Red has been missing in action for a few weeks, but finally showed up again this week. I also spotted Mrs. but she flew away before I could get a photo. My only disappointment in seeing Red was that my Bird Buddy bird feeder didn’t capture his picture or video. I think Red is standing outside the camera’s range. He’s sneaky that way!
I’m not sure if it’s all the rain that has kept the birds, including Red, at bay. I have heard Red chirping several times, but I wasn’t able to spot him. Also, his adopted fledgling, a Brown Headed Cowbird, is no longer hanging out with Red or Mrs.
I say “what a difference a day makes” because Red’s feathers are grown in. He’s back to his beautiful self.
This photo is from early September when Red was molting. Poor thing. Maybe he was embarrassed to being seen and photographed until his feathers grew back!
But in typical fashion of Red, when I fill the bird feeder, he’s once again the first bird in. He likes to stop by early in the morning and in the evenings. Mrs. is never too far away.
I did it! My website featuring my photography greeting cards is live! Two friends of mine who were graphic designers I worked with during my PR days in Palm Springs, pre kids, suggested I turn my nature photography into greeting cards. We live within a few miles of each other all these years later. They’ve been very supportive and full of ideas for me.
I jumped in and applied for a business license. I signed up to create a website. I ordered a few test cards of Red. I fiddled with different weights of card stock and finishes. I liked the look of glossy cards, but as a left-handed person, my writing smeared. I tried to order a card that I could write on and have my penmanship legible. Lots of little tweaks and more ordering cards.
Then I tinkered with the website itself. Lots of revising, editing and more editing. Deciding what photos I wanted to create cards with. I used Squarespace for the first time and the learning curve was doable but not foolproof.
When I finally published my website this week, I placed a test order. It didn’t work. I spent several hours with their AI chat bot. I followed all the directions, but nothing happened. Then AI said they’d send me to a real person! Woohoo! It took them less then two minutes to figure out my issue and now I’m in business.
The next step is to go in person to local gift stores with a few packets of card to see if they’ll accept my cards for sale. Yes, that makes me more than a little nervous…
When my son was in middle school and high school, he created and managed our swim team’s website. Back then, when he’d make a change he’d have to upload the whole site which would take six to eight hours. Now I can make a change to and it’s done instantly.
You’re more than welcome to check out my website HERE.
He’s still looking gnarly with his late summer molting, but his crest is coming back.
Red can be seen most days feeding his adopted Cowbird. If you missed the post about Cowbirds, I wrote about them HERE.
I haven’t seen Mrs. for a few weeks. Although there was a very young female Cardinal who stopped by. Maybe Red is in charge of all the children, legitimate or not?
Red’s current look makes me miss the days of old when Red was the most handsome bird in our desert.
Happy Friday! What are your plans for the weekend?
This is a juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird in our backyard. I first noticed him hanging out with our male Northern Cardinal, which I found odd. Then I learned that Cowbirds are famous for laying their eggs in the nests of other bird species instead of building their own. This is known as a brood parasite. Cowbirds do not raise their own chicks, but the unsuspecting birds who incubate the Cowbird’s eggs raise them instead.
Brown-headed Cowbird — Molothrus ater
SIZE:
Male
Length: 7.5-8.7 in (19-22 cm)
Weight: 1.5-1.8 oz (42-50 g)
Wingspan: 14.2 in (36 cm)
Female
Length: 6.3-7.9 in (16-20 cm)
Weight: 1.3-1.6 oz (38-45 g)
Wingspan: 12.6-15.0 in (32-38 cm)
LOCATION:
FOOD:
Cowbirds eat seeds from weeds and grasses and some grains. They live near cattle and bison and feed on Insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, that the large mammals stir into into motion.
This is our male Northern Cardinal named “Red” who is feeding the juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird.
Eventually, the juvenile Cowbirds leave their adoptive families and find other Cowbirds. Scientists are studying this phenomenon to figure out how they recognize their own species. Some think it’s through their sounds that they recognize other Cowbirds.
This was one of many U.S. flags at our favorite beach. Many of the homes fly them daily.
Remembering 9/11:
I was getting my kids ready for school. Our son was in third grade and our daughter in kindergarten. They were in their Catholic school uniforms of khaki shorts and a white polo for our son and a forest green plaid skirt and polo for our daughter. I was glancing at the TV in our bedroom, waiting for them to brush their teeth when I saw the first plane crash into a tower. I had no idea what was going on. I thought it was an accident.
Then the second tower was hit. I didn’t know if I should keep my kids home from school that day. I was scared to drop them off. But in the end I decided to try to keep the day “normal” as possible for them and not interrupt their routines.
My husband worked for Merrill Lynch in Palm Springs at the time. We had a close friend, who was his former boss, who worked in an office next door to the Twin Towers when it was bombed in 1993. My husband knew many people that he talked with daily who worked on Wall Street and in the Twin Towers. September 11 was a scary day while he tried to account for people he knew.
We soon learned a parish member from our church was aboard the plane from Boston.
I see a divide in my life before and after 9/11. Our world would never be the same. My heart goes out to everyone who lost family members on that tragic day or from the results of health issues caused by the terrorist attack.
Red Update:
Before we left for our beach vacation, I noticed a few changes in Red’s appearance. I wrote about the black spot on his head HERE.
We got back from vacation and Red was in the back yard singing to me. I was thrilled of course, but you can imagine my surprise when I saw Red looking like this:
It’s called molting. Red is losing his feathers and growing new ones. He needs a high protein diet so I’m feeding him his favorite peanuts and sunflower mix.
Another strange thing I noticed was Red hanging out with a juvenile bird. I used my zoom lens and saw that it was NOT one of his fledglings. It was a Bronzed Cowbird! Why was he feeding a species of bird that was not his?
I read that Cowbirds are “parasitic breeders” and they don’t build their own nests, but lay eggs in other birds’ nests including Cardinals. A brood parasite is an animal or bird that tricks a host parent into incubating and raising its young. The Cowbird lays it’s eggs in a Cardinal’s nest because they are similar in size and color.
Red’s juvenile Cowbird. Not only is Red a delight to listen to and see, he’s a generous adoptive dad. I remember an odd looking baby cardinal. At first Red and Mrs. had two babies, then a third one appeared that didn’t match the others.
We have had a true Monsoon week with thunder and lightning storms every few nights and an abundance of rain. Thanks to the rain, we have cactus blooming again in beautiful pinkish red.
Here are a few photos of the buds and blossoms:
Then of course there’s my bird buddy Red:
Red with a mouthful of millet.
Red found a new perch, a little table next to a covered chaise lounge.
This is how I’m packaging my cards. However, my folded cards have not arrived yet. This is my first trial run that turned out with the photo on the front and blank on the back. I hope to have my first folded cards in a day or two. Then if I’m happy with them, I’ll order more including Mrs., Poppa Quail and Roadrunner.
I’ve been working on a website, ordered business cards and each day I find a little something I want to change or improve.
Then it dawned on my that I will be visiting my son this week and he has skills and talent to review and improve my projects. How great is that? I asked him for help and he said he’d love to. Also, while we are in the Bay Area, he and his wife are treating me to a day in the North Bay — to visit Sonoma and a quaint town I’ve never been to before.
Another treat is staying at my favorite hotel and taking the kids to Chez Panisse.
I’ve made the executive decision to continue working on this card project, but it’s not going live until our summer vacations are over. I won’t be here to get delivery of cards or do fulfillment if I happen to get any orders. So, I’ll keep working on getting things just right.
