This handsome fellow showed up in the back of the house today, much to the dismay of the smaller birds upon which he preys. He perched for a few seconds on a dead branch before flying away after his next catch. I managed to get this photo before he flew away. What a pretty raptor! Click on the image to enlarge.
I was on the patio earlier this evening and saw a javelina up in the wash behind the house. It disappeared behind the vegetation and I dismissed it as another distant sighting. Cabela started barking and carrying on in the front room. I went to see what was up and there were a family of six javelinas foraging across the road. I ran to get my camera and got this photo of the last one heading up the road. Click on the image to see the non-cropped version.
With four flowers on the saguaro open today, the bees were out in force to collect the nectar and pollinate the cactus. Behind the open flowers, you can see a couple of fruit pods forming where other flowers have already opened. Click on the image to enlarge.
The hoomins took Cabela and me to the groomer today. We both had baths and I got a summer haircut. This is us all nice and clean and me with my new haircut. Click the picture to make us big. OK – nap time – bye!
A few days ago, I posted a picture of a gilded flicker at the seed bell out back. Over the weekend, I captured a gilded flicker arriving at the seed feeder as a house finch makes a hasty departure. You can see the yellow plumage in this picture that gives this bird the ‘gilded’ description. Click on the image to enlarge.
As we sat on the patio today, this colorful Gilded Flicker (colaptes chrysoides) helped himself to some of the seed bell we put out this morning. His mate (without the red cheeks) also helped herself to both the seed bell and a nearby seed feeder. We seem to go through a bell a day but the feeder lasts a few days before reloading. Click on the image to enlarge.
