Some Recent Bird Pictures From The California High Desert

[James B.]

Hello everyone!

Greetings again from the Mojave desert. It's getting warm out here! LOL. We've had a really varied spring; lots of cooler weather and even rain. Anyway, here's a few new bird pics and stuff. I will post these as thumbnails so hopefully this thread will load reasonably fast for those with lesser bandwidth (eg: dial-up). So please, just click on the thumbnail to see the pic full size...if you like. :)

This is a neat bird. The Phenopepla. It has a very mild and pleasant song.


These House Finches are sad - they look sad! - because they just lost their nest and eggs to an invader.
I felt sorry for them.


What a cool and mellow snake, this Rosy Boa (maybe 3 feet long) lives in my front yard. It is a top ranked mouser! LOL.


Another hard working desert bird; the Ladderbacked woodpecker with it's amazing high-speed drilling beak!


Here's another image of the woodpecker - I think it was very aware of me as I was taking the pic.


Alright, here's some flowers to round out the first post.


And this, edited with Gimp using the "cartoon" filter and stuff.

 

[seedling]

Thanks for the great pictures. Really enjoyed seeing them all. Those birds have sharp eyesight! We notice the crows watching us here.

 

[James B.]

Hello seedling...so nice to hear from you. :) Thank you for the nice comment. Hope you are doing well.

 

[seedling]

Good to see you again too. I'm better than a year ago with a long way to go still, but, can see the progress happening. Thanks for the pictures to brighten things up, enjoy your special talent.

 

[James B.]

I'm better than a year ago

So happy to hear this seedling. Very glad your hard work is paying off!

 

[James B.]

Well, gotta show off my Beavertail cactus. This is one of the plants I rescued last year; it was getting buried in sediment. So I dug 'em out, built a stone retaining wall and watered them a little, especially during the driest part of last summer and..shazam! Look out! LOL. Nice blossoms huh?


Here's a lucky shot of a kinda rare bird, I think. It's a Say's Phoebe. Odd name. Nice bird about the size of a sparrow.


And finally a good detail of Gambel's quail. They pretty much "own" the neighborhood. LOL. This image, ity had a strange effect on me...I stared at it. The bird sort of appeared slightly human or like a "relative" Odd.

 

[seedling]

The quail made me think of Genghis Khan for some reason. It looks highly dignified. Do you have any odd urges to gallop horses across grasslands and invade other tribal lands?

 

[Sammy]

Great pictures! Having never been to the desert, they are very fun for me. Good to "see" you again.

 

[James B.]

Hello Sammy! So nice to hear from you. Seedling - lol - nope, sorry...(too funny) no relation to Genghis Khan that I know of. The quail do seem very dignified though! A few more...

Major cactus blossoms.


Joshua tree national park blossoms.


For all the snake lovers; Rosy Boa.


Sharpshinned hawk on patrol. Taken yesterday PM.


Five, count 'em 5 super cute baby Gambel quail chicks - brand new! This image is bit rough - shot with max zoom. The parent Quail were nervous enough with me that close.

 

[intothelight]

Hi James,

Good to hear from you. Great wildlife shots! Although I am glad I don't have a snake in my front yard!

Debbie

 

[James B.]

Thanks for all the nice comments and messages, everyone. Hope everyone is doing alright. Things with me are going really great - very lucky. Anyway...how 'bout a few more pics? :D

This is Mt. San Jacinto plastered in winter dress - taken from my front yard with a tripod.


The smallest non-hovering bird in North America: Verdin.


Spring was super-intense here - much rain bringing many blossoms. This is a Yucca blossoming in full.


And another Yucca in full bloom.


Some kinda "artsy" self portrait.

 

[goingonhope]

Here's another image of the woodpecker - I think it was very aware of me as I was taking the pic.

:) Hello James, when looking closely it looks to me like the woodpecker is observing you through its peripheral.

Smiling, and Always I enjoy you pic's! Today I'm noticing that I can view them as a slide-show.

Hope