Backyard Birds (continued)

Those crows have no respect!! I love to watch the fly, we get one every once in a while.

We have a hawk which sits atop a "retired" county hospital next to my office. That old bird flies around at times and the resident crow chases it about mercilessly, until it decides to leave the area. Bummer.

Here's one showing the Crow almost hitting the Bald Eagle.

He looks like he's trying to rip out one of the Eagle's tail feathers. Crows are known to be warriors. Thanks for the photo. Sometimes people can't believe it until they see it.
Twin, if it is any consolation, hawks seem to be making a comeback in some cities. Sometimes the hawks move on for awhile, then come back when their prey has multiplied. I know I can always see them over the fields when the farmers are working them. I lost my mated pair, but eventually another pair moved into and made this part of their territory. That crow will die someday, and a hawk will move back in. LOL!
WIB!
SW

Aaaahh, SW, here's the latest! A coworker tells me that she saw that Gu/gal (Guy / gal, aka Gugal) winging around the area yesterday and that old crow was again chasing him about. Then there were a bunch of little guys winging about, apparently watching the funny business close up. Then ... THEN ... apparently that hawk "squeaked" as hawks do. Well ... another hawk arrived nearly immediately and the crow disappeared with his following close behind. LOL, ROFL!!! You go, Gugal!!! Then the Gugal moseyed back to the top corner of the retired hospital and landed to watch his/her domain. YES! Stupid old crow!

Funny.

Linda

Crows and hawks don't usually get along. They do seem to like the same kind of territory, especially the smaller hawks. Crows are a pain in the touche. I was trying to get some photos of hummers and they all disappeared. This is not a good photo, but you'll see.
WIB,
SW

Had a redwing blackbird stop at the feeder long enough for me the get a picture. But the way he was sitting hid the red part. LOL Between him and the squirrels I need a new feeder.

Isn't he pretty?

I don't get crows, but we get hawks a lot. Turkey vultures too, they come in after the caretaker mows the common area.

He looks like he's wearing a little black mask !

Great pics!

Sally,
Great job. I have a really hard time getting photos of the red winged black birds here. They see me coming and they leave. They are nesting here so I'm drooling over your photos! Good going girl! ^_^
WIB,
SW

Had a very special visitor today.

He was keeping an eye on me while he was munching.

Here's the one that keeps messing with my feeders.

Here's a twist on backyard birds. The story is elsewhere on the net, but this one has more photos. You'll love it.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/amazingduck.asp

She's back again too. They've been showing it on the news, with those pictures. I love the one where she lines everyone up to say thank you and goodbye. I would think the new ones are ready to hatch by now.

Sally,
That is so cool. We used to have a duck pond in Temecula where the wild ducks would come and lay their eggs. Then we got welfare ducks, that pooped all over and were looking for handouts, so the city came in and cleared most of them out. We'd often see a mama duck marching her brood across the street to reach the pond. Didn't think they'd nest that high off the ground though. Well good luck to her and her brood! Thanks for good hearted people who do the right thing.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that on the way back from voting today, DH and I saw two quail! I was so excited. We've heard them, but this is the first sighting of the year.
Loved the link, KC. Was a nice read.
WIB,
SW

LOL. I love watching the babies follow mom. Here's the latest on the duck drama...hopefully this link will work and you don't have to be logged in to see it: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=13535508

Sally...those darn squirrels. So naughty! ;-)

This message was edited May 19, 2009 1:30 PM

Thanks for posting that.....12 this time!!! And they got to lead the parade....How sweet is that?

That little squirrel comes everyday, I put out food for him but he likes the birdseed better.

Loved the video. That guy is a good catcher! ^_^
WIB,
SW

Saw the quail again this morning - at least three. This is either a female or immature male. Look at that sweet face. :-)

The male is kind of fuzzy, but you can see the topknot. They were really going to town in the ground cover sage. I'd put some food out for them, but the squirrels would eat it all and I refuse to feed them!

Well, you've got your quail back. It looks like the coloring is a little different than here, I see the black face on the male, or is it just the angle?

Yes, he has a black face. I got the binocs out and had a good look at him. Yours looks like his topknot is straighter - do they straighten them out sometimes? The Gambel's quail has a straight one, but they don't have the scalloping in the front. Here's a good page for comparisons. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Quail/id

Maybe mine just look that way when I have a camera pointed at them. LOL They watch every move I make and if I get one inch too close.......whoop, they're all gone in a flash.

When they're running away from me, it's down.

Bwaaaaahahaha!!!

LOL!
I know what you mean about Quail. Still only the one sighting. I must get up around dawn! Then I'll be able to get photos (I hope!) of them. I hear them, but only see the guard birds. Probably because the dogs scare them off before I can get to them.
Loved seeing the photos of the Quail, Sally and KC. Quail are cheerful little birds aren't they?
WIB!
SW

I'm still waiting to see little ones.

He's back! It's been over a month, and he was visiting the pond out back again today. BTW, my Goldfish are fine. They hide under the water lilies and in their rock caves.
This was my first sighting of him today.

Sneaking up on him.

The best of the photos. He didn't stick around all day. I wonder if he is still lost? Looks like the same one.
Sure was a treat to see him again. He is a Black Crowned Night Heron, juvenile, for those who missed it on page one of this thread. He was here back on April 19.
WIB!
SW

rats! Forgot to attach photo!
WIB!
SW

He really is pretty---I'd be a nervous wreck if he was hanging around licking his bill over MY fish, though. I put a bunch of feeder goldfish in the front pond the other day. The plastic heron seems to be doing its job, and I'm not losing anyone to REAL herons or egrets.

Great pictures SW, thank you for sharing.

Wonderful photos, SW. What fun to have such a guy in your backyard. Living in "the city," we don't often see such guys hanging about. But we have a number of ponding basins in town and they invite all kinds of migrating and local water birds. Several years ago when I was doing rehab therapy daily, 6 days a week, for months-seemingly-on-end, the office backed up to a ponding basin. I had the awesome opportunity to watch egrets and geese, ducks, and even a swan one day. It was a reminder that there are avian species besides hummingbirds, doves, and all the other little ones I see daily. I sometimes pull up to one of these big ponds just to see what kinds of birds are visiting town.

I envy you and all the others who see them in your backyards. I don't envy you the work required to manage such a property, tho, especially since I'm having trouble handling my little city lot! {LOL}

Thanks for send the photos. I especially enjoyed the last one, of course.

Linda

Oh my, so cool, such fun! I got to watch a leaf cutter bee cut a circle out of a rose leaf just now! What a treat.

Linda

Twin, I think that there is nothing more healing than to work with your hands in the garden. Your mind goes elsewhere, until something grabs your attention. With you it was the leafcutter. It is way cool to watch.
For me, today, it was watching that black chinned hummer (BCH) out in the b.fly/hummer garden. It swooped up to a bare branch on the Honeybird bush (Tecoma stans), which is bushing out nicely. Then it would flit over to the B.fly Bush. I had to go examine it closely, but I discovered that it is starting to bloom.
Oh, the BCH, was very protective of that bush. He was also interested in the watering I was doing by hand, so I set up the bird bath in a new location, and we'll see how it works there. I might have to move it again. I think his mate was even more interested, but he wouldn't let her approach closely.
Every day brings something new and unexpected, gives me a reason to give thanks.
Hope your day continues to bring forth the wonder and beauty of the natural world.
WIB,
SW

Those quail are so sweet! SW, wow, your visitor is back eh. Great pics! Is this a Black Crowned Night Heron as well by any chance? (Taken at a nearby lake, same place as the geese and egret pics)

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