Our overwintering female hummer has now been joined by a male ruby throat. When he first showed up a couple of days ago, I just glanced and assumed it was the female. However, something didn't seem quite right, so I took a closer look and saw the black head and then the red band on the throat. When I opened the kitchen blinds this morning, the male was on the feeder. I must watch in case the female shows up and the male chases her away. Hummers are just so territorial, so I may need to put out a second feeder.

Hmmm Avedon, I'm in NE Texas too, I better get my feeder out right now!

Blue Heron was at the pond this morning (he visits the pond often) but the dogs scared him into a tree before I had a chance to try and get a good picture.

Hi bird people! I got some photos today and some of them are pretty decent! First, I came home from volunteering at MOSI and the Sandhill Crane was poking around the yard. I saw it get something kind of big and I got curious so I walked over. It got scared and dropped it. It turned out to be one of those horrible, invasive Cuban Frogs! They live in my bromeliads but with that beak he was all up in there! I had a tupperware dish out there with me to collect caterpillars in so I took the lid, scooped up the injured frog and tossed it over toward the bird to apologize. I never saw if he ate it. I was trying to let him be.



So as I was photographing the Crane, I saw something fly by. I turned around, expecting to chase a butterfly, but it was the hummingbird! It was hitting up my Quesnelia quesneliana (that's a bromeliad) again! Not the greatest pictures, but I was kind of far away and had zoomed in as far as I could. And did I mention those things are fast? But at least I have proof it happened!



I listened to the Red-Shouldered Hawk's call on the internet and I'm definitely hearing them. A LOT. And today they were flying around but I was mostly taking butterfly pictures. I did manage to sneak a couple pics when the hawk was sitting on our neighbor's fence.

Melanie, great shots of the crane! Boy, you sure have quite a range in bird size in your garden, from huge to tiny.

You sure did get some good shots today, Mellie!!

You sure did Melanie! Great job! And not shabby at all on the hummie either.

Thanks, guys! Margaret, I guess I hadn't thought about the range of size there, but I sure do have it covered! Those Cranes are pretty easy to get pictures of. You can walk within feet of them before they start to walk away. Personally, I wish they were a little more afraid of us. And traffic. I wish we could teach them how to cross the road properly.

Up here in Tennessee they are quite a bit more wary. There is a controlled hunting season for them because of the huge and growing population.

There were Sandhill Cranes at a campground that we stayed at in Utah, and I thought some creatures from Jurassic Park had come to life when I heard them! Not sure if I ever got a picture of them. We couldn't get anywhere near them.

Their calls are raucous! They make me laugh especially when they do their "dance". Silly birds.

Found a nest of Quail eggs in a front yard pot this morning. Counted 13 eggs. This is a pot with a plant I am no longer watering, just letting it die out so I can use it for another plant. That is good, now I do not have to worry about how to water it. The Quail do this to me every year. Amazing how they get it done without me noticing the process. Just wish they had picked a safer area then the front yard.

Linda, cool shot! Looks like the quail make very neat nests, the eggs look well hidden with their camouflage coloring. I hope we get to see some baby quail photos.

Hope so..

quietyard said:Found a nest of Quail eggs in a front yard pot this morning. Counted 13 eggs. This is a pot with a plant I am no longer watering, just letting it die out so I can use it for another plant. That is good, now I do not have to worry about how to water it. The Quail do this to me every year. Amazing how they get it done without me noticing the process. Just wish they had picked a safer area then the front yard.

Amazing that you have quail nest in your garden!

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, how sweet!

I was able to get a photo of Mom sitting on the Quail eggs at about 6:30 this morning. When I first looked in the nest it looked like just a pile of dust till an eye peaked at me. Eventually she closed her eyes and I got the shot.

I also now have a Dove egg that is hatching in a front pot that hangs by our front window. I noticed the cracking early this morning and it is progressing though I see no movement and I have not seem the Mother Dove all morning. Hope all is OK !

Wow Linda! All kinds of excitement going on at your place! I've heard that Mourning Doves are not good at nest building. If that egg is from a Mourning Dove, I can see that the nest is almost non-existent! I hope the little one survives! Please keep us updated!

Oh I hope everything will be okay with it. I wonder if it would work to move that baby to the other nest?