One of the cardinals stopped at the feeder out back this afternoon. I managed to get this shot of him just as he was departing. Click on the image to enlarge.
Critters
Harris’ Hawk
I walked outside this morning to be greeted by this guy perched on a branch near the bird feeders. It is a Harris’s hawk. There were two of them, mates, I assume, browsing the area for prey. Click on the image to enlarge.
Ants Harvesting Sage Blossom Petals
Damsel pointed out this swarm of ants collecting petals recently shed by the Cimarron Sage after the recent “second spring’ blooming. I’m not sure what they do with them, but feeding the colony comes to mind.
This anthill is under some of the river rocks placed along the berm where the house sits. They are a little too close to the house and where we walk the dogs, so I took my “Ortho Annihilator” spray down there and doused their anthill and the area. Click on the image to enlarge.
The Dog Park
Since the dogs love to run around in the dog park, we try to take them often. We went there today and they all seemed to have a great time. This image shows one of the rare times that everyone is in the frame. Click on the image to enlarge.
Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx Californianus)
This roadrunner was standing on the hill next to the road just east of our driveway while we were out walking the dogs earlier today. He stood and posed while I took a couple of photos with my little Canon A710 IS pocket camera. I generally carry the camera just for photo ops like this. Click on the image to enlarge.
According to Wikipedia:
The Greater Roadrunner, taxonomically classified as Geococcyx californianus, meaning “Californian Earth-cuckoo,” is a long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. Along with the Lesser Roadrunner, it is one of two species in the roadrunner genus Geococcyx. This roadrunner is also known as the chaparral cock, ground cuckoo, and snake killer.
Goldfinch in a Mesquite Tree
We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend.
Not much to report today other than having this pretty little goldfinch perch in the mesquite tree behind the RV drive. Click on the image to enlarge.
A Visit to the Dog Park
We had a notion to take the dogs to the Wickenburg dog park today. We were lucky that we were the only ones that showed up. The dogs had a blast and so did the Mama and the Daddy. Click on the image to enlarge.