Backyard Birds (continued)

Does he know this silly poem, too? Every time my DH hears the word "pelican", he recites it..LOL!
http://www.alysion.org/poems3/Pelican.htm

Thanks for the limerick Ima. Love the bird and the poetry.

Still down with that cold thing. Haven't been out as much as I'd like. Some of the weeds are as high as my doggie's eye! LOL! Hoping we all get better fast, and them of us who don't got it, don't get it.
Sally, loved your photos of the birds feasting in the rain. Was that a female Oriole at the top of the feeder on photo time 7:26 pm on the 4th? You sure had a lot of visitors that day. ^_^
duc, the detail you bring out in your quail photo is beautiful. Takes my breath away. Liked the robin. Don't think we have them here. I'll have to look it up.
Loved the pelicans, down here we have the brown pelicans. I love to watch them. Say, does the third, and lowest of the three pelicans have a growth on his beak?
I'm going to have to memorize that limerick about the pelican. LOL! See what ya went and started!
WIB,
SW

Lovely photos!!! Feel better SW.

He probably does know it, Ima. He's also fond of reciting A. A. Milne. :-)

Janet;
Thank you so much for posting that poetry link. I've spent the last hour reading poetry. Now I'm gonna go play in my OWN dirt.

Quail, quail, I just saw two quail in trickle water! Yeah!!! Unfortunately, I didn't get to look at them, because I spooked them going to get the mail. At least I know they're still around! Whoopee!!

happy to enable, DP, whether it's related to plants or poetry or pots (that's "pots" with an "s"...LOL!)

I'm actually a big fan of limericks. Most of them won't pass muster here on DG due to the AUP, however.

Of course I fully agree with those policies, but it doesn't mean I hold myself to those standards when I'm at home alone.

There once was a fellow named Dave.......

...whose website had garnered a "RAVE"...

It was all about seeds, flowers and weeds,
AND QUICKLY BECAME A FAVE!
(sorry I couldn't resist a good limerick, or even a bad one for that matter!)
WIB!
SW

sw....no it was a couple of finches (one Goldfinch and a Lesser Goldfinch) waiting their turn (there was a lot of pushing and shoving going on) I don't get orioles at my feeders. Tried some treats for them but have never seen one.

Like the limerick too. Both of them. LOL

Sis, glad you still have quail. Don't ya hate when you spook them!!

I should have stuck around for the rest of the limerick last night. Good work!!

OK: newly edited edition

There once was a fellow named Dave
Whose website had garnered a Rave
It was all about Seeds
And Flowers and Weeds
And quickly became quite a Fave.

(by Janet,Julie & Randy)

LOL! Team Limerick-Writing---maybe we could pitch it as a reality TV concept!

One of the male orioles in my neighborhood was teasing me last evening. I got some pix, but of course my reactions were too slow to get them when he was 15 feet away-----by the time I got the camera focused, he was much farther away and all my shots were lousy. :-{

Naw Ima, that would take all the fun out of team limerick writing. ^_^
I love quail, seldom get to see them. They hang out among the Monterrey Pines mostly. I remember when we first moved out here you'd hardly see any. Then it got to the point where you'd see large coveys' of quail. I haven't seen any for a while, so your photos are a real treat.
I really hate when that happens ima, which is why when you finally get it right you (and I) get so excited. I saw some action up high in the trees this morning. Jonothan the kid who has been helping me noticed this black bird (starling? wasn't a crow) chasing around a couple of woodpeckers. I took some photos and hope that there is something visible when I put them on the computer. Jonathon also helped me pull up a huge wild tobacco growing in my little courtyard. He did all the work. I just stood there with my mouth open in amazement. I've been trying to get rid of it for a couple of years now. I can finally see my courtyard again. It's messy.
Hope to have a photo to post later on of the birds.
WIB,
SW

I was trying to get some work done today when two of my parrots started yelling loudly. They usually don't do this for nothing in the middle of the day, but it took a while for me to really pay attention. Then I noticed the wren(s) outside were making a lot of noise, so I went out to check. Both wrens were in the bushes screaming like I've never heard them before and not going anywhere near the nest. At first I thought perhaps the babies had fledged and were having trouble. Nope. So I started creeping around the bush. The wrens didn't leave, so I knew there was something scarier than me nearby. Sure enough, I finally found his long snaky self in the bush. I put myself between wrens and snake, and they finally delivered the food they were carrying to the babies. Finally got a good picture of the wren, too!

And here's the intruder. I finally got a stick and persuaded him to go away, but we'll have to watch out for him until those babies are safe. Cute little guy.
Oh, and as soon as the wrens settled down, so did my parrots. Apparently distress calls cross species. :-) Those wrens are good watch birds!

Oops, this is the better photo of the wren. I hate thumbnails.

Good job Sis! I can remember when a critter like that would have you yelling for me!! Really nice pictures!

It was crowded at the feeders again, these guys are doing a great job cleaning up.

And this handsome fellow stopped by.

The Grosbeak was back and I caught a glimpse of his mate. So maybe they are nesting close by. I need the rain to stop so I can check out the trees.

DH thought I had downloaded those photos from the net as examples! LOL He was very impressed. What do you mean, yelling for you? I always liked lizards - though it's true, I wasn't chummy with the brothers' snakes.

Those little wrens are fierce protectors! And did you notice what s/he is carrying? An earwig! Good bird!

Yes I saw that, good bird. Lizards were ok, but not snakes. Especially if they moved!! LOL

EEwww, in the second wren photo (I hate thumbnails too!), you can see the bug! My peacock is a great snake spotter. Can't tell for sure what kind that you have there, but it isn't a rattler. Not a rosey boa, Jonothan says it's either a garter snake or a green tree snake. Good snakes because they eat bad bugs and rodents in your garden. Jonothan says its a sign of a healthy environment. ^_^
Couldn't see anything on the computer when I put the photos on. Rats!
Was gifted another lizard, though.
Sally, you sure have a lot of company there. I really liked that handsome fellow! ^_^
Got to go for now!
WIB,
SW

Pretty sure it's a garter snake, SW. I looked it up and the yellow stripes are a clue. Funny thing, though, the web site said they are water snakes, which I've never heard before. Where's JasperDale?

I've been busy catching up on all the bird photo's you guys are posting !

Sorry Kathleen...I don't know zip about snakes...I draw the line at those things !

Maybe Desert Pirate knows.

Garter Snake was Jonothan's first guess and he's my go to guy for snake identification. I still say a squirt gun is more effective than a stick when chasing off snakes.
KC, the stick was probably handier and the hose may have hurt the wrens, so now you need a pocket for the camera, and a pocket (or holster) for your squirt gun. LOL!
Garter Snakes are good to have in your garden, and unless provoked will not bite. Their bite is not venomous, so you are a lucky gardener, and your wrens have a great guardian or three (can't forget the parrots!).
WIB,
SW

Yes, I had that nasty pile of sticks DH won't get rid of nearby, so that is what I used. Didn't want to leave for long, because the snake was getting closer and closer to the frantic wren, which was getting more bold by the minute. We think the babies might have fledged today, as we did not hear or see any activity this evening.

Great shots Sally and Kathleen!

Here are some little fuzzballs from the nearby "Egret" lake (not my backyard...I wish ;-))

This message was edited May 8, 2009 8:41 AM

another shot with Mom:

I think I'm in love :-)

Balance appears to be an issue still:

Awww, cute little flufferbutts. :-)

The water almost looks like sky in this photo:

I'd never seen baby geese before...flufferbutts indeed! LOL

Whoa, more balance issues:

Major preening:

The "end" ;-)

too cute !

Sunny, those little ones are sooo cute!! Love that last one too!!!