Blog Archives
If you don’t attract the birds you want, switch bird feed
The plants in my gardens were planted for one of three specific reasons:
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They use little water (cactus and native vegetation)
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They attract butterflies
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They attract birds, specifically hummingbirds
In order to attract other birds, I supplement the plants with bird feeders. The feed that I had been using was attracting house finches (which I love) and mourning doves (which I can take or leave).
House finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
Mourning doves (Zenaida macroura)
A few days ago when I went to Walmart to get some more feed, there was a
40-pound bag on sale for just $17.44. I couldn’t resist it even though I had never used that brand before.
The house finches and mourning doves still come around, but I’m now being visited by bluebirds and cedar waxwings.
Western bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
and three
Cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum)
That western bluebird, a female, doesn’t look too happy that she’s outnumbered by the three cedar waxwings.
Find other posts in my Picture of the Moment series by clicking on the logo at the upper right.
Why do we get excited….
Why do we get excited….
I go at least once a week to the Zoo or Safari Park. With all the interesting animals there — komodo dragon, elephants, giraffes…. — why do we get excited when we see a wild rabbit?
Moms, dads, kids, and me! were standing around taking pictures of the little rabbit, which I’m pretty sure is a cottontail.
Pictures taken by Russel Ray on January 30, 2012, using a Canon 550D.
Post-processing done in Corel PaintShop Pro X4.
Find other posts in my Picture of the Moment series by clicking on the logo at the upper right.
Location, location, location….
Location, location, location…
This is the first in my Picture of the Moment series. You’ll always be able to identify this series by the logo in the upper right corner. This series is more picture, less text.
The seagulls have the view;
the seals are closer to the swimming pool.
Pictures taken by Russel Ray on January 27, 2012, using a Canon 550D.
Post-processing done in Corel PaintShop Pro X4.
Out & About San Diego — #2: Barn owls
#2: Barn owls
On January 4, 2012, I headed out and about to attend an educational presentation about raptors. The presentation, by Sky Hunters of Lakeside, California (A on the map below), took place in Alpine (B):
The presentation featured an American kestrel, a red-tailed hawk, a western screech owl, and a barn owl. Here are three pictures of the barn owl:
The barn owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed of the owls, occuring throughout the world except in polar and desert areas. It is a year-round resident of California, has become accustomed to human activities, and can be found in every county. It gets up to 18 inches long with a wingspan up to 48 inches and likes to roost and nest in dark cavities in trees, cliffs, and buildings.
This barn owl is injured and cannot be released into the wild. It makes its home at Sky Hunters, a nonprofit organization educating the public about raptors, promoting raptor conservation, and rehabilatating injured birds. Sky Hunters has a U.S. Federal Fish & Wildlife permit for rehabilitation, education, and eagle possession, as well as a California State Fish & Game permit for rehabilitation and education.
Sky Hunters depends on volunteers and donors to carry out its mission. If you would like to donate money, food, or any of the other items they regularly need, visit Sky Hunters funding.
Several years ago when I was doing a home inspection, I found a barn owl in the roof eaves keeping a very close eye on me:
I love seeing wildlife in zoos and aquariums, and at presentations, that I might not otherwise see, but there is something special about finding the wildlife in their natural habitat and being able to snap a picture of them.
