For the bird lovers

Tucson Audubon sent me a report on the sightings on/near my property in a 2 hour period on April 16th.

26 species total

7
Gambel's Quail

1
Black Vulture

4
Turkey Vulture

10
Eurasian Collared-Dove

20
White-winged Dove

7
Mourning Dove

1
Greater Roadrunner

10
Burrowing Owl

1
Black-chinned Hummingbird

1
Broad-billed Hummingbird

3
Common Raven

4
Barn Swallow

3
Verdin

2
Northern Mockingbird

2
Curve-billed Thrasher

1
European Starling

1
Yellow-rumped Warbler

50
Brewer's Sparrow (breweri)

5
Lark Sparrow

4
White-crowned Sparrow

1
Black-headed Grosbeak

10
Red-winged Blackbird

1
Brown-headed Cowbird

1
Hooded Oriole

3
House Finch

25
House Sparrow

Nice list!

Nice! Especially seeing 10 Burrowing owls, and the vultures

That's more species in 2 hours than I've seen in my backyard in the past year.

Well I always said that it was my goal to create a wildlife garden .

Is it possible that maybe I succeeded ?

How do you get the list from the Audobon people....do they just send it to you if they are in your area?

I would say you created awesome...

I'm just surprised you only got three house finches. Not that I don't love my birds in the hood, but the doves start up around 4am and all the ten million finches start barking orders nonstop shortly afterward. Takes a lot of deep breathing exercise to silence the little twerps. That's because I fall asleep eventually, but still. Couldn't they wait until six, for crying out loud?

I just turn over and lay on my good ear.. :-)

The Maricopa owl population is achieving recognition.

http://aziba.org/?page_id=1096

So cool. I really will make it out there sometime this year, but upheavals in my situation currently make it difficult.

Congratulations Doug!! That is awesome! Thanks for all you do for the birds!

So when you coming out Susie ? The vulture bird shows days are numbered >

Vulture bird show days are numbered? Why? And also, what's a vulture show?

EllenAz ,

Read the thread "Baitin" for buzzards" ;

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1310381/

And yes , if no group expresses interest in seeing this marvel of nature, the vulture show could end before next weekend . It is truly a spectacle to see some 40 to 50 of them in the air when they take flight.

Holy Toledo, Lonediver, you're amazing. Making yourself sick feeding buzzards takes a lot of dedication, to say the least.

Doug and Julie are an amazing couple, and their place is amazing too.

Had a comparatively rare sighting this morning at the vulture feeding station , a crested caracara;

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Crested_Caracara/id

Hopefully we got some pics of it , if we did they will be at Desert Rat Studio.

Too cool!!

Way cool bird!

Caracara showed up for a second day in a row . Poor bird, it was a bit disapointed, this was the first day in 29 days that I did not put out "fresh" food . I was sure that birds would still come today but the caracara was the first . He was here minutes after sunrise beating the vultures here. Turkey vultures typically arrive first , earliest that I had seen them arrive was 5:10 A.M. . More typically 5:20 to 5:30, on May 16th some 17 of them arrived simotaneously . That was a sight to see , more typically some half dozen would arrive within the same two minute or so span with more following shortly after. To watch for these specks in the sky coming from the south and knowing thier destination for the last month has been an experience . They glide in rarely beating a wing , my dancers in the sky .

I called Julie from the blind (waking her up of course) to try to get more pics of the caracara (none today) . But I am torn , do I keep the feeding station going a bit longer ? To do so involves several hours a day the least of not which involves getting up at 3:30 to 4:00 A.M. to hopefully get the caracara to return . I am TIRED , it has been an exhausting month. Despite REPEATED calls , emails etc. no one from any of four local Audubon chapters or the state chapter bothered to come .

Think that I will become even more of a reclusive hermit !

The caracara returned again today for the third day in a row. We should have pics of todays visit .

Caracara is here again this mornung , put out "fresh" treats this morning. He is the first to arrive 5:25 A.m. . Woke up Julie , she is whining .

You're living the life of Reily.

Nine years of HARD work to create this "life of Reily" and it is far from done .

But then sports, politics and religion are not of interest to me so that leaves the time to create my dream .

This message was edited May 31, 2013 10:25 AM