This is an awful photo. I tried to zoom in, but its still blurry. I have pointed out the 3 camels. They look more like bales of hay, but honestly, they're camels.
Christmas Camels
I live in a subdivision that is very "horsey". It's a darling towne filled with skads of horse farms. Across the street from my subdivision is a farm that has hay rides! The Engineer is not one to do such a thing, and I don't have any friends here, so I've not done it. I have however, seen camels in their barnyard every Decemember. I "think" they are used in the amazing Christmas pagent held downtown every year.
This is an awful photo. I tried to zoom in, but its still blurry. I have pointed out the 3 camels. They look more like bales of hay, but honestly, they're camels.
This is an awful photo. I tried to zoom in, but its still blurry. I have pointed out the 3 camels. They look more like bales of hay, but honestly, they're camels.
Christmas Swan
My sister and I were out back this morning unwrapping Chrissie the Christmas Tree - out of the blue, we saw an amazing beautiful swan. These photos do not do it justice nor does it capture the size of this beauty. Alone and tranquil this moment took our breath away. I really don't have any words to express this event. It is by far the most amazing thing I have seen on the canal to date. A blessing.........that about sums it up.....
A Little Over A Year Ago......
....Was Operation December Duck. Man, where did that year go???
I still have a few of the girls (5 of them), that are here in my sub-division. Two are here almost daily. Portia and Ellen. (I think they are a "couple" - and Ellen has tried to have her way with me in the pool...).
I still look for my flock every time I drive in and out. In fact, I saw a mostly white duck the other nite on the way to dinner, but I couldn't stop - had The Rents in the car.
I have also had the Black Bellied Whistling Ducks here in September. I took a bunch of pictures of them, but I have them on here already. The Beaks came back in the fall. No iguanas of any consequence since last year's freeze. We have had quite a few ducklings on the lake side, but nothing too exciting over here.
Maybe when the spring comes, I will have more news. It's been a quiet few months.
Merry Merry! Quack, Quack where ever you are my flock...... I think about you and miss you every day.
MDM
I still have a few of the girls (5 of them), that are here in my sub-division. Two are here almost daily. Portia and Ellen. (I think they are a "couple" - and Ellen has tried to have her way with me in the pool...).
I still look for my flock every time I drive in and out. In fact, I saw a mostly white duck the other nite on the way to dinner, but I couldn't stop - had The Rents in the car.
I have also had the Black Bellied Whistling Ducks here in September. I took a bunch of pictures of them, but I have them on here already. The Beaks came back in the fall. No iguanas of any consequence since last year's freeze. We have had quite a few ducklings on the lake side, but nothing too exciting over here.
Maybe when the spring comes, I will have more news. It's been a quiet few months.
Merry Merry! Quack, Quack where ever you are my flock...... I think about you and miss you every day.
MDM
Duck Sighting???
Ok so, being the tremendous dork that I am, everytime I leave my house and pass a body of water, I look for my ducks.
My trip out to the gym late this morning was no exception. Off to my left was a canal, and low and behold, there was the duck I thought was Spentie (with the plume changes). I grabbed my shoes from my gym bag and dashed off down the bank. (I couldn't help thinking "damn - I hope there's no gators or snakes down here".
I got close and, and......It wasn't Spentie. This was a female, complete with 4 babies. :)
Oh well. The hunt continues!
My trip out to the gym late this morning was no exception. Off to my left was a canal, and low and behold, there was the duck I thought was Spentie (with the plume changes). I grabbed my shoes from my gym bag and dashed off down the bank. (I couldn't help thinking "damn - I hope there's no gators or snakes down here".
I got close and, and......It wasn't Spentie. This was a female, complete with 4 babies. :)
Oh well. The hunt continues!
In Memoriam - Fillie and Millie's Fishies
My In-laws have a lovely backyard, that includes a pond with baby Koi fish. Like my duck, they even had a fish named Angel.
I just got an email from Millie - they found a fish head in their back yard and on further inspection of the pond, not one of their fishies were left. A blasted Heron ate every single one. :(
Parrots or Parakeets?
Today I got up and went to the gym. I just couldn't get into it.
I needed coffee.
I stopped at McDonald's and got a large java, went home, parked the car and took a walk. I sat at the neighborhood park and enoyed my caffeine, and the peace of the morning before my day starts to unravel. O_o
A flock of approx. 16 (what I thought were parrots) landed on the grass in front of me. They may have been Monk Parakeets, but since I didn't have a camera, I don't have an orig photo. I'm really not sure what they were.
In any event, a woman came lumbering down the path and they took off like a shot. The photo here is of a Monk Parakeet. It's not what I saw...these birds were all green with blue tipped wings. I found so many parrots and parakeets with this coloring, who knows what they were.
I needed coffee.
I stopped at McDonald's and got a large java, went home, parked the car and took a walk. I sat at the neighborhood park and enoyed my caffeine, and the peace of the morning before my day starts to unravel. O_o
A flock of approx. 16 (what I thought were parrots) landed on the grass in front of me. They may have been Monk Parakeets, but since I didn't have a camera, I don't have an orig photo. I'm really not sure what they were.
In any event, a woman came lumbering down the path and they took off like a shot. The photo here is of a Monk Parakeet. It's not what I saw...these birds were all green with blue tipped wings. I found so many parrots and parakeets with this coloring, who knows what they were.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia!
AGT & A Froggie!
America's Got Talent nite, The Engineer and I were having our usual fun. Popcorn, wine and fun TV. This week, we had a viewing companion. There he was hanging on the back patio door. So darn cute. I think he would've beat out that old gal with the red hair and Groucho Marx eyebrows that sang Kansas City.
O_o
How blasted cute is he??
Just When I Thought Nothing Was Going On....
On the way home from the gym today I thought to myself that nothin's going on out back right now. I haven't seen the huge flock of ducklings, nada! Well, I haven't really been out much - it's been rainy. But this morning, I went out to water the flowers, and down by the canal fence was a sizeable snapping turtle! I've seen him in the water, but this is the first time I've seen him in the yard.
Then I turned around, and there's a huge toad. I thought maybe it was dead, so I touched it with my toe and he hopped away.
And me with no camera. Oh well. Happy Monday.
Then I turned around, and there's a huge toad. I thought maybe it was dead, so I touched it with my toe and he hopped away.
And me with no camera. Oh well. Happy Monday.
Bro's Cooper's Hawk Update!
From Brother: I have good news! I called Renee at S.W.C.C yesterday when I got off work to check up on him. His blood work came back good (No poison, that was one of my main concerns) He has been moved to the flight pen, and is going to be kept for observation for two more days then released where I found him! They think he may have succumbed to the heat, multiplied by his malnourished state. (It has been quite hot here for the last week) It is apparently common for male hawks to hunt themselves very thin when the pair has young that need to be fed. The males pass off most of what they capture to the female who in turn feeds the babies and herself. He tends to go hungry in an effort to care for his family. I just hope she isn't mad at him when he returns, she is quite larger and heavier.
My Amazing Brother and a Cooper's Hawk
From my brother:
Dear Sis, I know of your love of birds so I must relay this story to you. As you know I am a huge reptile guy which in turn makes me interested in birds considering the relationship between the two, especially Raptors! We have a resident population of Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter Cooperii) in this area and being we have tons of old growth trees in our neighborhood it is a perfect hunting ground for them (They feed largely on other birds, Sparrows, Wrens, Starlings, Robins, Etc....) We have been watching a breeding pair hunt in the trees around our house for the last few months and have been very excited to watch their incredible maneuverability and prowess as aerial hunters!
They are phenomenal!
Last night I walked out the front door to go to the store and saw the male, the smaller of the two in a dead spiral towards the ground and I hollered out to Sherri "Honey, hurry the male hawk has caught something mid-air" It turned out that he was in fact injured by something and landed in the middle of the street, unable to get off the ground, by what, I have no Idea. I ran over to him and he just looked at me and started to scream at me in fear. I carefully picked him up confining his wings, talons and avoiding his beak and carried him to the house. We lined a box with an old towel and sealed him inside and punched air holes in all four sides for him to breath (He was not happy, but did not attempt to bite me, much to my surprise) I immediately called the Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center who turned out to be closed, but their mail box said "put the injured wild animal in a cardboard box, do not attempt to feed it or give it water and get it to us a.s.a.p.!!!!!!"
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Dear Sis, I know of your love of birds so I must relay this story to you. As you know I am a huge reptile guy which in turn makes me interested in birds considering the relationship between the two, especially Raptors! We have a resident population of Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter Cooperii) in this area and being we have tons of old growth trees in our neighborhood it is a perfect hunting ground for them (They feed largely on other birds, Sparrows, Wrens, Starlings, Robins, Etc....) We have been watching a breeding pair hunt in the trees around our house for the last few months and have been very excited to watch their incredible maneuverability and prowess as aerial hunters!
They are phenomenal!
Last night I walked out the front door to go to the store and saw the male, the smaller of the two in a dead spiral towards the ground and I hollered out to Sherri "Honey, hurry the male hawk has caught something mid-air" It turned out that he was in fact injured by something and landed in the middle of the street, unable to get off the ground, by what, I have no Idea. I ran over to him and he just looked at me and started to scream at me in fear. I carefully picked him up confining his wings, talons and avoiding his beak and carried him to the house. We lined a box with an old towel and sealed him inside and punched air holes in all four sides for him to breath (He was not happy, but did not attempt to bite me, much to my surprise) I immediately called the Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center who turned out to be closed, but their mail box said "put the injured wild animal in a cardboard box, do not attempt to feed it or give it water and get it to us a.s.a.p.!!!!!!"
First thing this morning I drove him out there and the wonderful volunteer (Renee) said it appears to have an injury to his shoulder and they would treat him for two weeks to see if they can save him. I will keep you posted as to his progress/developments. Meanwhile his mate perches in the trees around our house calling out for him and it is very heartbreaking to listen to. Some birds are monogamous and mate for life, I don't know if Cooper's Hawks are one of them but it is quite obvious that she wants him to come home, I can hear her calling out to him as I write this e-mail and I feel so bad! Maybe they can heal him and they can be reunited soon? I certainly hope so! I will keep you posted!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Cooper's Hawk
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia
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