I Was Charmed

 

On my summer walk at the Desert Botanical Garden last weekend, I found one spot that was full of those bright yellow flowers that resemble a small version of sunflowers.  They were past their floral prime and were now a feast for the birds, especially the goldfinches.  It seems that goldfinches can't resist snacking on the blooms.  As I stood there, I realized that I was surrounded by goldfinches, lots and lots of them.

They were hanging onto the flowers centers and picking their way through the seeds inside.  There were so many that the flower stalks were swaying and sagging with the weight of the birds.

I snapped multiple photos trying to capture the birds as they swung from the plants.  In the photo above, I managed to capture four of them in one shot.  They blend in with the background so much that it's hard to make them out but if you look closely, you will see all four.

I asked Google what a group of goldfinches is called and found out they are called "a charm" of goldfinches. I found the whole situation very charming indeed so I think that's a fitting name.

Garden Walks in July, Part 2

 

I found exactly three photos dated July 2014 and only one of those made it on my blog. My comment on that post said the temperature was tolerable but I'm guessing since I only took 3 photos, I didn't stay very long. This view of Camelback Mountain was one of the three photos.

I had better luck in 2015.  It appears that my walk followed a monsoon storm because all the photos show the appearance of water droplets.

These pretty purple flowers are enjoying the summer rain.

In July of 2017, I was lucky enough to find a flock of peach-faced lovebirds munching on some flowers so I was able to get several shots of those colorful birds.

I also photographed this Desert Rose tree that had been planted in a dish bonsai style.  I don't recall ever seeing this again so I wonder what happened to it.

I have a few more from past July walks tomorrow.  

Garden Walks in July, Part 1

 

The July weather has heated up significantly over the past two weeks.  We've gone from hot to sizzling hot.  I was wishing I could take a walk at the Desert Botanical Garden but it felt too hot over the last weekend.  

That got me to wondering if I've ever been able to walk at the garden in month of July.  I searched through the photo files and I found seven different years where I got to take a walk in July.  So I thought I'd post some photos from those seven years.  Above and to the left are two that were taken in 2012.  I like that sun flare in the top photo.  It looks like the sun was just peeking over the mountain and through the heavy clouds.  Agave blooms appear in the left photo.

Heavy clouds will be a theme through all of these photos.  Cloudy skies or rain are the only things that would make if cool enough to be walking outside in July.

In July of 2013, I snapped this photo of a hummingbird having a little rest from all that buzzing around that I normally see.

I also snapped a photo of this sunflower with something purple blooming in the background.  

I'll show you a few more July walks photos over the next few days.  Who knows, maybe I'll get the opportunity to take a walk this July.  All we need is a nice, heavy monsoon storm to cool things down.

Snowy Egret

 

When I took that drive out to Papago Park a week or so ago, I did spot another pretty bird by the water.  I saw this snowy egret lurking behind some rocks.

I was patient and waited for him to emerge and patience paid off.  Such pristine white feathers!  What a beauty.

Better Luck

 

I made another stop at Papago Park and this time had better luck spotting some birds.  I saw this great blue heron keeping an eye on the water and I even captured a duck in the same photo.  Not wanting to be left out, a grackle hopped into the frame also.  

Red-Tailed Hawk

 

I spotted this large bird sitting on top of an electrical pole and luckily I had my camera with me to get a shot.  He was still pretty far away so I wan't sure how such a long telephoto would work but this one is not too bad.  I'm pretty sure it's a red-tailed hawk.  He looks rather regal up there.

Hummingbird Attraction

 

This little hummingbird was attracted by the red color of the Baja Fairy Duster bloom.  I was attracted by the hummingbird.  There was some mutual attraction going on here.

Hummingbirds are such fast moving birds that I'm always happy when I get a photo worth keeping.  

Resourceful Hummingbird

 

On a whim, I stopped at the nursery and garden center just up the street from me yesterday morning before it got too hot.  My objective was to see if I could see any pretty blooms.  While I was in an enclosed area where gift items are on display, I saw some movement just passing past my head.  I looked up and saw a tiny little hummingbird buzzing around inside this light fixture.  Then the little fellow sat still.  Can you see his tiny little head peeking out just to the left of the light bulb.

I cropped the image so you could get a better look. 

It turns out there is a tiny little nest attached to the inside of this light fixture and that's where this little fellow was sitting.

After I watched for a while, the little guy flew out of the fixture landed on this grating that was hanging from the ceiling.  

That was a totally unusual find but I guess living at a garden center is a pretty good option for a hummingbird.

Happy Sighting

 

I'm always happy to see cute little cactus wrens out and about.  They are such busy little birds and they aren't shy when a camera is pointed in their direction.  This one was happy to sit still and pose for me.  

Winged Observations

 

I enjoy watching and listening to the birds I find around me.  Here are a few I've seen in the last few days.  This Gilla Woodpecker was chipping away on a palm tree in the courtyard where I live.  I heard him first and then I saw him.

This little sparrow was singing his heart out just outside my balcony.  I moved rather stealthily to get the photo and not scare him away.

I spotted this busy little hummingbird hovering around some aloe blooms.  I was able to get several snaps of it before if flew off in another direction.

When I took a walk past the golf course, I saw this heron sitting on the water's edge and watching the aquatic activity.  

I love having such a variety of birds near where I live.

Goose Maternity Ward, Back in Business

 

Last year when I reported on the annual goose maternity action, I never saw any goslings appear.  I thought maybe they had done their incubation somewhere else. Here they are, a year later and they are back to their old tricks of hanging out in the parking lot.

Right now they are in the phase of sitting on top of the carport covers and occasionally honking at passersby.  Yesterday I spotted them around 5:00 PM and when I stepped out on my balcony at 11:00 PM, they were still there. 

For any newcomers to my site, this pair of geese use this parking lot to hatch their eggs each year around this time.  In 2024, they only had one gosling to care for but in 2023 they had six little ones.  I'll keep my eyes open to see if this year brings any more.

Who Are You?

 

 I couldn't resist getting a photo of this cute little cactus wren I saw sitting on a wall.  When I raised the camera, he looked right at me as if to say "who are you and what do you want"?  

Luckily, the sight of my camera pointing his way didn't deter him from his wall-top observations.

He stayed put long enough for me to get three shots of him as he took stock of his surroundings.  These little birds are always busy either building nests or looking for food.  It's fun to see one sitting still for a change.

Some Quick Shots

 

Upon a closer look, I see that some of my iPhone shots at the garden on Saturday turned out quite well.

Above, the photo of Papago Buttes framed by some desert plants is display worthy.  

But the one that truly surprised me was this one of a tiny hummingbird.  That's a pretty darn good photo for an iPhone photo.

I like this one of a bee enjoying a pretty desert marigold too.  

I'm always amazed by the quality of iPhone photos these days.

Those Lovebirds

 

Seeing that peach-faced lovebird that I posted yesterday reminded me of all those birds that used to visit my yard when I lived in the house on the other side of town.  I went into the archives to look at some of those photos.  If you have followed my site for the past 12 years, you might remember how they used to flock to my yard because of the seed blocks I put out for them.  I found this photo in the archives of one of the lovebirds inviting a little sparrow to take a bite.

For those of you who haven't followed me that long, here is what it looked like back then.  I would get a big block of bird seed, and put it on a big rock in my back yard and these cute fellows would show up and feast on the seeds.  I miss seeing them all the time so I'm happy when I spot them around town in different locations.  

I See You!

 

Look who I saw!  Actually, I heard this fellow before I saw him.  When I heard that familiar squawk, I stopped to see where it was coming from.  That's when I spotted this fellow.  I'm lucky I had my camera with me.  I could hear a few others but they must have been up in the branches.  I only saw this one.

It's always a fun to see these cute little peach-faced love birds around town. 

Birds and Water

 

Whenever I'm walking around Biltmore Fashion Park, I can always count on seeing a number of grackles playing in the various fountains that are along the center walkway.  I was there late Wednesday afternoon when the sun was already low in the sky.  I saw this bird wading in the water and taking an occasional drink.  I like how the light on the water turned the bird into a silhouette.  

These two birds were waiting in the wings for their turn in the 'wading pool'.  The natural food for grackles is bugs and seeds but they've taken a keen interest human food scraps.  Since Biltmore Fashion Park has several restaurants all with outdoor tables, it makes a great place for them to hang out and watch for those scraps.

Early Morning Observations

 

I observed more than the sunrise and the Desert Pulse art exhibit when I was at the garden last Wednesday.  The cute little Gamble's Quail were out and about and scampering around as they often do.  In fact, the quail and a few mourning doves were the only birds I saw on that morning.  I wonder where the rest of the birds were.

There were also a few blooms to admire.  I'm not sure what the name of these daily-like flowers are but they were sharing a pot with some aloe plants.

I found these pretty blooms growing a spot where I frequently find flowers strange to the garden.  According to the AI search feature, this is a Cape Plumbago.

These cheerful desert marigolds were blooming in several spots.  

They are such happy looking flowers. 

A Surprise Pop-Up

 

As usual, I snapped quite a few photos while walking in the neighborhood last weekend.  There were a row of these ornamental orange trees in one spot and I stopped to snap a photo of this neatly trimmed one that happened to be full of fruit.

While I was standing there, this little mockingbird just popped up from inside the tree.  He must have a nest inside that complex den of branches.  

A Goose Parade

 

On my walk around the neighborhood on Friday, I saw these geese marching in a single line across the golf course.  There was a little precision goose-stepping going on there.

In the opposite direction, I saw just one goose watching over the antics of a group of ducks.  All of them were sharing all that lovely green grass with the golfers who were out for a round of golf. It was a perfect day to be enjoying the outdoors.

Murmuration

 

I was sitting on my balcony last night enjoying the nice weather when I noticed a group of birds swooping and circling in perfect unison just like a starling murmuration.  

They were almost impossible to photograph because of the movement and not enough light to capture them but this is the best shot I got.

These are pigeons so this isn't a true murmuration and it's certainly not the huge mass of birds like when the starlings do this but it was fun to watch just the same.  It was like an ballet in the sky.