IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A CLIFF SWALLOW IN ACTION - LOOK HERE

I had a wonderful opportunity recently to spot some cliff swallows by the lake flying in to get mud for their nest.  I watched from a distance for awhile as they were at the shore line and with much interest noted their method of building their nest.  One thing I noticed is they keep their wings in an upward direction and my only guess is they don't like to get dirty - nah that can't be it - i don't know why they do it.

Then I watched where they were going and went over and stood close by and watched them.  As you can see by the photos they knew I was there and kind of looked a little grumpy at being observed so closely. 

Here in the west there can be up to 3700 nests in one spot.  They had several nests being built at one time and when I went back the next day there were gone.  The nests were being built up in the eaves of a wooden structure near the little league field.  There were games going on the next day so I think someone went through and knocked all the nests down (not sure why).  But there was little trace of them left.  

 I noticed a few days later they were flying out from under the underpass on the north sides of the lake. 

They have very odd but cute faces.

BIG BEAR ALPINE ZOO

Yesterday we took our grandson to Big Bear Alpine Zoo.  It is a place where animals are brought to recover from illness or injury or have been orphaned and need a refuge until they can be released back to the wild.  Here is a blurb about them

.....

Big Bear Alpine Zoo – “Saving wildlife since 1959”

The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is a rehabilitation facility offering injured, orphaned and imprinted wild animals a safe haven; temporarily while they heal or permanently as they are unable to survive on their own. We are extremely proud that 90% of all the animals brought to us for rehabilitation are successfully released back into their native environment. Those that remain with us on exhibit are either too injured or have been imprinted by humans and cannot be released back into the wild to care for themselves.
 ....


I really enjoyed being there even though it is a small zoo and I was expecting something bigger.  They are in the process of enlarging the zoo and it will be ready some time in 2015.



I even "adopted"  a beautiful wolf named "Spirit".  For $25.00 a year you can sponsor whatever animal you choose and Spirit won my heart.  I spent a lot of time at the wolf enclosure.  I'll share photos in another post. 

 I had a conversation with this great horned owl that "spoke" to me as I walked by his enclosure      I hear something  and look over at him.  I could have sworn he is talking to me....

- "pssst...come over here....hey lady....come here..."


I walk over and see him looking away.  Okay, I must be hearing things.

Hey lady - pssst.....come closer - I have a request of you.

"Okay"  I said to him...  "I'm listening what do you want to say,"..... not really believing that I'm talking to an owl. 

He looks so serious and replies, "....I'm in need of a big steak dinner and all they are feeding me here are mice and rats.  I need a little more variety in my life.  Can you come back tomorrow and fix me up with a rabbit and hmmm....  a little broccoli would be  a nice side dish.   I beg of you - I need rabbit! 

Okay I know this is all going down through mental telepathy but it seems he is really talking to me.

An idea flashes through my mind and seems the perfect way to tell if we really are communicating

 I say to the owl - "Look - if you are really speaking to me and really desiring a meal of rabbit - some how let me know, give me a sign - any sign will do - maybe you can wink at me. 


And then... I knew for sure we were talking.  Now I need to go find some rabbit.

THE END.

BATH TIME

The pools were busy today - ..meaning I have set up several different areas with little containers for water and I sat outside observing them yesterday.  A few showed up that I'm not sure what they are - As far as I can tell they are female cow birds.  I need to research it more but I do know they enjoyed their baths.

 Then newest area is out by the gate - i put them far enough out where they aren't intimidated by me sitting on my back deck.  I can use my zoom to get up close.  This tree in the foreground was filled with black headed grosbeaks yesterday. 

I think the brown bird in the back is the female brown headed cow bird and i'm not sure what the lighter one is.

THINKING OF AVILA - THEN THINKING OF THE BARN AND THINKING OF THEIR FLOWERS

and thinking that right this minute I'm going to get off the computer and go sketch this out - maybe paint it tomorrow.

UNBURDEN YOURSELF AND FLY

“People have to forgive. We don't have to like them, we don't have to be friends with them, we don't have to send them hearts in text messages, but we have to forgive them, to overlook, to forget. Because if we don't we are tying rocks to our feet, too much for our wings to carry!”

C. JoyBell C.

I love this photo of a favorite bird of mine (Brewer's Blackbird) - This was taken at Lake Arrowhead the other day.

WONDER WHAT HE IS THINKING or BEING

SEAGULLS AND AN OLD POST

I was looking for a specific post on my older blog that I closed down and stopped using when we moved to the mountains.  It has to do with crows.  Anyway, I didn't find it yet but I did find this post - and it has to do with a seagull and a heron and the seagull trying to get the heron to move - LINK HERE

 These photos were taken in San Diego - a man was feeding them Doritos of all things and they were going crazy.

 

YOUNG BLACK HEADED GROSBEAK

She spent quite a bit of time at the water feeder today.  They show up in our mountain range in spring and summer when they breed - then when fall and winter arrive - they are gone.  I had many of them last year in Wrightwood so I was happy to see them show up here. 

Females and immature males are brown above with warm orange or buff on the breast, and some have streaks on the sides of the breast. All have grayish bills. In flight, they flash bright yellow under the wings.

Their sound has been described as a "tipsy robin" whatever that means.  I do know they are pretty to listen to.

PRETTY PARROT AT THE COUNTY FAIR

At the end of May we went to the County fair in our area.  The first place I like to visit when we get in the gate are the animal exhibits - The fair is really small compared to the Los Angeles County Fair -

This exhibit showcased this parrot - a monkey, a few rabbits and a large cat.

This bird looked content to be there and show off his colors.  Not so sure about the other animals.  The fair is held in the high desert which I can't understand.... but in May the temps aren't too high.  I have a feeling these same animals will be at the LA County Fair in September.  I swear I have photos of the same bird - of course this species of parrots all look alike to me.

I love the textures in these photos, from his feathers to the camo netting and the bamboo.

LABYRINTH WALK AT SYCAMORE SPRINGS, AVILA BEACH

I remember the day we visited here and  my sister showed me the rock labyrinth/ maze.








I have a lot of photos of that day that I don't think I ever posted.  It was a beautiful day - perfect weather if my memory is correct and it makes me want to get back to the coast soon.

It felt like a magical place walking through there and I'm wondering if they still have it as it is pictured in the photo.  .  I can't remember what year it was - maybe about 2010/2011.  This particular photo was in a different web album and sat alone - so now I have to go back in my external drive to find photos from the entire trip we made up there in the past.  I have so many photos from all our trips to the coast so I'll have to spend some time looking for them.

SUMMER - YOU ARE SO COOPERATIVE - LOVE U MUCH

Summer has served up more magical moments.  In addition to seeing the baby coots yesterday - ...today I'm pleased to say I was visited by a Mama Mountain Quail and three babies.  I really wonder where the other babies are because usually I've seen them with at least six or seven or more tagging behind their mama.  We do live in an area where there is a lot of wild life so possibly just these three made it.  They were on  our top floor deck and I hope they return tomorrow. 

The  mama and kids were  on my deck, eating the nyjer seed that fell from the feeder  I was so excited I could hardly focus in  but did manage to get several photos -

I can imagine this momma reciting to  her kids this Shel Silverstein poem

LISTEN TO THE MUSTN’TS

Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,

Listen to the DONT’S

Listen to the SHOULDN’T’S

The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS

Listen to the NEVER HAVES

Then listen close to me-

Anything can happen, child

ANYTHING can be

And the kids say - Hey mom - you mean we can go up on these decks and find food AND water all in one place and we will be safe?  Mama says  "I said Anything can happen - anything can be - just make sure you thank the one who put out all that seed.

 These babies are so adorable.

The mother was on the deck along with the babies

 After their meal they flew down to the back yard, walked over to the gate and crossed the road back to their home in those leaves.  The mom waited for the three babies to go in their hideout first and after checking to see if they were safe, she followed them in.