Nature Nut

Western Tanager Heartbreak

2011-05-02T13:20:00.001-07:00

I am crushed and can't shake off the heartbreak. I know how stupid this is going to sound to some of you but I can't help my feelings. The last couple days I've noticed a Western Tanager in our backyard. These birds are not a common visitor on our property and it's a treat to see them. I've been enjoying his visits to the oranges I put out for the Orioles. In retrospect, I noticed this bird was a little on the slow side but hadn't given it much thought. Perhaps it was already sick when my Emma (one of our cats) caught it and brought it in the house. I spotted it on the floor of our living room and her watching it when I came back through the room. She's a cat ... her brain is wired that way and I know it's not her fault. I know the consequences of having indoor outdoor cats. I don't need anyone giving me a noodle lashing here. We have a outdoor Lab that will catch and kill birds and rabbits. I don't like that either. But I know she can't help it .. her brain is wired that way too. I'm not getting rid of our pets. They are my babies. Most of you will understand my feelings here.

I picked the Tanager up (gloves on) and let it outside. It could only 'hop fly'. I just didn't have the heart to leave this thing on the ground so I put it in one of our unused bird boxes in the front yard. I didn't know what else to do. I searched on the net and found our nearest "Wild Animal Rehabilitation Center" which is in Tucson. Not really all that close. I called the number and got a hold of a woman. She really couldn't help me and in fact, made me feel worse than I already did by making me feel bad for having cats. Perhaps I had caught her at a bad time but I didn't feel any sympathy or any real kindness from her. I left the bird in the box and felt horrible for the poor thing. It got pretty cold last night and that killed me too. While in bed I thought to myself that if it was still alive .. I would put it in our cat carrier and bring it in the house. I should have just done that to begin with but I hadn't thought about it until I was already in bed. It WAS alive when I went back to the box this morning. Head tucked into the wings. So I went to the shed and prepared the cat carrier. I put a soft fuzzy pillow cover on the bottom of the carrier. I lined a shoe box with a soft dish towel and placed the bird in the box and put the box inside the cat carrier. I placed some water, seeds and half an orange inside the carrier. Then I put the whole carrier in our bath tub and closed the door to keep the cats away from it. An hour and a half later it passed. What a heart break. I just wish I didn't get so attached and so emotional. It's one thing to lose a close relative ... but losing a wild bird shouldn't do this to me! ugh. Below are pictures I had taken of the bird .. before all this happened. More pictures here .. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/set=a.2025771089754.125238.1408339345

Local Art Show Coming Up -

2011-03-14T12:42:00.001-07:00

Our local art show is coming up May 7th and I’m having a VERY hard time picking what three photos (out of a jillion!) I want to enter! What three would you pick from these??

On Laurie’s Farm

2011-03-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, has it been a wild, crazy and fun couple months! I don’t even know where to start! It’s what I get for waiting so long to blog. lol. Keeping it short and sweet … I had a friend on my Facebook for a year or more before we found out we lived only 20 minutes down the road from each other. Not only that … but both our husbands were in FFA together as young boys! Is that crazy or what? So Laurie called and wanted me to come out to her place. We instantly connected, enjoying each others company and are so comfortable around each other … so much so, that she has been to my house in her pajamas! lol. I love it! These are pictures of her and Barney’s farm animals that I took on our first visit together. I was lucky enough to also catch the birth of a goat! That was pretty wild because Laurie and I were standing next to the pen talking for like 15 minutes before either of us realized this goat was giving birth! If you’re on Facebook you can check out the whole album of photos here … http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=1408339345&aid=108179

To top this off … Laurie and I went on one wild and crazy adventure helping her friends get on the History Channel’s tv show “American Pickers”! You can read all about it on my FB notes. Check it out here … http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150094722683178

but I will at least share my autographed picture from Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz here. :)

Snow on the Chiricahua Mountains

2011-01-11T06:22:00.001-08:00

We got our first snow on January 1st. Pat and I had to put on our heavy coats AND our gloves (not something we get to do often here in our part of Arizona) to go take a drive. Sure hope we get a little more before Winter is done. It’s so refreshing to see snow. :) Click on the pictures to see them larger.

Cooper’s Hawk

2010-12-02T07:47:00.001-08:00

Was puttering around out in the shed yesterday and on my way back in the house I saw this beauty sitting on top of a bird box staking out the backyard. I know these guys are around but it’s not often that I get to see them this close. Was happy he didn’t fly off while running to get my camera. He allowed me about a dozen shots before he said enough of that. I believe he’s a young Cooper’s Hawk. Click on pictures to enlarge the photos.

Rustler Park Campground–Coronado National Forest

2010-10-22T17:28:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday (October 16th) we went up to Rustler Park Campground in the Coronado National Forest and just spend the day looking around and enjoying the sites and sounds. Autumn was definitely in the air! :)

There is no excuse -

2010-10-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Going to Willcox today I see a horse standing next to a barb wired fence not too far from the road. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had to turn around and go see if what I really saw … was what I really saw. I was almost in tears and then became furious. I took some pictures with the intentions of coming home and reporting this horse. I pulled the truck up to turn around on a small dirt road. I noticed a mailbox there with a name and address number on it. I later jotted them down. Then I saw an older man coming down the road. I put the passenger side window down to ask him if he owned horses. He said he did. I told him there was a horse standing at the fence a few paces back and that it was very malnourished looking. I asked him if it was his horse. He was hard of hearing so I had to repeat everything. He fumbled with words for a bit and told me he did have some horses. Then he asked if the one I saw was out of the fence. He told me that he did have one horse that just wouldn’t eat. I hate to say this, not knowing anything about this man, but I didn’t feel like he was being completely honest. I’m not the type who likes moseying around in everyone's business. But I cant just see a horse (or any animal for that matter) looking like it is starving to death and not do something. So yes, I called the humane society who had me call the Willcox police department who in turn gave me a number that deals with dead or mistreated livestock. I just got a call back from a woman there who needed more information and wanted me to send her a few of the pictures I took. Hopefully someone will do something for this horse and I pray it isn’t too late.

More Hummers

2010-10-14T17:02:00.001-07:00

We still have the hummers visiting our feeders but there isn’t near as many. The bees have slowed down on their visits too - and the bats have stopped coming altogether. The low evening temps are low to mid 50’s. I’ve noticed my goldfish are a little sluggish in the mornings. Guess I would be too if I had to live in an ice cold pond. I hope to get up to the mountains and catch some of the Fall colors before the leaves all drop to the ground. This weekend we’re off to Apple Annie's with my sister and her husband. :)

Waxing Crescent Moon 10-10-10

2010-10-11T19:35:00.001-07:00

Waxing Crescent Moon of 10-10-10. I’m just now beginning to learn about the moon phases and their names. Thought these turned out pretty cool. Click on the pictures to enlarge them. :)

Photo Art and Plug-ins

2010-10-03T18:11:00.001-07:00

1st photo - Marigold in a pot on our deck.

2nd photo -I used the VM Natural plug-in. Set on the Splash effect. Then I used the Texturizer plug-in. Set on 'Sandstone’ to give the photo a bit of a rough texture.

1st photo - Maximilian bush in our yard.

2nd photo – For the life of me I can’t remember what plug-in I used to create the effect on this one. I know it’s a ‘Glass’ effect of some sort. I made the mistake of not writing it down before creating this post. It’s neat looking though huh?

1st photo – Rose of Sharon flower from our Rose of Sharon bush. Which was given to me by my sister several years ago. The bush bloomed beautifully this year. :)

2nd photo – This was made with one of my newest plug-ins. The plug-in is called Virtual Photographer and I used the ‘Shoebox’ effect. I’m really liking the effects this plug-in creates.

Click to enlarge each photo to see the details better.
_________________________________________________
*The art was created in PhotoShop CS5. The plug-ins can be downloaded for free and can be used in both PhotoShop and Paint Shop Pro. I know this because I have both programs. ;)

The plug-in VM Natural can be download here - http://tinyurl.com/269czoa
The plug-in Virtual Photographer can be downloaded here - http://www.optikvervelabs.com/
*(when you install Virtual Photographer it will be listed as “optikVerve Labs” on your plug-ins list)

PhotoFavs of the Day -

2010-09-28T09:28:00.001-07:00

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver

Box Turtles

2010-09-27T17:30:00.001-07:00

Along with a dragonfly explosion this summer we also had quite a few turtles. In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing so many in our yard in previous years. I was quite surprised to find babies in our yard this year too! And the little guys were under foot .. as you can imagine I was always afraid I was gonna squish one. Thank goodness that didn’t happen. I put a large plant saucer out under a tree for them to drink from and they were quite happy with that. If you have turtles and want to offer them water .. do it in a dish that isn’t too deep because box turtles will drown if they can’t get out of the water. A plant saucer works nicely. Click on the pictures to enlarge them. And you can read a little more about Box Turtles here if you care to .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_turtle

Hummers

2010-09-16T10:15:00.001-07:00

Is there anything more fun than playing with hummingbirds? I think not! :)
Check out the slideshow of more photos here .. http://jodisphotos.myphotoalbum.com/slideshow.php?set_albumName=album08

Fruit Bats -

2010-09-10T17:28:00.001-07:00

The Fruit Bats have been enjoying the sugar water that the hummingbirds don’t polish off during the day. And there are LOTS of bats flying around our yard this time of the year. They were literally in my face while I was taking these pictures. It was a bit intimidating at first .. but FUN! :)

Check out the other 16 bat photos here .. As a friend said they’re “Wicked Cool”!
http://jodisphotos.myphotoalbum.com/slideshow.php?set_albumName=album09

Pheromones

2010-08-25T16:45:00.001-07:00

I wish this picture was a little more crisp and clear. Still, I thought it was cute. Just as I was taking the picture of the guy on the right I noticed he flipped his body out from under his wings. And as soon as I snapped .. I saw the one on the left. I immediately knew that the one on the right had just released pheromones. lol. Evidently our yard is intoxicating. :)

Old Barns

2010-08-22T14:24:00.001-07:00

There’s just something about old barns and homes that appeal to me. Click photos for larger views.

Blue Darner DragonFly

2010-08-21T14:03:00.001-07:00

We’ve had an explosion of dragonflies this year! I don’t usually get to see the Blue Darners but this year they’ve been everywhere. Such a treat! :)

Hummingbird Moth

2010-08-20T15:09:00.001-07:00

Little guys are hard to catch on camera when they’re flitting around everywhere but I had a wonderful time trying. Click photos to BIGIFY. :)

Toads and Toadstools

2010-08-14T12:14:00.001-07:00

How bout a big wet kiss? Go ahead and lay one on me! lol.

Toadally awesome! - Click photos to BIGIFY. ;)

Desert Willow Lei

2010-07-30T20:31:00.001-07:00

When I walked out to our backyard this morning with two cats in tow - I certainly didn’t think I’d be making a lei. But I noticed all the desert willow flowers on the ground under our tree. The tree bloomed wonderfully this year and the flowers smell fantastic. Bees and butterflies are very attracted to it. I came in the house in search of some fishing wire to string the flowers on. As I was picking the flowers up off the ground I could hear the dust cropper (airplane) in the background. He was dusting the corn field just behind our property. Of course I had to run back in the house and get my camera to get pictures of it but that’s another post. Today, I’m simply sharing my pretty pink lei with you. :)

Yellow Fairy Slippers

2010-07-27T17:31:00.001-07:00

It’s as if little faries with long legs and wearing yellow slippers have dived head first into the flower …

What an Exhilarating Experience!

2010-07-23T19:59:00.001-07:00

On my way home from Willcox yesterday I thought I'd pull off on the side of the road and check out the hawks nest again. I was pretty sure I had missed my chance of seeing any babies since the last time I stopped (I blogged about it) and saw the mom on the nest was on June 18th. A little over a month ago. But just as I was pulling off the side of the road I could see a small head in the nest! I couldn't believe it! The dead tree that the nest is on is about about 20 yards from the road and behind a barb-wired fence. Depending on your stride that's about 20 or 25 steps away, Just far enough away to not get the good clear pictures I would like to have. As I was taking pictures of the baby I saw the momma hawk fly in from the corner of my eye. I'm sure she had me pegged the minute I pulled the truck off the road. I took pictures of her and the baby both .. wishing like heck I had a better telephoto lens. Or a boom on the back of my truck with a bucket on it to lift me up closer to the nest! Seriously Pat, how much will that set us back?

After about 10 minutes I pulled the truck up a little to get more pictures of the momma from her front side. She allowed me to continue taking pictures for just a few seconds more and then decided I over-stayed my welcome. As she flew off her perch I didn't think anything of it until I realized she was headed straight for me! First picture below. She let out a loud screech and a split second later I almost tumbled to the ground trying to get the hell out of her way! I could literally feel the wind from her wings! I kept firing the camera. She dive-bombed me 3 times. All of the pictures of her in the air are just after her dive-bombs. After the third time my nerves were pretty rattled and I knew she was stressing about the safety of her baby .. so I left. But oh man! What an exhilarating experience that was!

Click on photos to BIGIFY.

*Side Note – I only saw the one chick and the one adult hawk. I don’t know if there were other chicks or not, or if perhaps the others had already fledged? I’ve read that the mother stays at the nest even after the chicks arrive and that the dad is the one that brings food to all of them. I only saw the one adult hawk and thank gawd! Two of them may have very well taking my butt down!

Black Eyed Susan

2010-07-20T13:05:00.001-07:00

Bought myself some Black Eyed Susan while in Walmart yesterday. And a large pot to put them in. Don’t they put a smile on your face?

I’ve had some of the solid black bumble bees for a while now but haven’t seen many of the yellow and black ones. Notice the bee tongue in the bottom photo going into the flower. I don’t have a Macro Lens but can’t wait to get my hands on one! So I can get better up close pictures.

When I took this photo one of the birds had already fledged the nest. I climbed the ladder to get a picture of the last two before they took flight. They didn’t look none to happy to see my camera in their face so I backed off after a firing a couple shots. Mom, Dad and all three babies are still alive and here in our yard. :)

Click on the photos to BIGIFY. I Googled and was surprised to see that’s actually a word! lol.

Tiny But Cute

2010-07-16T15:53:00.001-07:00

I don’t know what this little guy is but he wasn’t much bigger than a nickel. A baby butterfly or moth? Does anyone know? Click the photos to see them larger.

In The Yard

2010-07-16T12:13:00.001-07:00

Busy little guy. Couldn’t get him to sit still.

Day Lily – one mom gave me.

Yarrow and critters. Not sure what all they are.

Shrooms – these are tiny but if we start getting more rain I’ll have lots more to take pictures of. :)

Our Four Legged Brats

2010-07-15T14:42:00.001-07:00

Junior (aka - June and June Bug) is a daddy’s boy and the biggest cry baby cat I’ve ever had. lol.

Autumn (aka – Aud, Audie) She adopted us last October. Showed up starving and needing a place to call home. Likes to dig holes to China and chase anything that moves.

Emma (aka – Em, and Miss Mess) She and Junior are siblings – brother and sister.

Mr. Grey - was a half wild cat and has been gone for about a month now. We were very fond of him and it breaks my heart to think he’s gone for good this time. He’s been known to leave us before though … so maybe we’ll get lucky and find him at the back door again one day soon.

Horned Toad

2010-07-13T17:26:00.001-07:00

Horny Toads are rough to the touch but have a soft under belly. Much like a lizard. In fact they are related to the lizard family. Their spiny spikes won’t pierce your skin like you might think but you still have to handle them carefully.

The Horned Toad ( we call them Horny Toads) is not poisonous but they have an odd defense. Some can spit blood from their eyes if they feel threatened or cornered. I’ve always known they could do this but had never seen it until trying to free one that got stuck in the chicken wire that lines the bottom of our fence. I was stunned to say the least. So much for being thankful! The little fart.

This little guy (in the photos above) is hanging out in my husbands garden and around his shop, feasting on ants and other small critters. Click the pictures to enlarge them.

More info about Horned Toads here … http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_lizard

Western Kingbird Babies -

2010-07-05T13:01:00.001-07:00

Western Kingbird babies are being raised by both the mom (above photo) and dad in a basket nailed just under the roof of our front porch. I had to climb up to the top of a ladder to get these photos. Quite a balancing act since vertigo has always been a problem for me. The slideshow doesn't do the photos justice .. Does anyone know of a free and good slidshow out there? That will also give you an embed code? Click on the two photos above to see them larger.

Carpenter Bee

2010-07-03T08:59:00.001-07:00

Carpenter Bee

Common Buckeye

Can anyone tell me what critter that is following the ladybug? Is that a baby Carpenter Bee?

Pipevine Swallowtail

Western White

2010-07-03T07:02:00.001-07:00

On a wild Gaillardia also known as a Blanket Flower.

Little Toad Big Fish

2010-07-01T15:47:00.001-07:00

Taken from our little backyard pond.

The Queen Visits My Vitex

2010-06-30T10:53:00.001-07:00

Click on the photos to view them larger.

Night Light

2010-06-29T08:09:00.001-07:00

I could almost hear the wolves howling.

Flowers Blooming In Our Yard -

2010-06-28T12:19:00.001-07:00

On Wings

2010-06-28T10:58:00.001-07:00

Monarch – we have lots of these visiting our yard right now.

Pipevine Swallowtail - This last one is titled “Tattered Wings”. Notice the proboscis or butterfly tounge going right into the flowers center. :)

Hawks Nest Continued …

2010-06-18T17:53:00.001-07:00

Well it’s official! We do have some kind of hawk on the nest! These are not the best pictures but this old dead scraggly tree is quite a ways out in the field. Even with my kick-ass Canon Rebel camera and the 55x250 lens - I still don’t have enough zoom power! Are we photographers ever really happy with the amount of zoom we have? I’m beginning to think not. lol.

The temp gadget on my rearview mirror in my truck was reading 101. This poor bird!! You gotta feel sorry for her! Not a speck of shade anywhere.

Looks like she needed to adjust a little here. I have no clue if the eggs have hatched yet or not. Would love to be lucky enough to see a couple of babies next time I go by.

Cholla Cactus In Bloom

2010-06-17T12:41:00.001-07:00

We’ve got lots of these cacti in bloom around us. Aren’t these pretty? The bees love them.

Cholla Fruit (pronounced - Choy-uh)

Hawk On A Nest or Not?

2010-06-16T16:45:00.001-07:00

There’s a couple of dead trees along this area of Kansas Settlement Road. I’m always on the lookout for them because I’ve seen this one lone nest in this dead tree for a long time. I was pretty sure it was a hawks nest at one time but not positive. I’ve often wondered if I’d be lucky enough to see a hawk nesting on it. I drove past it on my way home from Willcox without really looking at it but out of the corner of my eye a little spot in the nest caught my attention. I kept on going since I had already passed it. But WHAT was that little spot? Am I missing the opportunity to see a hawk on this nest? I couldn’t stand it anymore so I turned the truck around and went a mile back. I’m in flip-flops and there’s mesquites all along this road. Those nasty things are full of thorns and they hurt when they grab a hold of you. There’s also a barbed wire fence I wont be able to sneak over with flip-flops on. and oh yeah, lets not forget about the rattle snakes! As soon as I opened the truck door and looked down there was a 4 foot long snake skin there! Gotta keep an eye out on those boogers too! Ok, so I start taking pictures and I’m still not sure what I’m seeing in the nest … It’s just too far out there for me to tell and I was purposely making a racket to see if I could get any movement on the nest. Much to my dismay, it never moved once. I had myself convinced it was just a piece of wood sticking out but I continued to take a bunch of pictures anyways. You know, just in case. ;)

I Got home and downloaded them to the computer. I swear I think I’m seeing a hawks tail end there! I can’t believe my eyes! I’ll leave it up to you though … what do you think? Is this a hawks rump or do you think it’s something else? Hopefully I’ll get to see activity on the nest next time I’m going back to Willcox.

A couple of photos of different hawks from previously …

Birdwatchers of A Different Kind

2010-06-15T08:46:00.001-07:00

Emma (top photos) is my spoiled little brat and Junior (bottom photos) is Daddy’s little boy.

Bee Tongue

2010-06-13T08:41:00.001-07:00

When was the last time you've seen a bees tongue?

Hummers

2010-06-12T22:00:00.001-07:00

Taken with a Canon EOS Rebel XSi

Lilacs

2010-06-12T15:35:00.001-07:00

Ten years ago I dug a little clump of lilac out of what was then my parents yard. Dad has since passed away and the home has been sold. I’ve babied this thing but almost lost it several times over the years. It was still in a sad state of affairs when I dug it up yet again and brought it here to Arizona when we relocated. It was not a happy camper and didn’t like this Arizona heat. The bush (not much more than a few twigs really) took forever to snap out of it’s stupor. This year, for unknown reasons, it shot up and doubled in size. Standing 4 foot tall now. This spring it surprised me again and bloomed. It’s the first time I’ve seen it in full bloom. It was worth all the struggle and long wait. :)

Water Iris

2010-05-27T06:37:00.001-07:00

Water Iris growing in a large bucket next to the pond

Western Kingbird

2010-05-26T18:23:00.001-07:00

Building a nest in one of our pine trees. Quite a mouth full there little guy!

That’s quite a mouth full there little guy. We have a pair of Western Kingbirds that have built a nest in one of our pine trees. :)