One day at the birdbath:
A robin and a catbird shared the space, which in itself is rare. Robins tend to take over.
Still waiting. That catbird doesn’t seem at all intimidated.
Alone at last!
What the heck???
As is abundantly clear, the robin gave the dove the stink eye.
The dove took the hint.
About a half an hour later, a rare event:
In all my time here, I’ve never seen a cardinal at the birdbath.
The neighborhood pool was clearly the place to be.
Happy Sunday.
I loved the pool party! Oh the robin giving the dove the stink eye made me laugh out loud!!
Me too, Liinda!
Me three! Cute post Claudia! ;)
Thanks, Donnamae!
A cardinal! How exciting! They kind of take my breath away, on the few occasions when I seen one.
Me too. They are often around here during the winter, but they are elusive and hard to catch in a photograph. I was so happy to see this guy on the birdbath.
Oh, I’m becoming a terrible typo expert!
Note to self: Slow down and read it first!
xo
I surely enjoy our birds Claudia. One advantage of having huge oaks is that we see many different birds and are entertained by their sweet songs. Everyday for a week we had 5 Sandhill Cranes patrolling our front lawn for food. They have a strange song that sounds more like geese honking. They are a little destructive as they eat wood trim around Windows and doors.
Oh, that’s not good, Janie! But they’re beautiful!
Yes they are and they make a magnificent sight when several of them throw their shadows on the ground as they fly overhead. Their babies are so cute.
That looks life a female cardinal to me. If so hopefully her man is in the area as well. The males
have so much more color. Not fair. I have a couple in our backyard. You get great pictures.
I love bird watching.
Have a peaceful Sunday,
monica
No, it’s a male. Females have much softer color, only hints of the red, with the body being brown and the crest predominantly brown with red at the very tip.
Loved this post Claudia. My favorites are of your outside critters. My Mourning Doves get in the birdbath and just sit there, hogging it for quite a while, this makes the other birds mad…they keep trying to get in and the Doves chase them off.
My mourning doves do the same thing. And often they sit on the edge of the birdbath for a long time.
Love the birds. Especially the cardinals, which I don’t get here.
Cardinals are beautiful, Wendy.
I loved the visit at the pool Claudia. What fun!
In Minneapolis the are cardinals galore. Up here have never in 30 years seen one. Sigh! Did you know that seeing a cardinal in your yard means someone in heaven is thinking about you? I like that.
I like it, too!
I used to see lots of bird interaction in our yard. Birds are very intelligent and interesting. I loved watching male robins guarding their mates while they took baths in our birdbath. And a flicker once saw our cat and immediately pretended to be hurt so the others could get away. Our cat could not get to the birds but he didn’t know that.
I love the flicker story, Jan. Amazing.
Really enjoyed the ‘pool party’ pictures! Great shots to obtain so many visitors at the pool.
That cardinal is probably an ‘escapee’ from Ohio’s excessive heat, going east for some cooler weather. (Cardinals are Ohio’s state bird.)
Maybe, but I doubt it! We have cardinals year round here and I’ve had a pair or two in residence on our property every year I’ve been here. I see them all the time, but this is the first time I’ve seen one on the birdbath.
Have to share this!! It does happen yearly, but also it never ceases to amaze me!! Around 3:00 yesterday afternoon I heard a commotion out in the cedar tree. The branches had been filled with the baby blue colored berries for a few weeks, so I knew the day would come soon……. about 50-60 Cedar Waxwings landed in the tree and began to devour those berries. They stayed for about an hour. If anyone drove through our alley, or kids went by on bikes, they would fly off, and be back in about a minute. When they left as a collective flock, the sound of all of those wings flapping was so loud that the dogs came running to see what was going on. So glad (lucky)we were actually in the vicinity of the tree to see this yearly visit. We could easily have been out and about and missed it. Our friends were here from Denver and they were beyond thrilled. A special day, indeed!!
Oh, how magical! And thrilling!
What sweet visitors you have…to bad Mr Blue Jay didn’t stop by too!
I took the picture of the Blue Jay the same day. In fact, I took it right after the birdbath pictures – so he was around, just not on the birdbath.
Types of birds I never see in my neck ‘o the SoCalif woods. Great pix! Nobody’s in my bird baths right now; it’s 100 degrees outside in big wind at 1:45pm PST. Not fit for ‘man’ nor beast.
Santa Ana wind?
Oh yeah…but it’s not a howler; you probably remember Santa Anas that are screaming winds. This is consistent but not violent wind. It did tear off a decent tarp from one of our outdoor sheds, so that’s a nuisance (not like we have to be worried about any upcoming RAIN, though!!). Of course they’re associated with heat, these winds…but nothing like this; the weather’s all anybody can talk about, if they dare venture out. (I’m not; I only emerged yesterday after dark and it’ll be the same today except for having to let my dog out for her business; I got up early and did chores early; I can’t stand the heat!) We’re holding steady at 104 degrees, 1:30pm, Monday…but by, say, 4pm? It’s brutal. I feel SO sorry for some of our City guys out digging up asphalt in front of my neighbor’s house for yet another infrastructure leak (city water lines). They haven’t turned my water off yet (but, at this rate, I’m thinking by 4pm it’ll probably be 110 degrees, I’ll have no water OR electricity!). I fear these workers are going to pass out but they’re in an emergency situation with a busted pipe; one thing here we never need is to LOSE water. But, speaking of, I’ve offered them water twice; a couple of the guys aren’t even wearing hats. When I lived on the Gulf Coast, you rarely saw workers doing this sort of thing in this kind of heat…of course it was humid there and this is more dry, but STILL…and I worry, too, of people who leave their pets outside; if the poor things can find shade. I checked on an elderly neighbor yesterday afternoon; she wasn’t phased by the heat but this is also what they say we have to be on the lookout for, as sometimes the older person doesn’t realize they’re actually suffering in the heat and may be dehydrated. You know, I expect this kind of weather in Palm Springs, but not so far north as I am; and they’re desert, we’re not. Be glad where you are, Claudia; I wouldn’t lament leaving San Diego although I know Don probably has some deeper ties there…
Actually, neither Don or I really miss it anymore. Maybe in the depths of winter, we do, but that’s about it. It’s much hotter there now than it was when I lived there. It’s much, much more crowded. It still had a bit of small city feel when I was there and certainly when Don was growing up there. xo
Loved this post! I’m a bird lover and these pictures were so sweet to see. I felt bad for the dove though. They are so docile. :-)
I know. But the robins scare away most birds, not just the dove. I’m sure the dove came back later.
I loved this post!
I know you love your birds, Donna!
When I lived in NY catbirds would often visit my birdbath. I’ve only seen one in the 10 years I’ve been in Illinois. I love watching the antics of the birds at the bath & the feeders. In spite of the late season heat, the goldfinches have lost their bright yellow color during the past week. In addition to robins & blue jays sending other birds away, I’ve seen little chickadees chase away bigger birds from both the bath & the feeders-they are so sassy!
They are, indeed!
Cardinals were my Mom’s favorite so every time I see one I am reminded of her. I have also heard when you see one that it’s a visitor from Heaven. I like to think it’s my Mom checking in. As always, beautiful photos, Claudia.
Thank you, Maureen.