Backyard Birds

[Gelcoater]

Oh yes,they fly.
On a walk one time Daisy took off after one up a trail.The trail went up,down,up,down,about a 12 foot drop between the peeks and valleys,peaks spaced about 75 feet apart.He flew,took about 5 steps across the peaks,flew,about 5 steps across another peak and did it once more.Then stopped and looked back like "HaHa! Silly dog"
She gave up.

Another reason I need to come and visit one day. I've never seen one in person, but it's been a dream since I was a kid and watched the Road Runner commercials.

they are characters.Mel Blank captures their personality pretty well.

 

[Gelcoater]

Well,except for the Acme products

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Oh yes,they fly.
On a walk one time Daisy took off after one up a trail.The trail went up,down,up,down,about a 12 foot drop between the peeks and valleys,peaks spaced about 75 feet apart.He flew,took about 5 steps across the peaks,flew,about 5 steps across another peak and did it once more.Then stopped and looked back like "HaHa! Silly dog"
She gave up.

they are characters.Mel Blank captures their personality pretty well.

Cool. I didn't know how common they were in SoCal.

 

[Gelcoater]

Cool. I didn't know how common they were in SoCal.

Around here we see them often,not as much as you probably saw then in Az.We live a little off the beaten path,up on a hill with lots of open space and outside city limits.No sidewalks,no street lights,minimal concrete.
This one I saw today was the largest I have seen.
Here's some shots in this thread from May,he was a younger shorter guy,pic quality wasn't great with iPhone on the fly trying to capture a bird that doesn't sit still.
https://doberman-chat.com/community/threads/shot-a-few-birds-in-my-backyard.13969/page-3

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Around here we see them often,not as much as you probably saw then in Az.We live a little off the beaten path,up on a hill with lots of open space and outside city limits.No sidewalks,no street lights,minimal concrete.
This one I saw today was the largest I have seen.
Here's some shots in this thread from May,he was a younger shorter guy,pic quality wasn't great with iPhone on the fly trying to capture a bird that doesn't sit still.
https://doberman-chat.com/community/threads/shot-a-few-birds-in-my-backyard.13969/page-3

I checked out those pics from a few months ago. Cool. Yeah, it wasn't a rare thing to see them in So. AZ. but you always took notice.

I miss the quail, especially seeing a line of babies behind an adult. Gamble's Quail I believe.

Of course probably my favorite sightings were of Gila Monsters. You see those in zoos, and we saw them in nature. Kind of the Pit Bulls of the reptile world to me as it's said they don't let go when they bite you. Of course they've got the poison too. Fortunately they don't come after people. But come to think of it, I bet they would bite if you were walking through the desert and stepped on one or near one.

Don't tell me. You have those in CA too, after I've pontificated?

 

[Gelcoater]

I checked out those pics from a few months ago. Cool. Yeah, it wasn't a rare thing to see them in So. AZ. but you always took notice.

I miss the quail, especially seeing a line of babies behind an adult. Gamble's Quail I believe.

Of course probably my favorite sightings were of Gila Monsters. You see those in zoos, and we saw them in nature. Kind of the Pit Bulls of the reptile world to me as it's said they don't let go when they bite you. Of course they've got the poison too. Fortunately they don't come after people. But come to think of it, I bet they would bite if you were walking through the desert and stepped on one or near one.

Don't tell me. You have those in CA too, after I've pontificated?

I've never seen one,here or Az.
I lived in Havasu for a year or so,saw all kinds of critter but never a Gila.
I pulled this roadrunner footage for our northern friends.They are fast,nimble and like I said before...a bit creepy.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

I've never seen one,here or Az.
I lived in Havasu for a year or so,saw all kinds of critter but never a Gila.
I pulled this roadrunner footage for our northern friends.They are fast,nimble and like I said before...a bit creepy.

You know what? You're right on the creepy!

And whoa! I just watched the video That is AWESOME! Wonder if that was a baby Rattler. If not, that was a very large Roadrunner.

 

[GennyB]

It's funny the bald Eagles have such a wide range in the winter. Many of them stick around here too all winter. I can always spot them when there's road kill.

They actually live all over North America. There used to be a sub category called a southern bald eagle. I think they have pretty eliminated that sub category now because they found that the ones in the south would migrate north for the summer, starting in about April.

As far as winter birds go, I have stopped feeding birds. Somebody developed a very strong prey drive and I hated luring them in to be snagged out of the air to their death. Now I just chip in on my neighbors bird seed and everybody is happy.... minus one black dog.

 

[GennyB]

Very cool! It's nice to put a voice to a face and name too. I know you said you don't know what they were, but perhaps @obbanner might know. To me perhaps they look like some sort of Lorikeet.

I almost forgot....I think those are painted buntings, part of the cardinal family if I remember right.

 

[Gelcoater]

You know what? You're right on the creepy!

And whoa! I just watched the video That is AWESOME! Wonder if that was a baby Rattler. If not, that was a very large Roadrunner.

Maybe @Wilderness medic can chime in here,he has experience with those snakes.I was under the impression the number of rattle nodes has something to do with age?

 

[Wilderness medic]

Whoa sweet video! That looks like Crotalus scutulatus (Mojave rattlesnake). If so it looked to be full sized. And even more impressive as it's one of if not THE deadliest snakes in North America due the the fact it primarily has neurotoxic venom as opposed to hemotoxic like other rattlesnakes.

The buttons on the rattle have absolutely nothing to do with the snakes age.

 

[Gelcoater]

Whoa sweet video! That looks like Crotalus scutulatus (Mojave rattlesnake). If so it looked to be full sized. And even more impressive as it's one of if not THE deadliest snakes in North America due the the fact it primarily has neurotoxic venom as opposed to hemotoxic like other rattlesnakes.

The buttons on the rattle have absolutely nothing to do with the snakes age.

Yep,the Mojave green is a bad ass.
They do not try to run,they strike and advance.
When I was a kid we used to camp along the Colorado river in AZ a lot.
On at least 2 occasions we had a Mojave wander in.Although we had a gun my dad is not the type to kill something when we are in it's house so to speak.He caught them,bagged them,tossed them in the boat and transported them a few miles away to a different cove.
On one of those trips we had a Mojave come to camp and the noise he makes drew in a giant king snake looking for a meal.Pops bagged them both and released them in different coves.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Whoa sweet video! That looks like Crotalus scutulatus (Mojave rattlesnake). If so it looked to be full sized. And even more impressive as it's one of if not THE deadliest snakes in North America due the the fact it primarily has neurotoxic venom as opposed to hemotoxic like other rattlesnakes.

The buttons on the rattle have absolutely nothing to do with the snakes age.

Oh. I was thinking Western Diamondback. Hence my thinking that was a small one.

 

[JanS]

Interesting video Gel, but the snake made me cringe with my phobia of them. :cold:

 

[Gelcoater]

Interesting video Gel, but the snake made me cringe with my phobia of them. :cold:

Sorry bout that.
But,it illustrates my "creepy" comment a bit,doesn't it?
A bird,12-15 inches tall that most people think of as cute taking out one of the most deadly snakes on the continent,seemingly like a pro.

 

[Wilderness medic]

Ever roadrunner i've seen has been surprisingly tall. Like a mini velociraptor haha...

Could be a diamondback….tail looks like it..but the pattern looks more like a mohave to me, pattern appears a bit more fuzzy and less defined than a diamondback. Hard to tell from that short violent clip.

 

[MyBuddy]

Awesome photos, @JanS !! I just love seeing wonderful nature pictures! Birds in flight are one of my favs!! And Eagles! Don't get me started! LOL LOVE them!! Such a beautiful creature! You know my reaction that time when I saw one here! O..M...G!!! I was in heaven! Its a highlight of my life! LOL!! Keep those pics coming!

I pulled this roadrunner footage for our northern friends.They are fast,nimble and like I said before...a bit creepy.

That was incredible! That roadrunner looks bigger than I thought they'd be! Really cool to see @Gelcoater !!

 

[Gelcoater]

Awesome photos, @JanS !! I just love seeing wonderful nature pictures! Birds in flight are one of my favs!! And Eagles! Don't get me started! LOL LOVE them!! Such a beautiful creature! You know my reaction that time when I saw one here! O..M...G!!! I was in heaven! Its a highlight of my life! LOL!! Keep those pics coming!


That was incredible! That roadrunner looks bigger than I thought they'd be! Really cool to see @Gelcoater !!

If you get eagles there you really need to be careful with Kali.
I know a guy went on vacation to Alaska with his parents who had 2 JRT's and the eagles keyed in on them.They had eagles watching them where ever they went.
Not to alarm you but...just so you keep it in mind.

 

[MyBuddy]

If you get eagles there you really need to be careful with Kali.
I know a guy went on vacation to Alaska with his parents who had 2 JRT's and the eagles keyed in on them.They had eagles watching them where ever they went.
Not to alarm you but...just so you keep it in mind.

Not alarming me. Its on my mind each and every time she is outside. (that and coyotes )

 

[JanS]

Doesn't anyone else have pics of their winter birds? @MicheleM I know you have tons of beautiful pics of them.

Here are a few I took within the last few weeks.

Nuthatch


Little woodpecker


Female Pine Grosbeak (taken a few years ago)


Male Pine Grosbeaks