Watching The Birds

[Apech]

 

found this exotic bird in garden ... any ideas what it is it seems very tame ...

Edited September 26, 2013 by Apech

[Marblehead]

WoW! What a beauty. Hehehe. Yeah, nice it just sits there, very calmly, in your hand.

 

I have fairies at my fish ponds. And the pigeons are back this morning chowing down. I hope they leave a little food for the wild birds. (Actually, the pigeons are wild too but you know what I mean.)

[Stosh]

It took me half a dozen trips to the Huntington Library to finally get this guy.

The structure of the wings dazzle me.

Fascinating buggers.

IMG_5330a.jpg

Looks like a flame skimmer is that right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bird.jpg

 

found this exotic bird in garden ... any ideas what it is it seems very tame ...

 

 

 

 

Looks like a finch of some type.

 

Edited September 26, 2013 by Stosh

[silent thunder]

Looks like a flame skimmer is that right?

I couldn't tell you.

I never tried to id it. Just oggled it everytime it came around.

That color in the sun, makes them look metallic and the structure of the leading edge of the wings, nearly orgasmic design.

[Stosh]

Oh

So it was hanging out at the library ?

I guess he liked to read.

 

 

[Apech]

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like a finch of some type.

 

smalle deoe.jpg

 

Looks like PFL missed again ... no arrow.

[Stosh]

Whats PFL?

[Apech]

Whats PFL?

 

Pythagoreanfulllotus ... i.e. Drew ... there's a thread on deer hunting with compound bow by him ... did you miss it?

[Stosh]

Yeah , I dont hunt with a bow or gun , just a camera , I have no issue with it though,

but I dont like the waste ,disrespect, wanton cruelty that sometimes happens.

Canned hunts, shooting sparrows etc and the like.

A redneck I know told his son, "If you shoot it , youre going to clean and eat it, so pick wisely"

[silent thunder]

Oh

So it was hanging out at the library ?

I guess he liked to read.

 

golden-winged skimmer (6 b.jpg

Sorry, the Huntington Library is a truly huge 120 acre botanic garden, housed on the old family property of the Huntingtons.

It's called the Library as it still has a building housing a Guttenberg and the rest of the families personal library. Several other buildings have been added with galleries of various periods of art.

 

Highlights are the Japanese Garden and the Chinese Tea Garden.

 

The dragonfly would hang out in the bamboo/lily pond area.

[Stosh]

Wow that sounds like a terrific place. Were these the same NY lumber baron Huntingtons?

Those japanese gardens are beautiful.You're lucky to live near a cultural center like that. Its something I miss .The closest to me is probably The world renowned Marble Gardens but even that is half a state away.

[Marblehead]

Speaking of gardens, I was taking a break in the living room yesterday afternoon and liiking out the window at the plants and animals. It hadn't rained for three days and the sandy soil I have in my yard had become dry. The sparrows cleared one area of mulch I put down to reduce weed growth and were having a lovely time taking sand baths.

[Stosh]

Sand baths are ironic. I tried that and my mom swatted me on the butt and sent me inside to wash up..

[Marblehead]

Sand baths are ironic. I tried that and my mom swatted me on the butt and sent me inside to wash up..

Hehehe. Different strokes for different folks.

 

The world renowned Marble Gardens but even that is half a state away.

BTW You are welcome to come pu any time you have the time.

 

It's really not that far if you drive fast.

[silent thunder]

Speaking of gardens, I was taking a break in the living room yesterday afternoon and liiking out the window at the plants and animals. It hadn't rained for three days and the sandy soil I have in my yard had become dry. The sparrows cleared one area of mulch I put down to reduce weed growth and were having a lovely time taking sand baths.

 

Oh man... I miss rain. It hasn't rained here in over four months... and I'm a pluviophile. I know it's my fault for choosing to move to the desert, but sheesh, it gets ridiculous sometimes how long we go without any rain. Even more stunning is that after months of no rain, the Cali-tards will actually whine when there is even one day of rain. As if Life falling free from Heaven were something to be upset about...

 

Wow that sounds like a terrific place. Were these the same NY lumber baron Huntingtons? Those japanese gardens are beautiful.You're lucky to live near a cultural center like that. Its something I miss .The closest to me is probably The world renowned Marble Gardens but even that is half a state away.

 

Not sure if they're the same Huntington's but I suspect so. It's definitely one of the highlights of living out here.

[Marblehead]

Oh man... I miss rain. It hasn't rained here in over four months... and I'm a pluviophile. I know it's my fault for choosing to move to the desert, but sheesh, it gets ridiculous sometimes how long we go without any rain. Even more stunning is that after months of no rain, the Cali-tards will actually whine when there is even one day of rain. As if Life falling free from Heaven were something to be upset about...

Yeah. Kinda' funny, actually, since Florida is the Sunshine State.

 

Of course, you could take a ride up to Washington state, it never stops raining up there.

[silent thunder]

Yeah. Kinda' funny, actually, since Florida is the Sunshine State.

 

Of course, you could take a ride up to Washington state, it never stops raining up there.

 

My work drew me out to the desert.

I fantasize about heading up to Seattle or Vancouver often.

I'd be broke, soggy and happy...

[zerostao]

yesterday a couple of interesting bird encounters.

one of the cat birds came by fussing at me in front of my company even.

i know the cat birds might be upset about my neighbor((who doesnt even live there))

cropping way back the hedge on our property line. the cat birds had numerous nests in the upper parts of that hedge.

there is still the back line hedge and the other side untouched, but the cat birds moved on.

i explained to this upset bird , who it wasnt me that did the cutting.

the bird left on a -yeah whatever type of note.

i did see a bird that resembled something of a king fisher and miniature duck cross?

[Marblehead]

Yeah, cat birds fuss at anyone and any thing when they have chicks they are raising and you get too close to there nest.

 

No idea what the other bird might be. Maybe a newly descovered species? (Wouldn't that be great?)

 

 

Oh, and BTW, too many pigeons got on the feeder at the same time yesterday and broke it. I'll either repair or replace it.

Edited September 29, 2013 by Marblehead

[Stosh]

i did see a bird that resembled something of a king fisher and miniature duck cross?

Merganser ?

 

 

 

 

Oh, and BTW, too many pigeons got on the feeder at the same time yesterday and broke it. I'll either repair or replace it.

 

 

Do they mess with those stuck together seed stick things in a cage?

 

 

BTW You are welcome to come up any time you have the time.

It's really not that far if you drive fast.

 

Thats a nice offer I may take you up on ,

but Im still learning to be civilized company at the moment ,

so my next road trip is probably the everglades .

 

 

Edited September 30, 2013 by Stosh

[zerostao]

not a merganser, it was more kingfisherish than duck, but it is ducklike and looked to be one smooth water fowl.

but it isnt a regular kingfisher either.

i hope to catch it with my camera this weekend when i return home.

head looked similar to a kingfishers but not exactly

body in flight looked like a mini-duck

[Marblehead]

Do they mess with those stuck together seed stick things in a cage?

You lost me with that one. Tell me more?

 

 

so my next road trip is probably the everglades .

 

 

Well, for sure, you don't have to be civilized when in the Everglades. You do need be cautious though.

[zerostao]

this morning was the closest i have ever been to a bluejay. we were standing within 3 ' of each other by a spruce tree.

you would think at some point some bluejay woulda swooped in on me sometime , but they never have.

altho a couple of times flown perilously close to the windshield of my jeep..........

stosh, great call on the merganser, on further digging i found this and yeppers its the bird

 

[Stosh]

You lost me with that one. Tell me more?

 

 

Well, for sure, you don't have to be civilized when in the Everglades. You do need be cautious though.

They somehow glue the seeds to a stick and put a wire cage around it so its harder for pigeons to get to , doves may be more likely to eat standing on a flat surface than hang and peck at an upright one. so you just dangle it from something.

They make ones that hang free in the shape of a bell too , or you may be able to glom the seeds together with egg whites or peanut butter or suet or something else not toxic.

I never fed the birds but you see small ones for caged birds anywhere.

Edited September 30, 2013 by Stosh

[Marblehead]

With you now.

 

No, I have never fed them with those things. I might consider that.