Category Archives: Birds

June 14, 2026 · 21:59

Fine Feathered Friends – June 14th

Sunset-ish, I was re-filling the bird seed feeders out in the back on the pergola. In hanging a couple of the refilled feeders up I apparently spooked a half-dozen or more large ravens that were on the ground in the dirt lot on the far side of the wall.

Whatever it was they were doing they took noisy exception to being disturbed, and started screaming and dive bombing me.

I pointed out to them that I was the one leaving grapes for them in the front yard and I didn’t feel like being screamed at. Besides, there’s a line for that, if they were going to scream at me they needed to wait their turn.

Meanwhile I whipped out my phone and started shooting off quick pictures at random, figuring if I ended up like a Hitchcock victim at least there would be evidence of how it happened.

Half went off to roost on the power line towers out across the way, the other half went to polish off the rest of the grapes. I survived to tell the tale.

Leave a comment

Filed under Birds, Critters, Photography

June 2, 2026 · 21:59

There! Raptor!

And what a freaking gorgeous one it was!

First, I’ve been feeding the Corvid Gods (ravens) their daily grapes. They often are hanging out on the roof or the neighbor’s roof or in the tree next to the driveway, waiting. This morning I could hear them squawking, but couldn’t see them.

Secondly, I’ve been wondering where all of the big raptors are, hawks and owls (and even eagles, maybe?), especially given the buffet that we’re feeding in the back yard. Squirrels. Pigeons. Quail.

Oh, there they all are, probably about 500+ feet up, circling and dogfighting.

Just the one red-tailed hawk – unusual since they usually hunt and fly in mated pairs. But, it’s also the time of year when one might have to stay on the nest with eggs while the other goes out to bring back dinner (something in a nice pigeon, perhaps, or a mourning dove?), so that’s not an unlikely explanation.

Look at the markings on this beauty! It was flying up near the Sun overhead, so I was trying to to blind myself by pointing a telephoto lens at the Sun and having a beam of light burn its way through the back of my skull, but it really made the wing designs POP!!

I guess the ravens were thinking that those hypothetical eggs could also be on the menu, and they weren’t having any of that. So, two Corvid Gods against one stunning hawk and the hawk eventually drifted off to the east. Plenty of open land off that way into The Mesa, with squirrels, rabbits, lizards, and probably feral cats as well.

I need a bigger lens!

Leave a comment

Filed under Birds, Photography

May 26, 2026 · 23:08

Where Are The Raptors?

Here’s a small part of a normal afternoon in the back yard.

There are 18 wrens and finches here, under one of the four birdseed feeders, with similar crowds under the other three.

Plus another 20-30 up above AT the feeders and on the top of the pergola waiting their turn at the feeders.

Plus 10-12 large, fat pigeons.

Plus 8-10 squirrels.

It occured to me while re-filling the birdseed feeders that there’s something missing.

While occasionally we’ve seen a pair of red-tailed hawks circling far above, and on at least two occasions I’ve seen an owl parked on top of the pergola, there is almost NEVER any signs of any of those raptors feeding at the Willett Open-Air Aviary & Squirrel Adventure.

Where are they?

If we’re providing all of this feed to a variety of birds and small rodents, shouldn’t there be multiple pairs of hawks and owls feeding off of the birds and critters?

In nine months we’ve built the equivilent of the watering hole in the middle of the Serengeti. Where are the lions?

We seem to have only a partial ecosystem here. It seems odd.

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Birds, Critters, Forever Home, Photography

May 23, 2026 · 23:51

Growing Into Their Coloration

The baby squirrel kits had fairly solid fur when they first showed up a few weeks ago, but now they’re growing into their natural, adult coloration.

You might remember that when the first squirrel showed up last September, I named it “Two-Tone” because of the white collar around its shoulders. The rest of his pelt was covered in small white spots. Above you can see how the babies are now starting to match that look.

This group was just lounging at the far end of the pergola (next to one of the den entrances in case of emergency, i.e., me getting up to go back in the house – OOOOOOOOOH!!! Scary!!!) while also getting the last of the Sun’s rays for the day.

The other thing I saw today, much to my surprise, were quail in the back yard. I saw them over by the edge of The Mesa last month so I know they’re in the area, but I hadn’t seen any here yet. But this morning, just before sunrise, I spotted a pair up on the back wall. That little “fishing lure” thing hanging off of their foreheads is quite distinctive. Surprise!!

Leave a comment

Filed under Birds, Critters, Forever Home, Photography

May 21, 2026 · 22:46

Sitting Quietly

I went out into the back yard, it was very pleasant. When I went out, all of the critters and birds fled, but as I sat still for a while, they started to come back.

Over behind the pergola, this little dude popped his head up to keep his eye on me. It’s like he thought that I couldn’t see him. Okay, I’ll play along.

Then when it was time for me to go in, I quietly stood up. The birds that had come back fled again, and this little dude started doing that ear piercing, squirrel version of “DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!”

Jeez Louise, dude! I’m twenty feet away, I’m old, I’m slow, and all I did was stand up. Chillax!

Leave a comment

Filed under Birds, Critters, Photography

May 4, 2026 · 23:44

Fine Feathered Friends – May 04th

We knew there were pigeons soon after we moved in, but we didn’t see them in our yard until just a month or two ago. Now we’ll see them eight or ten at a time, every day, all day.

I don’t know about pigeons aor sub-breeds, but I consider these to be “common” or “normal” pigeons as far as their coloration goes. Grey, some darker streaks, with some green or purple iridescence around their necks when they’re in the sunlight.

The lighter grey ones seem to have green iridescence, the darker grey ones have more purple.

There are also one or two that are white and black, striking patterns that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before on pigeons.

They can’t get to the seed feeders up above, so they pick at all of the leftovers on the ground.

And they leave a mess. The pergola floor is starting to look like the top of a statue in Central Park. It sounds like time to put that pressure washer to good use.

Leave a comment

Filed under Birds, Forever Home, Photography

May 2, 2026 · 23:40

Peaceful Coexistence

For the most part, the back yard at the Willett Family Zoo is a peaceful place of calm coexistence. The only exception that we see regularly comes from the hawks – one of them overhead will set off all of the squirrel “guards” with that really high-pitched “alarm!” call they have. It works – the last couple of days they’ve woken me up before 07:00 with that racket.

But the baby squirrels seem oblivious to the pigeons, which still outweight them by a factor of at least two or three.

Of course, the other monster that’s constantly causing all of the feathered creatures to fly and the furry ones to flee to their hidey holes under the pergola, is ME. Imagine the audacity that I must have to think that I can just go strolling out into my own yard any time I feel like it. Even when I’m going out to re-fill the bird seed feeders (pretty much daily now) I get attitude, not gratitude. The finches, wrens, and scrub jays now will line up on the back cinder block wall and bitch at me to hurry up, while the pigeons will sit on the roof of the house and do that whole purring pigeon sound, but in unison and an octave down, so it sounds like the soundtrack from “The Birds.”

I’m hurrying, I’m hurrying! I’m not asking for the birds to flock around and worship me like I’m some animated Disney princess (although I do have the pretty pretty princess hair!), but would it kill them to simply relax and not freak out when I’m simply coming out to feed them and help out? The hummingbirds are proving that it can be done – I’ve had hummers come up to two separate feeders that were inside of arm’s length from where I was standing and they minded their own business and fed while I minded my own business and watched them. (A little bit of awe was involved.)

Peaceful coexistence! If everyone can get along with the baby squirrels and pigeons, why can’t they simply ignore me?

Leave a comment

Filed under Birds, Critters, Photography

April 30, 2026 · 23:46

Fine Feathered Friends – April 30th

About four years ago, we were down in Marina del Rey meeting friends for brunch. We got there early, so of course I wandered around with a camera.

The boats in the marina are colorful and photogenic, with lots of sea birds around, but nothing too fancy, mainly just seagulls. Then this large dude landed near by.

A quick search shows this to be an American Bittern, a breed of stork. I think. I am wondering about all of those white feathers underneath its butt, which I don’t see in the internet pictures.

I do love that glare. And the orange eyeball of Death thing. If I were a fish or small rodent or frog, it might be less interesting and more terrifying.

Leave a comment

Filed under Birds, Photography

April 19, 2026 · 22:56

There Are FIVE Squirrels

When we first moved in to the Forever Home back in July, one of the first things we did was put up the birdseed feeders on the pergola in the back yard. It wasn’t long after that that we started seeing a squirrel out there as well, stealing seed that fell to the ground. Then there were two, often. Then on occasion a third. Then they all disappeared for a couple of months, then it was usually three and sometimes four when they came back.

Today, for the first time, I saw FIVE squirrels out there together at once. I don’t know if our original pair has been fruitful and multiplying or if word has simply gotten out that we have the birdseed buffet going on here 24/7, but the population is on the rise.

Looking over the wall the other day I also saw rabbits for the first time here. I’m not surprised, I would have bet on them being out there, but I hadn’t spotted them yet.

I’m also feeding the Corvid Gods (ravens) out on the front lawn, grapes most days.

It’s a lousy photo, taken through the screen from the window at my desk, but if I open the front door or come around the corner from the garage, they spook and are gone.

They’re surprisingly LARGE birds up close and in person. I’m hoping they bestow their benificence upon us soon. We can use some benificence, corvid or otherwise.

I also put the hummingbird feeders back up. I think that the local hummers had migrated for the winter, but I saw one or two hanging around last week, so I’m hoping they’ll be back and finding the feeders soon.

Leave a comment

Filed under Birds, Critters, Forever Home, Photography

April 18, 2026 · 22:47

Fine Feathered Friends – April 18th

I was filling the seed feeders and putting the hummingbird feeders back up when I heard a ruckus from the crows and a distinctive call. Quick as a bunny I pulled out my phone, thumbed it open, loaded the camera, and snapped off three quick shots in the blind.

Coming in low, just on the other side of our backyard wall, was one of the local red-tailed hawks.

Some days it better to be lucky than good!

1 Comment

Filed under Birds, Photography