We’re in an undisclosed location somewhere in Arizona tonight. When we pulled the RV into the campsite and got all set up, these little guys showed up – the whole family. They’re Arizona Quail, I suppose – anyhow, they’re cute! Click on the image to enlarge.
We were at Lowe’s this afternoon getting some birdseed and garden supplies. While we were there we shopped around looking at the pretty flowers. Well, we weren’t the only ones interested in the flowers. This little guy browsed these little purple flowers long enough for me to get a half dozen shots of him. This was the best of the lot. Click on the image to see full sized.
My stapelia gigantea, currently in bloom, has two of these nasty, hairy, stinky “carrion” flowers, seen here complete with pollinators – the only ones that are attracted to the decaying flesh odor of the flowers. I used my canon sx110 in telephoto mode to capture this shot, thereby avoiding the stench at closer range. Click image to enlarge this disgusting thing.
I posted this since I know Sig94 likes these.
On our way into Yosemite a couple of weeks ago, we spotted some deer crossing the little country road we took to the lodge where we stayed the night. One deer bounded right through a barbed-wire fence and across a field. This is a two-frame movie that I captured as two photos combined into a Flash© animation.
She lit on the hibiscus, posed for just a second and fluttered off. Not before I got this photo, though. Click to enlarge.
The big Devil’s Tongue barrel cactus in the back yard is again in bloom. The appearance of the beautiful flowers attracts honey bees who brave their way through the spikes and spines to gather nectar. Click on the image to enlarge.
I went into the back yard this morning and saw a hawk perched on my garden utility cart. I quietly rushed back into the house to get my camera and quietly returned to get some photos. The young bird stayed long enough for me to get several images. The composite image above is made from the best of the perched and in flight images.
According to my copy of “Birds of the Los Angeles Region,” this is probably a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk. This species is a year-round resident in the area and is known to ambush smaller birds as they feed. Cooper’s Hawks are often seen hunting around bird feeders – our feeders are to the left of the perched image, just out of the frame.
This bird and his ancestors have been coming around our yard for several years. We enjoy seeing their beautiful plumage and love the way they glide and soar overhead showing off their flares feathers.