Well hello, Ms. Downey

So very happy that the downey woodpeckers have figured out how to eat from the woodpecker bird feeder - it definitely means that they end up getting more food than when they have to compete at the regular suet feeder with the starlings and other bird bullies.
 

Cochise Stronghold, Arizona

After leaving Davis Mountains State Park, we drove on to Arizona and spent the night at Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains. The area was known as one of the locations where Cochise stayed. He is apparently buried somewhere in this area, but no one knows where - it was in a ravine and his dog and his horse were killed and buried with him.

A view from the road on the way to Cochise Stronghold

Our campsite at Cochise.  There were 2 other people there with us.  The campground is first come, first served with no way to reserve spots in advance.

On a walkabout in the campground while Shawn was off mountain biking.

The beginning of the Cochise Trail.  It is 8 miles round trip.  We did 4 - which was to the divide between the east and west stronghold area and back.

One of the mountains

In the creek.  I love the grass on the right side - I'm not sure what type it is, but I do really like it.  I also fell in love with the Manzanita bush which was all over in this area.

Looking up the mountain

Another look up the mountain

Scrub or Mexican Jay.  I love the look of this...like if I were going to get a tattoo, I think this would be a top contender.

Shawn taking photos in the morning

Rocks in the morning.

Half Moon Tank - i.e. it's a dam.

On the upstream side of the dam.  This is about 1 mile into the hike.

A different angle of the dragoons.  The rocks were so cool here - all rounded and shit.

Baby agave with some Manzanita seeds.  I didn't take any photos when we got to the divide because there really wasn't anything to take a photo of - but neither of us wanted to continue on for fear that we'd just keep being like "just a little further" and then we'd have to turn around and hike all the way back.  In other words, this was probably taken about 2.5 miles into the hike.

Shadow selfie

Again, Shawn leading the way.

Rocks.  It's really not difficult to understand how Cochise managed to wage a 10-year long war against the US government in an area the size of a postage stamp with his home-turf looking like this.

Cactus.  Some type of Mammilaria?

Blacktail Rattlesnake.  This guy didn't even start rattling at us until later.  This is about 3 miles into the hike. And we had obviously already walked past this spot on our way out.

After we went around the snake (we went off trail), we decided to go around back to see if he was still on the trail - he had already moved off the trail and was under a pine tree.

This was actually the point when he started rattling at us.  Blacktails are apparently the most docile of the rattlesnakes and least likely to bite...not that I want to put that to the test...

I think all the yellow is creosote bush, but I don't know that for sure.  These "Sky Islands" have a huge variety of plants and a lot of them are different than what you find at the lower levels.

More rocks

Heading west toward Tucson

At the McDonalds in Wilcox.  This was the first time I had heard of McDonalds having All Day Breakfast.  I don't think you realize how excited I got about that prospect.  I think the counter girl thought I was insane.

Wildlife Wednesday

Fact: I have magpie tendencies and when I'm doing field work, I'll take little rocks and marbles and what have you back to the office to put on my windowsill - the last time I was out, I found a piece of armadillo shell and a vertebra, and the time before that, it was a chunk of yellow glass, and before that a blue marble, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Fact: I've been teleworking at home at least one day a week, and because I'm maxed out on saving up vacation, I've been taking a day off every other week.  All this really means is that I'm not in the office nearly as much as I usually am which leaves ample time for my coworkers to put things in my office for me.  Like this ghost flamingo which was placed in my empty terrarium.

Surprisingly, no one has said anything about it needing to be removed.  Sadly, I think there are plenty of folks who would prefer this over the random bones.

Chikkins

Roberta's chikkins, to be precise.

Pip (I think) and Agnew the accidental rooster.

"Careful lady, I like riding around on shoulders like a pirate's parrot."

EEK!

It's always great when you wake up to this:

And then I started assessing the damage...

So, my new blue bonsai planter which was full of succulents is totally smashed...but I also had a green pot and one of my owl pots that my cousin made.

Thankfully, my owl pot was unscathed.

And the green pot is unscathed, but the agave needed some help.

 

The only clue I have as to what happened comes from this:

 

From the Feather Atlas, this is likely a screech owl feather.  Now then, a screech owl probably isn't big enough to knock over the little table, but a cat trying to go for the owl might be.

Mulish & Co

On the day of the Sunshine Community Garden Sale, I hung out at Roberta's house for a little while afterwards in order to get some photos of her chickens for my sister who bailed on us at the last minute (and I had been so excited about her meeting Roberta and seeing all the chickens).

The morning of the sale, Roberta had some delicious mushroom and asparagus quiche as well as some cranberry scones.  Jiminny Crickets, I'm going to be having dreams of that food - Roberta is an AMAZING cook.

Arrow and Lily were the welcoming crew (as they always are), Baby came by later, but opted not to follow us outside for the photo op.  Michael had gone for a run so he wasn't around for the photo op, either.

Lily - aka Beagle

Arrow - aka the dog most likely to be able to convince my husband we need a dog.

Chicken

Roberta with Chicken

Chicken

Guinea - La Bete

Chicken.  Rooster, actually - Agnew

Jay Fledgling

When we came home on Friday night, I looked out our back door and saw this:

I know it's difficult to see, so what if I zoom in:

There are a few rules one should follow when dealing with baby birds. 

1. Do not freak out about "getting your scent on them."  Birds have a horrible sense of smell.  The only birds that have a developed sense of smell are those that eat carrion.  Even then they won't kick a baby out of a nest just because it smells like human.
2. Grounded Fledglings (baby birds with feathers) are just babies who have flown the coop too early.  The parents will take care of the grounded baby until it can fly (which will usually be within a day or so of when it left the nest).  The biggest problem with these babies is that they can't get away from predators - if you find them on the ground but don't have a cat problem, they'll probably be fine to be left where they are.  If you have a cat problem (and maybe a raccoon problem as well), move them to a place where the predators are less likely to get to them - a bush or a higher branch.
3. Grounded Nestlings (baby birds without feathers) are babies that have fallen (or were pushed by a rambunctious sibling) out of the nest.  These are the babies that should be put back in the nest - if there is no nest, fashion a nest out of a margarine tub or something and try to get it as close to the nest as you can.

I left the little bird alone and kept an eye out to see if any parental types came by - hoping that they would manage to get the baby flying - or at least flying enough to get to higher ground.  By 9 pm, I hadn't noticed any parents, and it was getting cold and dark; furthermore, being on a low perch when our yard is cat central is not a safe spot for a baby bird.  I made a little makeshift windbreak nest out of a cardboard box for the bird and tried to get him into it.  He would have nothing to do with it and instead perched himself on my arm.

So now I had a bird on my arm with no indication that he wanted to leave.  I offered food and water (didn't want either), and then I managed to convince him over a 20 minute span of time that being on the trellis on the deck amongst the vines would be a better place for the night than my arm.

At 6:45 the next morning I got up and went to check on little Jay.  I couldn't find him, but found the pile of droppings he left behind and initially was really happy.  That is, until I noticed that my cat was gnawing on something*.  When I pulled her away from her tasty treat, I saw that it was the wing tip of a baby jay bird.  Based on the jays coming to the yard a little later, I think the mom and/or dad did find the little jay and were bringing food to it, but unfortunately one of the feral cats in the neighborhood got to it.  Sadly, one of the parents came by right after I discovered this and spent a good 10 minutes flying around looking for the missing baby - first checking the spot where he was last (in the trellis), then checking out the spot where I found him, then going back to the first spot and looking along the ground, checking both sides of the fence.

Rest in peace little Jay Fledgling.


* I know my cats weren't the perpetrators since they were inside all night with me.  But yes, the cats are indoor/outdoor and I know they shouldn't be.  They usually go after lizards (both), mice/rats (Ivy), and birds who have flown into the window (also Ivy)

American Goldfinch

Haven't seen as many of these guys around as I did last year.  I'm not really sure if it's because I haven't been paying attention or if it's because I have a crapload of white wing doves or if the starlings and sparrows are just bullying them out of the way.  Heck, it could even just be that it was warm enough that they're not hanging around in my part of town.  I'm just amazed that I managed to get this good of a photo of the bird in the tree.

Mockingbird: Older and Wiser

I think I have one resident mockingbird with a few that are around the area.  The bird books I have make no mention of the bird visiting feeders, but I guess it shouldn't surprise me since they're foragers who eat berries and what have you.  Of course, the only feeder this one visits is the suet.  But he sure does like the water dish in the back yard...  Maybe it's the same one that I got a picture of during the summer.

Wordless Wednesday

Mockingbird

 

The mockingbirds and cardinals prefer this plant saucer of water in the backyard over the giant saucer of water in the front yard.  I'm not really sure why other than this one is shallow enough that they can bathe in it while the other one only allows them to drink (not that they'd drown, but it is deeper, which probably translates to more feathers getting wet and therefore affecting flight).  They probably also like this one because, as you can see, it's on a table which puts them above their surroundings.  

Now then, I'm sure the husband won't be so happy about the bird droppings. But then, it's not like we're using the table out there right now anyway.

On mattering

As Cat said, "keep doing what you're doing.  It matters".  Here's my "hummingbird garden" it didn't really start as a hummingbird garden, but that's what it has become.  The hummers, so far, have no complaints.