Backyard surprises

Ok, so I am retired and hanging around the house a lot. I have had the opportunities to do a lot more birding than I have before, such as all the Christmas Bird Counts, outings at the Coachella Valley Wildbird Center, The Living Desert and more. It has been great.

So, while I am puttering around the house I noticed something different at the feeders. This is late April early May, so Spring is ending and all the snowbirds (both literally the migrating birds and the Canadians who come to the desert for winter), have fled to cooler climes. So this time of year we see several birds come through our yards, such as the Black-Headed Grosbeak, and Hooded Orioles. Every year I see a few Brown Headed Cowbirds show up at my feeders. This year I have seen flocks, sometimes fifteen to twenty at a time. Today, in amongst the Brown Headed Cowbirds, I saw something different.

I was sitting with Andi, my lovely wife of nearly 30 years, on our patio talking, when I jumped up and ran to the bedroom, (now, now, this is a family blog!) grabbed my camera and rushed back. There he was, a Bronzed Cowbird, (Molothrus avenues), was feeding at one of my feeders. As you can see from this photo, it is larger, and has a very red eye. It wasn't a life bird like I first thought, but it had been years since I had seen one. I apologized to my wife, but by this time she was very understanding.




The next day or so I walked by an open window at the front of my house and looked over at the golf course that we live across the street from, and saw something exciting. I again rushed for my camera, and out into the golf course I went in my flip-flops and dirty t-shirt.

I stalked my prey and was able to snap some photos of a mother and father Mallard duck,(Anas plantyrhinchus), and their duckling.


But my real prey was much bigger. Literally, two Canada Geese, (Branta canadensis), were herding their three goslings around the pond on the course. I was allowed some photos with promises of some wallet sized for their albums, and share them with you today.

Notice the size of the baby goose compared to the Widgeon, (Anas americana), that is full grown and really should have left for the north a couple weeks ago. Now he is the favorite uncle and helping out the proud parents.

You might be a birdnerd if... you lose all your manners and rush to see a new bird in the middle of a conversation. You might be married to a birdnerd if you understand completely, because it has happened so many times before.