Tag Archives: wildlife

My backyard wilderness

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This is a view of our backyard with flamingos, doves on the fence and a bright red spot in the cholla cactus on the other side of the fence. That red spot is Red! It’s where I believe Red and Mrs. have built their nest.

Here are a few photos of my backyard wildlife:

A bevy of quail appear every time I put out some birdseed.

This sparrow was all fluffed up when we had seven days of rain! I put a rain gauge in the backyard and we got more than three inches. That’s a lot for the desert.

The Gila Woodpeckers are the bullies of birdseed. They also can hang upside down. Look at the grip this guy has on the Beavertail Cactus art.

Here’s looking at you, kid!

My backyard bunny and friends.

Harris’s antelope squirrel making his move toward the birdseed. I bet it’s not a coincidence that our hawks are Harris’s hawks. Any bets the squirrels must be named after the same guy?

A little out of focus but a better view of Red on the nest.

Happy Thanksgiving! Is anyone traveling for the holiday?

What relaxes me

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I made an executive decision over the weekend that was difficult for me. It made my stomach hurt a wee bit, but I’m glad I did it. I decided to retire as our HOA newsletter editor after four years. I have a partner that works with me to create the newsletter and she also agreed with me. I am missing the joy and sense of accomplishment I once had. I wrote a resignation letter for the two of us and I’m waiting to hear back from the Board.

I found that photography is relaxing and rewarding to me. I enjoy taking my nature photos. I enjoy exploring Adobe Bridge and Photoshop and tinkering with the pictures to make them a bit better. I have decided to enroll in my second art workshop for DSLR photography beginning in January. This is becoming a lifestyle more than taking a random class.

Mourning Dove on our fence.

I also want to get back to writing and working on my several WIPs. If I get too busy with things I have to do, I don’t get in the time to write and edit.

Red is fortunately a constant in my backyard. I’m enjoying taking his photo along with Mrs. and various other creatures and plants.

Mrs. in a setting of purple flowers.

Agave with sharp red tips.

The same plant from a distance.

I never get tired of watching the squirrels.

Have you made any difficult decisions lately? When you are faced with a decision, how do you go about deciding what to do?

Birds Plus More Surgeries

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I was so excited to capture this photo of Red taking off the Ocotillo!

I’m going to the Bay Area to take care of my daughter post shoulder surgery. She has a repetitive use injury from swimming from kindergarten through college. Her practices in college added up to 12,000 yards of swimming per day.

I’ve been especially nervous and haven’t been sleeping well. There’s a back story to that, besides the anxiety and worry. (Ever since our last thunder and lightning storm our house alarm has been going of at 3 a.m. Now that I figured out how to get it to stop, my body is programmed to get up at 3 a.m.) Once awake, I worry about my upcoming trip and my daughter.

Mrs. giving a side-eye to another bird at the birdseed block.

I had an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon to take a last look at my ankle. I discussed my other foot with the doctor. My first visit to her was about the left foot, but she discovered my “sprain” was a break in the right ankle — and I was scheduled for emergency surgery.

Now we’re back to the original issue and I’ll have surgery after taking care of my daughter!

Here are more photos from my backyard buddies:

Gila woodpecker taking a turn on a flamingo.

I learned my chipmunks are really Harris Antelope Squirrels! Who knew?

Red’s turn on the flamingo.

The Beavertail sculpture is another favorite perch for Mrs.

This father quail keeps watch over his flock from the tree.

Red ignoring both flamingos and other backyard birds.

I’m afraid I’m at that age where my future will be lots of doctor visits. Hopefully no more surgeries.

Which photos do you like?

How is your week going?

Favorite Photos of the Week

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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?

Home Again

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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?

A Few New Friends

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This beauty is a Western Tanager. I’ve seen them a few times, but I haven’t been able to get a photo until this weekend. He stopped by to drink from our bird bath.

I love the way the light goes through the Cottontail’s ears. We have an abundance of bunnies this year all around the neighborhood.

This Roadrunner loves our planter that has water in it. So do bunnies and doves. I spotted the roadrunner in the tree outside the casita, but as I reached for my camera, he flew down and ran through the fence. Then I spotted him in a tree outside the fence in the wash. But I couldn’t get a good view of him. I was thrilled to spot him back in the yard. I got a second chance at photos!

No day is complete without a few Red sightings. He sang his heart out up in our tree!

I have a busier than normal week ahead. Physical therapy, an HOA board meeting to attend for my newsletter, friends in town, a wedding in Northern California in a Redwood Forest. After getting used to a quiet, healing pace, I’m trying not to get too stressed out!

Do you have a slow or busy week ahead? What activities do you have planned?

A few favorite photos of the week

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Red continues to be the star of the show. What I noticed this week is that Mrs. and Red visit for birdseed at different times — no longer together. They take turns. Does that mean that one of them is in the nest? Does that mean there are babies or eggs?

Mrs. showing off her back and tail.

My new birdbath is seeing some appreciation.

It must be lizard season. I’m seeing them daily running across the yard.

We now have more quail families than I can count. From newbies to teens.

Quail always have a male on guard stationed above the others. This one is on a bench on a raised platform where he can watch over the clan.

Mrs. enjoying a snack.

Red flitting around the back yard from a cactus statue to the real thing.

Happy 249 birthday to our nation! What plans do you have to celebrate?