Here are some observations about birdfeeders from our Tucson gardens. I stopped putting birdseed out at night since someone thought it was funny to make a seed trail to one of the units at El Presidio. I know I try to go for fantasy in the garden but in reality, we are not Hansel and Grettel. So at some point in the morning, I go out and put the food in their feeders.
A call is made by one bird. Today it was Captain Jack Sparrow. Notice the tail and you'll understand why I call him that name. There aren't any birds around at all and the minute I pour the seed into the feeders, one singular call is made.
In the hot humid temps, one bird appears. Then another. And another......until the entire area is full of life and activity.
My birdfeeder visits attract Verdins, Anna's Hummingbird(crossing my fingers for that random Rufous visit), House Sparrows, House Finches, Pigeons, Mourning Doves, Curve Billed Thrashers and Cardinals.
I tried a new setting on the camera to see how the images would turn out in the bright sun. And I kind of like the darker images.
Currently, there are a lot of juvenile birds out there and as always, it's fun to watch them learn from their parents.
This Mourning Dove was quite cute sitting waiting patiently for several of the other birds to move out. So I am hopeful that I'll see a Rufous Hummingbird or some Incan Doves.....or perhaps a Gambel's Quail. More tomorrow....
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jaja!!!.. Muy bueno el título de la entrada.. Y Bonitas fotos.. Un saludillo desde la calurosa España..
ReplyDeleteMuchisimas gracias:) Es muy calurosa aqui tambien en Tucson:) Pero quizas, QUIZAS:) va a llover hoy:)
DeleteThe Mourning Dove is very pretty.
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful bird. Apparently we have other varieties here and all this time I just thought there was one kind:)
DeleteHi Chris, Firstly thanks so much for your support while i was "off posting", it was a nice surprise finding your comments on my scheduled posts.
ReplyDeleteHope your summer is going smoothly. It's very nice of you of dedicating a post to sparrows as they are so common - in fact we should say "were common". They seem to dispapear in Westren Europe ( i don't know if it is the case on your side of the worl?!) and now it is quite a treat to see one. i think we have a couple or 2 only in the garden!
Thanks again and have a wonderful Sunday! deeBee ;)
Hi there,
DeleteI'm glad your back again and hope you had fun while you were off....maybe you were on vacation? I love vacation:)
This summer has been interesting. I've had to be very strict with my spending on the last part of summer as is always the case before I start back up again with school. And of course, everything decides to act up when you least want them to:)
I put the Sparrows in this post for my European friends who have lost their populations. I don't know if they did a mass migration as I had read that somewhere or if they are dying in your part of the world(which I hope isn't the case). Here they are plentiful.....and a common sight. In fact, there are so many varieties of them. But it's because of your issues in England, France and other parts that I look at these birds differently. We take too much for granted and then when they're gone, we regret not paying better attention to the things around us. Or at least that's how I am. So this post was specifically placed up for my European friends:) Glad you enjoyed.
Its amazing the amount of species you can attract to a garden when you put out food and/or water. I've had some real surprises over the years even if some are just one off visits. You just never know what might turn up :)
ReplyDeleteI know!!! So as of yesterday, THREE!!! THREE new birds came to the garden. I got one of film, but the other two not so much...one was the Rufous Hummingbird!!!! It's the one I need. Ugh:( But I saw it. That's gotta count for something:)
DeleteI put my seed away at night because of the racoons. I am not sure which is worse the racoons or the people? The dove is a sweet looking bird. Great shots of your feeder birds. Have a happy Sunday!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, this puts me at ease. I could be warring with racoons. Somehow they seem more fun to have around:)
Deletethe bird with the red-throat and speckled chest is the Thrasher?? ooooh...i like him!!
ReplyDeleteJack Sparrow! haha...he's a scream(er)!!
the darker background is nice...it makes what your focusing on...POP out!
great shots...as always...
The Thrasher is actually got lizard yellow eyes with a curve beak. I had a picture of him but didn't put him up. The red-throated bird is actually a House Finch....and I believe a Juvenile male. Happy Sunday!
Delete:) cool title...
ReplyDeleteNice pictures!
Have a great Sunday!
xoxo, Juliana
[pjhappies.blogspot.com]
You do the same. Hope you have a good start to your week.
Deletei like all the youngsters we have here, too. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL!!! You sure have lots:)
DeleteGreat shots!
ReplyDeleteGracias:)
DeleteWhat camera settings are you playing with?
ReplyDeleteLove the dove photo... our mourning doves have moved on, replaced by white winged doves. Nice, mood setting shots, Chris!
Okay, I put the camera on an extreme shutter move. It was set on TV. The light here, as you well know, is so bright so I wanted to shoot these birds at extreme forced shutter speed in bright light. So I was able to take one pic at a time. That forced shutter made a darker pic but also got the birds shading nice and clear. Shutter speed was set at 1/4000 on the TV setting. ISO 100. Manual Focus
DeleteI loved all of these photos. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by:)
DeleteI love pulling your images in a bit closer Chris and checking out your little feathered friends in more detail. You birds are so small and dainty, I feed the wild birds also, but my Aussie birds like the Galahs and Corellas are quite a big size and very raucous!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a Galah or Corella...sounds like they are fun:)
DeleteWe like watching the juveniles to as they "get their wings" and learn. We get a lot of doves. They eat what the other birds scatter on the ground.
ReplyDeleteThe ones that can fit around the feeder scratch all the seed to the ground....and that's where they all hang out:)
DeleteSeems like the same birds visit your feeders as do mine during the winter months in Yarnell. Can't put seed out in the park for obvious reasons. But do enjoy the hummers, including the rufous.
ReplyDelete:) I remember when a couple campers would put crackers around their siblings tents to attract the racoons at night. Who would do something like that?:)
DeleteLots of activity around your feeder, I like Captain Jack best though I think.
ReplyDeleteI love your birds, there are a millions of them, lol.
ReplyDeleteour so lucky to have Captain Jack and his friends hanging about.
ReplyDeleteNice sequence, Chris.
I love how we develop a relationship with the friends that travel in and out of our gardens. Captain Sparrow is a perfect example :)
ReplyDeleteWe predominantly have House Finches, Sparrows and Doves. But are lucky to see Verdins, Mocking Birds, and Curve Billed Thrashers too.
ReplyDeleteOh, you are getting really clever with your post titles, Chris! I bet the word is getting around the bird communities that your place is a great refuge from the heat - someplace a bird can get a good meal and a bath.
ReplyDelete