The season is in transition. It’s still hot during the day, but mornings have been beautiful and cool. Today I had a lovely walk, just after moonset…
Almost-full moon setting behind my bird garden
…during which I saw and/or heard phainopeplas. pyrrhuloxias, curved-billed thrashers, cactus wrens, a pair of verdins, Gambel’s quail, and several house finches.
A couple of days ago at Tohono Chul Park I followed a roadrunner for some distance, hoping to get a quick video. Unfortunately, every time I started the camera he stopped moving, as if he were deliberately trying to thwart me. Here are a couple of still shots he allowed me to take:
And below is a really nice wolf spider hole, surrounded by its signature parapet: These holes (with parapets) can be seen to the sides of most trails these days. I have not been able to find out why wolf spiders construct parapets, but have heard that they sit on them to see prey coming down the trail. I doubt this, since I’ve never seen a spider on one. If anyone reading this knows the answer, please leave it in the comments.
Cool roadrunner. Probably like trying to get a video of quail running around; the roadrunner is afraid you'll post him on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe he's afraid I'd make him sign a release.
DeleteOut of lack of familiarity, I have been running another window in Google so I can look up the many creatures you list. At first, I was a bit irritated at the inconvenience, yet I quickly saw the wealth in this practice! Staying in "Images" lets me, too, see the beauties KL is discussing!! A little bit like being there!
ReplyDeleteSorry for the inconvenience, Jo. I guess I forget that some people who read this blog (like the many people in Ukraine, strangely enough) are not familiar with our desert birds. I will try to introduce them more fully in future posts.
DeleteGetting closer to those desert birds. Terrible fog in Kansas this morning. Lots of cholla in Texas. Rain and hail in New Mexico. Tomorrow we will be back in Arizona. See you soon. S
ReplyDeleteThe desert birds and I look forward to seeing you. I'll tell them hi for you this morning.
DeleteBird songs. I need to work on that. The only one I'm sure of is the Carolina wren, and only then because they go off like car alarms at dawn.
ReplyDeleteGila woodpeckers and white-winged doves do that for us here. It's good to be able to count on an avian awakening, don't you think?
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