Category: Animals

Easter Sunday Surprise

Timothy Price67 Comments

Happy Easter! Glenda showed her respect by lying down with the bunny and the lamb.

Osric is a wily old owl. He misled me on where I suspected Nora Owl and the owlets might be. Last night I walked down to see Osric after sundown.

After a good been of negotiation between us, Osric flew over to a tree on the other side of the tree where I thought Nora and the Owlets might be.

Nora came out of a tree closer to the ditch bank, and an owlet popped its little head up. I was so close to them, I couldn’t get Nora into the frame using the Bazooka.

Nora took off before I could change cameras, and the owlet looked up as Mama silently flew away.

Two little owlets stared at me from the nest. Happy Easter Owls!

Mystery Bird Nesting In Resa’s Tree

Timothy Price37 Comments

I was photographing the Western Bluebirds and Sparrows in and around Resa’s tree when I noticed one of them going into and coming back out of a hole in one of the branches. I could not see clearly enough through the camera to see the bird in the shadows, but I was expecting to see a Western Bluebird or Sparrow when I processed the photos. Much to my surprise, I did not recognize the little bird when I pulled the images up on my computer. I used one of the photos to identify the bird using the Merlin Bird ID app. The mystery bird turned out to be a Bewick’s Wren.

The Western Bluebirds are still hanging around Resa’s Tree. I assume they have a nest there, but I haven’t found it.

A sparrow on Resa’s Tree gave me a sly look.

The Bewick’s Wren perched near the hole in the branch.

The Bewick’s Wren was taking small branches into the hole in the tree limb where it has a nest and coming back out, hopping around on the tree limb before flying down to find another twig.

The female Redwing Blackbirds are still hanging out, flying between the tops of the cottonwoods during the day and roosting in Rebecca’s black bamboo at night. The above series shows a flock flying out from and back to the same cottonwood before moving to another cottonwood in the last photo.

Moonrise Dawn Birds & Dusk

Timothy Price31 Comments

And yet another Pink Moon rising put on white.

A colorful dawn. Resa’s tree throws out clouds.

House Finch on the tippy-top of the tree.

Rodney Red-tail in Gigi’s Tree.

Cooper’s Hawk fluffed up because it was cold, bleached white in the sunshine.

Dusk’s display

STOP Color

Timothy Price42 Comments

STOP and look around
Colors here there everywhere
Sky clouds birds mountains

A Western Bluebird with Blue

All blue above and below the Sandias.

Osric Owl braving the wind.

Half a moon

I had a terrible time getting this American Coot in focus

Dawn’s colors from home, on the road, and at the office this morning.

Rodney Redtail

Timothy Price40 Comments

Rodney Redtail (I’m assuming this is a male) has been hanging out in Susan’s tree occasionally, perched above where I hung the nest for the owls. I’m hoping that maybe Roberta Redtail is nesting in the owl’s nest. I won’t climb up there and see if she’s in there. But I can hope she is. Rodney had a stick or something in his beak.

We Have Contact

Timothy Price62 Comments

Osric Owl

Owlku
We have made contact
Major Tim to Osric Owl
Where might Nora be?

Osric Owl preening and stretching while keeping an eye on the tree Nora Owl is in.

Osric Owl and Nora Owl were in a tree about a mile north of us. Two large limbs broke off of their tree ruining their nest in 2021. I saw them with their owlets last year in a bosque between a horse and the llama farm about 1/4 mile north of us. I found Osric owl in a tree above a horse stall on the llama farm tonight. By observing the trees in his line of sight and watching him closely to see where he looked for an answer after he hooted, I think I spotted the broken tree where I think Nora Owl is sitting on her eggs. The tree is in the middle of the horse coral at the llama farm.

I think Nora Owl is nesting in the broken tree in the middle of the coral.

It couldn’t get a shot of the full opening in the broken tree, but this photo shows part of the opening.

I got back home to a fiery sunset.