Mornings and Evenings

Corona de Tucson

June 7, 2022

Life as Joe and I know it seems to be rather slow these days.  Mornings are spent walking, feeding birds, watching birds, watering flowers, playing ball with Jack, puttering with this and that, and occasionally getting errands done.  

I was excited the torch cactus had three more blooms.

You can't waste time enjoying them as the blooms only last a day.  

The Hooded Orioles visited for a few days.  

These orioles have expanded northward as more people have planted ornamental palm trees around their homes.  They are sometimes called palm-leaf orioles because they often "sew" their hanging nests onto the underside of palm fronds.  We have a couple of palms in the open area behind our home and I was hopeful.  But, we haven't seen them in a few days.

Sometimes, the butterflies sneak in for a turn at the orange.

The cardinals are at it again this year.  If we aren't on the patio, they help themselves to the succulents.  

The Cactus Wrens continue to be a favorite.  They are big, bold and busy with a harsh rasping voice.  All About Birds described them as sociable, but we see them (more times than not) flying in and staking claim to the oranges, feeders and water.  They usually arrive in pairs to eat and drink. 

 

   

Jack spent yesterday morning at the spa with Cynthia.  

Mornings don't get all of our attention.  Evenings are spent soaking up the quiet at the end of the day.  The sound of silence is a good thing and the older we get, the more we appreciate it.  Sometimes, we just look at each other and say, "Do you hear that?"  

 

That's a wrap on another week gone by.  All is good at the oasis.  Until next time,

HAPPY TRAILS !

Babies

Corona de Tucson

May 30, 2022 

Today is Memorial Day.  It is the day set aside by our country to honor our fallen soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation and our freedom.      

I figured it would happen...Joe has also tested positive for Covid.  But unlike me, he has had NO fever, headache, achy joints or stuffy head.  His only symptom to date is a lack of energy.  We are still home bound and patiently waiting.  This too shall pass!  Being home means more patio time.  If we had been out and about, we would have missed a lot of activity in our backyard.   

Patio time this week has been a true delight.  Four of the regulars that visit the feeders had little ones tagging along.

Gila Woodpecker males are arrogant and domineering.  This dad, with juvenile in toe, flew right to the oranges as if they were there just for them.

Cuteness overload ! 

Curved-bill Thrashers are great surveyors of their territory.  Dad and juvenile flew to the bush just on the other side of the fence.  I didn't realize it was a juvenile until the dad took a butter bite and flew back to the bush.  I saw the little one's mouth open wide and dad fed him. I missed the focus on that picture.  This was right after and just before the little one was lured into the yard.

Soon after, he (she) was exploring.

House Finches are found in noisy groups in almost all areas of the U.S. and our backyard is no exception.  I prefer to say they are busy, have a nice song and always seem happy.  They come in waves to enjoy a few tasty morsels until the other birds swoop in and take over.   

Cardinals are one of few species of birds in which both the male and female sing.  The male Cardinal is responsible for feeding the young of the first brood while the female builds a second nest.  This dad took his job very seriously.

This lucky boy got several pieces of orange and quite a few butter bites.

When male cardinals become adults they are about 12 months old and are thoroughly red.  The black beaks of both genders slowly turn to the orange-red color as they age. 

I can only assume this is a juvenile female because there are no red patches or it could be a younger male than the one in the above photo.   Maybe I missed something, but during this photo session this baby was on its own.

I have never noticed the detail on their feet...and what long talons they have !

Did you know today is also National Water a Flower day?  May 30th is a yearly reminder to show flowers how much we appreciate them.  Just imagine how drab and boring our world would be without beautiful flowers.  For me, everyday is a water a flower day. 

According to instructions from the nursery, the cacti are watered once a week when temps are 90+ degrees and fertilized once a month during spring and summer.  

Hopefully, we will be out and about soon with other things to post about besides the birds in our backyard. Summer has unofficially begun so dive in...  and

What a face !

HAPPY TRAILS !