Pictures from Phoenix and sometimes from the surrounding cities that make up the "Valley of the Sun"
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Bird Watching at Home
Over the past two years, I've spotted an American Robin where I live on two occasions. The first time I saw him, he was getting a drink from a water spigot. I couldn't believe my eyes. Robins don't live in the Phoenix area. Then months went by before I saw him again hopping across the lawn near the front entrance. On Saturday I decided to take my camera down to center courtyard, just outside the pool area and sit for a while to watch and see if I could see a robin show up. I didn't hold out much hope but within 15 minutes, I spotted one. He appears to be a young one because his feathers are still pretty fluffy but, there is no denying that bright 'red' breast.
Then a few minutes later, I spotted a mature female. After that, I saw several more females in the same area. I grew up in Illinois, a place where robins were common. We saw them all the time. But when I moved to Arizona, I never saw them and a little research told me that they just don't live in this area. Imagine my shock when I saw the first one two years ago. Since I didn't see him again for many months, I told myself he was just passing through.
I'm now convinced that a family of robins are living on the grounds most likely in the giant ficus tree that looms over the center of the complex. I caught this female just after she took a rather rambunctious bath in a decorative pond. Seeing these birds I've missed for so many years makes me so happy. I'll be watching to see if I can catch some more photos in the future.
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13 comments:
Well done, beautiful photos!
Nice photos Sharon. There's a migration going on out there. Animals are going to places that they have never been before.
That's a nice surprise.
Great pictures.
Nice catches, Sharon !
Yu will be hearing Robin songs! Our Robin was still singing last night at 9:30 in the dark and up this morning at 4:30.
Nice bit of birdspotting.
You got some nice shots of the robins, well done Sharon.
If I lived I Phoenix, I'd think a refreshing plunge into a pool would be just the thing. :-)
oh yes he is a lovely fellow.
We have robins up here. Your description of the one taking a rambunctious bath fits perfectly with the way they splash around in our bird bath. Fun to watch.
That's great! We have lots of them here, some year round. I hope you're able to hear them singing. I really like their songs.
Interesting! I wonder if there's something about seasonal or climate changes that make your area acceptable to them now? Or maybe they're just outliers. I never noticed that female robins have a spotted breast very similar to some British thrushes. (Apparently American robins are a type of thrush.)
Beautiful!
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