stress response to cold temperatures, intense sun, or drought, acting as a natural sunscreen. This purple pigment, known as anthocyanin, protects the plant’s cells from damage, making the color change most intense during winter or arid conditions.
I also learned there are purple varieties including one called Purple Desert.
Here’s to a happy Monday and week ahead. What’s on your schedule for this week?
