Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Critters

Thrasher Cleared For Takeoff

Thrasher Launch

I walked out to the driveway yesterday thinking I would take some cactus flower pictures, but before I could direct the camera lens at the cacti, I saw this curve billed thrasher perched atop our big saguaro out front. I did not actually see the bird at first, but its loud wheet whee wheet call made me turn just in time to see it on the big cactus.

I pointed and shot several frames just before and after it leapt into the air and was gone. This was one of four images I took as it hastily departed. Click on the image to enlarge.

I’m not sure why the bird was on the big saguaro. It’s too early for fruit and there are no active nests on the big guy. Maybe it was just looking out for potential predators to its nest in a nearby cholla cactus.

29 Mar 2015 by Arizona Critters Photography

Female of the Northern Cardinal Species

Female Cardinal

We enjoy seeing several pairs of cardinals that visit our feeders. This is one of the females that perched on the seed bell yesterday. She let both Damsel and I get fairly close to the bell before she flitted away. Both of our cameras were clicking away as we approached. I got this shot using the 300mm telephoto lens on my Canon SL1 from about thirty feet away. Damsel got another shot of her from a much closer distance using her Canon T3 and the standard lens at 55mm focal length.

With our mild winters, we see the cardinals all year around. We even saw one of them on the last day of 2014 which was our only snow day in six years.

This is from Wikipedia:

Although some controversy surrounds bird feeding (see bird feeder for details), an increase in backyard feeding by humans has generally been beneficial to this species. It is listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN Red List. It has an estimated global range of 2,200,000 sq mi and a global population estimated to be about 100 million individuals.

17 Mar 2015 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

Curve Billed Thrasher Nest and Eggs

Thrasher Nest 
Thrasher Cholla

For the third year in a row (that we know of), the curve billed thrashers have built a nest in the cholla cactus in front of our house. We discovered three eggs in the nest today.

The nest is in the inhospitable-looking cholla cactus seen at the lower right. One of the thrashers is seen in the lower left photo perched on a cholla. Click on any of the images to enlarge.

We were worried that the wall and RV drive construction projects would have discouraged the nest-builders, but, obviously, it didn’t bother them. The nest is typical of those we have seen in the past and you can see our used dental floss that we scatter outside in the winter and spring months woven in with the fibers and twigs.

If we have the chance, we may post some pictures of the thrasher chicks when they hatch, but we don’t want to disturb the birds as they nurture their young. In the past, they have laid eggs in the nest twice, so we may not get the opportunity until the second brood.

15 Mar 2015 by Arizona Critters Environment Photography

Lurking in the Rosemary

Lurking in the Rosemary

After all those years of enjoying the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote Looney Tunes cartoons from Warner Brothers, it’s hard to think of the poor roadrunner as predator rather than prey (roadrunners are both, actually). You expect it to go ‘meep meep,” when actually the roadrunner has a slow and descending dove-like “coo”. It also makes a rapid, vocalized clattering sound with its beak.

Having watched our roadrunners (ours because living on or near our lot) for the past several years, it is clear that they are predators. They lurk near the finch feeders to try and catch an unwary goldfinch eating thistle seeds. We have not actually witnessed them catching a bird but we have seen them lie very still then leap and miss. We have seen them carrying prey in their beaks, probably small reptiles, as they scurry off to consume their catch.

I photographed this bird lurking in the rosemary ground cover near the feeders behind the RV drive in the late afternoon. Click on the image to enlarge.

10 Mar 2015 by Arizona Critters Environment Photography

Where’s Waldo?

Where’s Waldo?

If you look very carefully, you may see a bird in Damsel’s plum tree.

Seriously, Damsel and I have a running joke of saying “Where’s Waldo?” whenever we see a male cardinal outside; the bright crimson color of these birds makes them easy to spot even in non-sunny conditions like this morning. I was on the courtyard patio with the intention of shooting some close-up photos of plum blossoms with raindrops, when this cardinal briefly lighted in the tree.

I got the photo of the bird OK but I’m still working on competing with Damsel when it comes to crisp close-ups (none of my raindrop/flower pictures were acceptable). Click on the image to enlarge.

01 Mar 2015 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

Anna’s Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird

There are a bunch of hummingbirds that frequent Damsel’s feeders. I took a photo of this little male Anna’s Hummingbird sipping at the west feeder last evening. I was not aware that this variety’s range was limited to Baja California and the west coast until the 20th century when urbanization of desert areas expanded their range. Moreover, I had no idea why it was “Anna’s” hummingbird. See the following Wikipedia excerpt:

Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a medium-sized stocky hummingbird native to the west coast of North America. This bird was named after Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli. In the early 20th century, Anna’s hummingbird bred only in northern Baja California and southern California. The transplanting of exotic ornamental plants in residential areas throughout the Pacific coast and inland deserts provided expanded nectar and nesting sites, and the species was able to expand its breeding range greatly.

15 Feb 2015 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove

This afternoon, I went out in the courtyard with the camera and telephoto lens. I occasionally have done this since obtaining the camera in December, looking for targets of opportunity.

Today, a mourning dove was perched on the courtyard wall. Oddly, the bird just sat there, not particularly startled by my appearance. It did keep an eye on me as I removed the lens cover, adjusted a couple of things on the camera and took a series of photos of the bird. It finally fluttered away after I moved to a different part of the courtyard for another shot or two.

We have seen several varieties of doves here in town, including mourning, white wing and collared doves. The mourning dove is the most prolific and for good reason according the source quoted below. Click on the image to enlarge.

From Wikipedia:

The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family (Columbidae). The bird is also called the turtle dove or the American mourning dove or rain dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina pigeon or Carolina turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds.

It is also the leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure stems from its prolific breeding: in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods a year.

The wings can make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).

10 Feb 2015 by Arizona Critters Photography

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