I hung this birdseed bell on one of the mesquite trees in our back yard to attract cardinals, and other birds, but today, this desert chipmunk jumped onto the seed bell to help itself to the easy pickins. Click on the image to enlarge.
Critters
Curve Billed Thrasher
Every once in a while, I get lucky with my Canon SX110 IS camera and get a shot that rivals Damsel’s excellent work with her Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I was sitting on the patio today and observed a curve-billed thrasher helping itself to Damsel’s seed bell on the other side of the RV drive through.
The bell was about twenty-five feet from me when I snapped the shot using both the built-in optical and electronic zoom features. Click on the image to enlarge.
A Cardinal Pansy
We have been getting bids from several landscape contractors for irrigation systems, rocks and plants to the Arizona property. Today, we were visiting one contractor at his garden shop where this cardinal-colored pansy was in bloom. The red color and black face of a cardinal match this flower almost perfectly. Click on the image to enlarge.
Birdseed Bell
This week, I bought a birdseed bell on sale at the local discount store. I hung it out in one of the trees on the hill behind our house where it almost immediately began to attract a lot of interest among the birds in the area. Here a curved bill thresher is helping itself to some of the tidbits while our cardinal awaits its turn for the treat. Click on the image to enlarge.
What a Load of Bull
Not talking about the left media but really a load of bull – or possibly steer. We saw this drive by during the Wickenburg Gold Rush Days parade this morning. We don’t know how the suspension in this highly modified Cadillac could take the tons of beast down the road without sagging. Click on the image to enlarge.
Arizona State Bird
This is a cactus wren, the State Bird of Arizona. This little guy was sampling some of the birdseed and critter crunch this morning. Click on the image to enlarge.
Red Bird
In order to entice the birds to dwell around the house where we can see them, I toss some bird seed and “Critter Crunch” around the house. It seems to work since we are frequently visited by many species of birds, including this cardinal.
Just the other day, we were wondering why this bird is bright red. Most species out here seem to blend in with the desert, but not this guy. You can spot him in a palo verde or a mesquite 500 feet away. When the wall where he is perched is finished and painted the color of the house, he will blend in a little bit better.