Yesterday, behaving curiously, a wren got into big trouble and I had to save it's life. Because I'm so scared from the traumatic event, I'll spare you the horrible details. However, let's just say it's why I wrote about their snoopy behavior today. I will honor the wren's life I saved and pray he continues to thrive.
Our Cactus Wrens are not just curious, they're down right nosy. Like little kids, these birds get into everything from our vehicles to laundry room and the screened in porch where I keep a few potted plants. Those rascals love to come inside and dig up the dirt in my plants. Yes, wrens do eat mostly insects, seeds or fruit, but I don't think the digging up my plants is as much for food as it is just plain curiosity.
Yesterday, behaving curiously, a wren got into big trouble and I had to save it's life. Because I'm so scared from the traumatic event, I'll spare you the horrible details. However, let's just say it's why I wrote about their snoopy behavior today. I will honor the wren's life I saved and pray he continues to thrive.
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Wow, Ruby-crowned Kinglets are a hard bird to photograph! It's not just the tiny size (3.5 to 4.3 in) or that they're usually hiding in tree tops full of camouflage, it's the flitting about from branch to branch. Kinglets are adorable birds though, so I gave it my best effort to capture one this morning. Out of 24 takes...here's what I can share, without too much trepidation. Hope you enjoy?!?!
Everyone loves hummingbirds, but do hummingbirds love us? That is the question I ask myself often. Mr. Homer the hummer seems to adore me. His love affair with me (and my nectar) may be called "imprinting"? I'm not sure. Here's the definition: im·print·ing (mprntng) n. A rapid learning process by which a newborn or very young animal establishes an attraction to another animal of its own kind or to a substitute or an object identified as the parent. Okay, I'll call it "a behavior pattern of recognition." He comes when I call, he rarely leaves the yard and he won't let any other hummingbirds stay for very long. He's chased away the Anna's, Black-chinned, Broad-billed and Rufous, with one exception...the ladies. He lets the girls come for juice. Homer is a Costa's (Calypte costae) and I remember when we met. It was a very rainy day and he had gotten wet, I could see he was shivering from the cold. Costa’s Hummingbirds breed mainly from February to May on their desert breeding grounds in California and Arizona, so I'm guessing he was just a few months old when we met. I felt so bad for the little guy and (after I took his photo) I reassured him, "I will take good care of you sweetie bird, don't be scared."
It's Sunday, for us that means church day. We enjoy our neighborhood church (PRCC) for many reasons but mostly because of it's walking distance. Today, we weren't going to go until it struck us...we are SO blessed! I'm healthy, our family members are healthy and we have lots of work, let's go give thanks to God.
So off we walked... Just two houses down...whoa...we spot a mass quantity of Harris hawks drinking from a large water feature. Several just gave us the 'stink eye' and didn't fly off. They've been hunting around our neighborhood in cooperative groups (two to six) for many years and they're not bothered at all by our presence. While most raptors are solitary, only coming together for breeding and migration, Harris's hawks will hunt in packs. Presumably, hunting packs are an adaptation to the desert climate. (Heck, that is exactly how desert coyote hunt). In one hunting technique, a small group flies ahead and scouts, then another group member flies ahead and scouts, and this continues until prey is bagged and shared. In another, all the hawks spread around the prey and one bird flushes it out. I've seen pairs of Cooper's hawks doing this hunting technique. Sadly, the wild Harris's hawk population is declining due to habitat loss; however, under some circumstances, they have been known to move into developed areas and that may be why we see so many in our northwest neighborhood. Our humble home is nestled at the base of Pusch Ridge mountain range where wilderness and urbanization meet. Over the years I've taken many images of these beautiful prey birds. Here's a family portrait of the group that lives out back. Ironically, I see them every morning just after I feed the backyard birds. Wink. Anyone who is a birder and lives in Tucson area has surely been to Sweetwater, right? Truthfully, it was years after I started birding before I got over there to check it out. Boy was I sure missing out on some fun birds. I love it there so much I went 3 times this week and it's about 1/2 hour drive from my house. Map to Sweetwater Wetlands Another reason I went so many times...was to see if I could capture a photo of the Groove-billed Ani. No such luck. However, I did see my first Northern Harrier Hawk, a Lincoln's Sparrow, a Western Tanager female, some Northern Flickers (which I love) and two baby ducks wrestling like puppies. A real eye catcher was a Grebe so full of energy. It was diving, fluffing, and carrying on. It makes sense that its other names include American dabchick, Carolina grebe, devil-diver, dive-dapper, dipper, hell-diver, pied-billed dabchick, thick-billed grebe, and water witch!
Bird addiction really escalated when I hit bottom with my health, in about 2008. Migraines became unbearable, most likely a menopause/hormonal symptom. The only thing that would ease the migraine pain, was sitting quietly and listening to the chirps and chatter of my feathered friends. Concentrating to identify birds by call would distract me long enough for the pain to subside.
Honestly, I became dependent on them to heal me like a drug. Thankfully, I'm no longer sick with migraines. That nightmare ended. Sadly, in April of 2012 I became afflicted with a new nightmare, idiopathic chronic hives. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urticaria |
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