



Mama Owl and the Lone Owlet at dawn. I could not find the Lone Owlet in the tree this evening.

Black-headed Grosbeak




Coyotes





Say’s Phoebe


Cloudy Dawn

We got half an inch of rain yesterday and another quarter inch of rain this afternoon.



Mudback of Notre Pond enjoying the rise in the pond water from the rain.


Why did the turtle cross the levee?





This morning’s Spunk Art: “Tail In A Box!”
Turkey Vultures

I think the rain washed a lot of the fuzz off of the Lone Owlet.


Sunset after the rain
A sad, true story of a very young racoon pup I found gutted near my doorstep as if it had been sacrificed.
Sacrifice
By Timothy Price
[Verse 1]
I buried a raccoon pup at dawn
Found him by the steps
Heartless and empty
[Chorus]
Another life lost
Dark world so cruel
Why should I care?
You silly old fool
[Vers 2]
Secretly sacrificed
Under half-moon that rose at two
Such a dark mystery
[Bridge]
A spark of life was lit
To be snuffed out so soon
A baby raccoon as a sacficial lamb
So much misery for such a little life
[Chorus]
Another life lost
Dark world so cruel
Why should I care?
You silly old fool
[Otro]
With last rites fitting
Any innocent soul
Tucked in under spadefuls of sandy soil
Laid to rest, secured for eternity

Dusk


Dawn
Update on the orphan owlet from the raptor rehabilitor:
“The owlet is eating like a pig and doing well. He’s spending days outside in the GHOW enclosure with foster dad GHOW Royal to ensure he knows he’s a GHOW, and enjoy fresh air and nature sounds. For now, when he’s in the outdoor enclosure in the daytime, he’s in a large sheltered nestbox with wooden slats so he can see and hear Royal but will stay secure in the nestbox while he’s still smaller. I’m bringing him in at night because it’s still a bit cool overnight here and he doesn’t have siblings to snuggle with for warmth. Eventually he’ll be staying in the outdoor enclosure with Royal 24/7 and he’ll have room to learn/ practice flying.”
If you would like to donate to Wildlife Rescue, Inc. in New Mexico to help the orphaned owlet and other rescued wildlife, go to https://wildliferescuenm.org/donate-give/.

Mama Owl waiting for Daddy Owl to bring breakfast.

House Finches in silhouette


House Finches


The Mudback of Notre Pond holding his head up

Another turtle checking things out

Still Dawn

Ducks in the mist



Tracks on the beach. The trail is from a beaver’s tail dragging in the sand.

Sunrise

Mudback of Notre Pond changed position after sunrise

Blue Grosbeak

The Lone Owlet looking east after sunrise

Laurie caught El Vato Kitty sitting with the silver-haired Sasquatch

Sunset


The Lone Owlet at dusk


The moon, Jupiter and Venus were line up nicely tonight.

5:45 AM

Looked like Mama Owl had a squirrel she was feeding to The Lone Owlet













Turtles at Dawn

Ducks at Dawn


Dawn

Towers at Dawn

Mudback of Notre Pond

Curious coyote pup

Tired-looking coyote mom

Settling in to sleep after a good squirrel breakfast

Pre-sunset



Black Pheobe catching flies at sunset

The Lone Owlet at sunset

Nice pink at sunset


Ducks at dusk

Dusk


Can you find Jupiter and Venus?

Jupiter and four moons

Jupiter and Venus are easier to see in the above photo.

The smaller owl was out of the tree on the ditchbank when Jake and I went on our early morning walk. Three coyotes were eyeing the owlet. I chased off the coyotes, ran home with Jake, grabbed a box, ran back, put the owl in the box, took it home, put it in the library, covered it and shut the door so the cats wouldn’t bother it. Luckily, Daddy Owl did not attack me, and Mama Owl was nowhere to be seen. I took the owlet to Animal Rescue in Albuquerque.

Daddy Owl watching th grounded owlet.

Owlet in the box
Sunrise
Lesser Goldfinch












The three coyotes were playing on the ditch bank across the ditch from the owlet’s tree when Jake and I resumed our walk.

Sunset

The lone owlet



Venus made a brief appearance through the clouds.


Jupiter and the crescent moon.

Dawn

“Oh! No! Il Paparazo and his big bazooka, again!




















Snowy Egret flyby


Spotted Sandpiper
Doing the Sandpiper Boogie



A mama goose with four goslings


Practicing gosling ballet

“What do you mean, say I look like a dork!”

“Not only do you look like a dork! You look like a dorky duck!”

“Well! I never! Come on, Donald, we don’t have to listen to this lowly teenager insult us!”

“That’s obvious, given they have no ducklings!”

Spotted Tohee

Yellow-breasted Chat


Both owlets are hanging around outside the nest. One low. One high.



Morning bunny

Black Phoebe


Sunset

Black-crowned Night Heron

Venus and the Sliver Moon


Jupiter and four moons

Sunrise




White-brested Nuthatch

Bushtit

Northern Rough-winged Swallows



Killdeer in the corner


“Make a skedaddle paddle for the bank boys, there a paparazzo pointing a bazooka at us!”


Maybe the paparazo is not as much of a threat as they thought.

Mama duck got her ducklings in a row.


Spunk: “Whoa! Look at that sunset extravaganza!”







One of the owlets is hanging out outside of the nest


Other owlet is staying in the nest

Mama Owl


One turtle

Another turtle

Two turtles in the mud puddle

Western Tanager

pTerodactyl

Mourning Dove



Mother Goose and her goslings



Father Goose

Lark Sparrow

Chirp, chirp-chrip, chirp-chirp-chirp
Chirp-chrip, chirp-chirp-chirp, chrip-chirp
Sing us a song you’re a Towhee bird
Sing us a song today
We’re all in the mood for a melody
And you have us feeling okay

Crazy Bushtit






Blue Grosbeak love or Not!

Yellow-breasted Chat


Jetty sculpture garden in the Rio Grande

Bullfrog

Female Hepatic Tanager

Owlete after sunrise

Out-of-nest owlet snoozing on the tree trunk



Blue Grosbeak

Out-of-nest owlet snoozing on a large branch at sunset


Turtles have their heads barely out of the water, holding their mouths open, waiting for a meal to come close enough to snatch.


