Today a big bird flew RIGHT in front of me as I whizzed down a flat road. I was able to id it after it passed and headed into the woods. A pileated woodpecker! Made my day. :)
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Today a big bird flew RIGHT in front of me as I whizzed down a flat road. I was able to id it after it passed and headed into the woods. A pileated woodpecker! Made my day. :)
Cool- Pileated Woodpecker is a very special bird- not something we see in Arizona.
We had a lot of birds on our ride today too- Gila Woodpeckers, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture- and many we could just identify by hearing them along the way- Cactus Wren, Canyon Towhee, Lucy's Warbler, Bell's Vireo, Cardinal, Black-throated Sparrow, Cassin's Kingbird, Barn Swallows, House Finches, Broad-billed Hummingbird, White-winged Doves, Mourning Dove.
Great list! Would love to see a Gila woodpecker! I did see many other birds as well, mostly cardinals, mockingbirds, robins, one hawk, and some other small birds I couldn't ID. We had Pilated woodpeckers nesting on the property we sold last year, so it was a real treat for me to see the one here in the new 'hood.Quote:
Originally Posted by azfiddle
One of the hawks I watch died over the weekend. We suspect he ate a poisoned rat, but necropsy results aren't back yet. The Parks Dept. found his body on Sunday, but didn't tell anyone, so we spent a miserable few days searching and worrying.
He was the father of newly hatched babies (about 10-14 days old) and it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the mother to raise them alone. I just visited the nest; the mom hawk is still calling for him. We can't know what birds feel, but I can tell you the humans who have watched this pair for years feel very sad.
Here's the last photo I took of Riverside Dad, showing a little bit of his brood patch.
Awwww, Pam. That is such sad news. I grieve over things like that. Poor Mama Hawk. Nature is so very cruel. :(
Saw a whole herd of javalina today at Saguaro NP. Last week, I was just a minute too late to see a Gila Monster.
Not as exciting as javalinas, but today I saw 5 bunnies, and a family of geese with 3 goslings. They were so cute, even the cars stopped for them. They were crossing the road, of course.
I saw a turkey vulture and a great blue heron flew right in front of me, it looked like it was going to turn around and fly back, but it ended up landing 5 feet from me.
I would so love to see javalina(s). Nothing is more wonderful than goslings.
Great blue heron is a cool thing to see, too!
I saw a yellow bellied marmot on this morning's ride
Cool- where was that?
Yesterday I saw six great blue herons ... one flew across the road right in front of me ... remembering Gil Scott-Heron who died on Friday.
Nice reference on the herons....
Wednesday, I saw a Gila Monster pointed out by the park ranger at Saguaro NP.
Today a Cooper's Hawk was keeping pace with me for a while. Saw an American Kestrel, too. Last weekend I noted over 30 species of birds along my 49 mile route, which was mostly urban and desert but also included a brief stop at a pond.
While not wild, today I saw 5 male reindeer and 3 females while on my ride. Also saw a few Llamas and some goats along with other interesting and exotic creatures not usually found in central Indiana :)
Last year they only had two males, the "baby" boys are getting pretty darn large - their antlers are quite impressive already! My assumption is they were born last year and not brought in. Hoping to get pics next time, this time I was fighting such a strong headwind that I did not want to stop...and a hill was coming.
The chipmunks are so crazy these days! They keep running in front of me. They're so cute; I'd hate it if I ever hit one.