Drenched

Male Costa's Hummingbird in mesquite tree 1-22-10

Yesterday it rained buckets. The birds flooded my feeders and yard seeking shelter from the store and food for their bellies.

Soaked Quail 1-22-10

Drenched female Northern Cardinal 1-22-10


Lesser goldfinch seeking shelter from the storm 1-22-10

How many hungry Gila's can you count?

(click to enlarge)

With my feeders full of birds...

...and Snow on Mt. Fagan this morning 1-23-10

...it didn't take long for this Cooper's Hawk to show up for dinner!

1-23-10

All of these birds would qualify to be counted for the Great Backyard Bird Count if it were happening today. Get your binoculars ready, because it is coming soon! Click on the link or the button to learn more. There are special links and activities for children. This is how I became an active birder. Until I participated in the GBBC I use to just watch the birds that came into my yard or to my feeders. If I went someplace new, I was aware of the birds around me, but I never actively went out in search of birds. The GBBC changed all that for me when I first participated about 10 years ago. It's a great family activity and a fun way to learn about birds and birding. You do not have to be an expert! You just need to be willing to learn. Every bird list counts and it all helps the birds!

Skywatch Friday: Snow Day!

On Monday the High Country sparkles with the promise of impending snow...

Sycamore Canyon Neighborhood 7:03 AM

...which fell soft and silent in the wee hours of Tuesday morning...

Birds at feeder 7:12 AM

...bringing dozens of feathered pilgrims to the bird seed cafe...

Cooper's hawk 7:30 AM

...until this phantom appeared, dropping like a bullet from the misty sky, a ghost with talons looking for prey...

...but dinner was not served for him at the bird seed cafe...

Goldfinches 12:22 PM

...and as the morning sun grew stonger and the sounds of dripping filled the air the birds returned to feeding...

Birds at feeder 3:20 PM

...and all memory of the hunter melted with the snow.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more amazing skies!

(click on any image to enlarge for the best view)

Photography courtesty of Kathie Brown with the Nikon D80 and the 70 to 300 mm lens.

MY WORLD Tuesday: Snow!

My Patio at 4 a.m. MST by Kathiesbirds

This is My World at 4 a.m. this morning. The promised snow has arrived. You can bet there will be more photos later. My satellite is not coming in due to the weather so what is there to do but blog? Scroll down to see My original MY World Post.

(Now I just have to wait for the birds to start arriving!)

Scott's Oriole Stops By

Yesterday while I was busy typing away in the den Gus called me from the kitchen to say there was a really pretty bird he had never seen before out in the backyard. I quickly got up and rounded the corner to see. Grabbing my ever ready binoculars I stared flabbergasted at the bird sitting in the mesquite tree. I told him to grab his camera for I knew it was an oriole, but what kind? He picked up the camera, changed lenses, focused on the bird and just as he was about to snap, it flew over the wall and away. I, with the binoculars snapped at him, with the camera, "What took you so long! What were you waiting for?" Of course, I quickly apologized saying, "You realize I'm just excited and frustrated." My ever patient husband understood.

However, it soon came back and he was able to get quite a few good shots. Over 100 in fact. All were taken from inside the house through the windows. Some are milkier than others due to the reflection of light. We watched the oriole drink nectar from the hummingbird feeder, and eat suet along with the Gila woodpeckers. I remembered hearing about people putting oranges out for the orioles, so I sliced one in half and wedged it onto the wrought iron bird hook. but silly me, it wasn't until today when I was entering yesterday's bird count into eBird that I discovered this was a new life bird for me!

New for me, new for Arizona, and new for Sycamore Canyon! I haven't seen a sign of it today, but what a treat yesterday was! A ray of sunshine in a stormy day when temps dipped into the low 40's and we had rain, hail, sleet and even snow. Today the Santa Ritas are sugar coated once again, but with temps rising by 10 degrees each day for the next 2 to 3 days, we will soon be back into the 80's once again. We are in the midst of See-saw weather. This should last for about a month.

At the End of a Snowy Day Monday, February 4

Mt Fagan wears a coat of white, reflecting winter's waning light,
snow in the desert
refreshes my thirsty soul
with contrast, color, and calm.


The pyrrhuloxia returns for a late afternoon snack before the cold winter darkness falls.



A dove naps in the same corner that collected snow this morning.



Winter ocatillos open their arms to embrace the sky. Snow shadows fall on desert mountains. A cold wind blows over cactus and warms my heart with memories of winter in another place and time.

Dark clouds hover over the desert. Why this fascination with clouds? It is as if the heavens come down to the earth. They are a fleeting thing, intangible and powerful, changable and beautiful.

The Snow dusted Santa Rita Mountians bathed in the light of a setting sun.

Snow in Arizona

Well, they said it happens once in awhile but I’ve been waiting to see it for myself. Every time they issue a “Winter Storm Warning” on the news here in Tucson, I just laugh. However, this morning shortly after a downpour hit the rain started to mix with snow. It is still snowing an hour later. Now, I am under no illusions that I will even need to shovel the stuff (which we couldn’t do anyway since Gus gave away the snow shovels to the neighbors when we moved here from Utah) but I could actually see big flakes!

The birds are seeking cover under my patio roof. A Gila Woodpecker is clinging to the stucco in the one corner and a hummingbird is doing the same in another. A little house finch is riding the fan blades like a merry-go-round, but at least it is out of the wet and wind!

On January 31 the burrowing owl appeared in the wash again. He has been there ever since, but today I don't see him.

This is a good thing as the wash is starting to fill with water. If it gets much deeper it will overflow into the pipe the owl has been living in. The cold and wet brings all sorts of birds out seeking food.

A phyrrhuloxia is visiting today, but I think its beak is too stubby to get at the seed in my finch feeders. It's rather shy and it keeps flying off into the wash.

I have lots of writing to do today with exciting news and photos of two new life birds for me, but first I need to post the final results from my Big January count.

Snow in the corner of the yard.