Look who showed up, the Hooded Orioles!
It is cause for celebration when these raucous, rackety, bickering-beauties show up each spring to spend the summer.
I so look forward to another season of their antics. They make scrub jays seem shy, quiet and retiring by comparison!
The Black Headed Grosbeaks arrived with the Orioles.
They are much shyer birds but hopefully they will assert themselves a bit more with the orioles this season.
These birds have such powerful beaks they can crack sunflower seeds in one chomp!
They seem to be arriving in greater numbers which is encouraging.
The Bullocks Orioles are new arrivals at The Holler this year. They are less assertive than their hooded cousins and can be identified by the black stripe across their eyes.
The California Thrashers live at The Holler year round, and stay mostly on the ground where they run around in such a hysterical, late-for-a-date-state, they are hard to photograph.
I think this one was stunned into temporary paralysis by the sudden arrival of all the spring competition which enabled me to finally get a few clicks of him!
Cheers to you from the still arriving Holler Birdies~
Some of your might like to listen to these birdies vocalizations:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Oriole/sounds
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-headed_Grosbeak/sounds
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bullocks_Oriole/id
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Thrasher/id
Month: March 2016
Blooming Cacti: Part I~
Cacti are blooming all over Hollerdom.
Prickly plants yielding fragile flowers.
Like gilded lilies,
in rainbow hues,
seeking sun,
through lethal thorns.
An Easter parade,
in a desert scape,
beauty triumphs in the harshest places.
Cheers & Happy Easter to you~
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Hummer Locals~
The year round hummers have names. Meet Star.
Star got the name because she is my star poser and lets me get quite close. She often sleeps with me a couple of feet away which is incredibly cute! She looks about ready to nod off now.
Yep, here she goes, snoozing the day away. I can identify with a hummer who likes her naps!
This is Flash. He strobes his intense colors at will and frequently. He tends to be a bit more hyper and dominant than laid back Star.
He would never sleep in my presence, but he loves to zoom at great velocity over the top of my head, making my hair flutter!
At the feeder he perches at the back and hides, peeking at me occasionally out of curiosity.
Piloto is Spanish for pilot.
He drinks from the feeder only while in flight, never perching.
Piloto is named for his flying ability.
He is always in super fast motion and is an expert in flying backwards.
He loves to fly about a hundred feet in the air and dive bomb down at up to 6o mph!
Darth is named for his black helmet and his cranky behavior. He will frequently dislodge Star from her perch while napping, just because he can! He is quite entertaining to watch and harmless, albeit the other hummers do find him annoying.
The spring migration will be starting any day now. Up to 40 additional hummingbirds will descend on The Holler. I will hang additional feeders to accommodate the numbers and we have nest boxes going up in the center courtyard. By mid-April The Holler will be humming!
Cheers to you from the The Holler Hummer locals~
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“What a World, What a World,” cried the Wicked Witch~
Remember, she said this when she was melting. (Orange Julia)
She was too selfish,
to care about anything beyond herself (Orange Julia, Blue Morpho, Cydno Longwing)
and so she melted. (Side-Striped Hairstreak)
Poor wicked witch.
She could never find joy in a butterfly. (Monarch, Longwing)
Joy finds those, (Postman)
who care about nature, (Gulf Fritillary)
and all her creatures. (Cattleheart)
May our beautiful butterfly world bring joy to you~ (Starry Night Cracker)
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Our Unexpected Community~
is like a brilliant field of new spring flowers,
filled with creative, talented, intelligent people, with open, searching minds, who are kind and supportive, rooting for each other.
A field chock full of productive people who use their unique talents in individual ways to contribute, to try and make a better world.
A community that spans countries, continents, religions and viewpoints, composed of individuals adding their light to an often dark world.
You are a blessing everyday to so many, including me. It was time to pause, and express my gratitude for being part of you.
Non-bloggers may not understand the depth of our individual and community connection. Hopefully, they might start a blog and find out for themselves, if not, it is their loss.
I picked these photos and flowers in honor of you, and our community.
Thank you for being you! Cheers to you and long may you blog~
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Holler Feathers & Their Kruger Kin~
(African Red Winged Starling).
Holler birdies (Purple Finch)
are curious (Black Phoebe)
and friendly (White Headed Sparrow).
But their African cousins (Cape Glossy Starling)
have that African ‘vibe’ (Southern Ostrich).
Like no other birdies (Blacksmith Lapwing)
anywhere else (Pied Kingfisher)
alive (African Fish Eagle)!
Cheers to you from our world of amazing birds (Baleteur Eagle)~
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Stadt Nürnberg~
Albrecht Durer house in the Alstadt (Old Town) of Nuremberg.
The old town of Nuremberg is another half-timbered medieval Bavarian town that lets you experience the uncanny feeling of walking back in time. Tiergartnerplatz Alstadt.
It is time travel without the need for a time machine!
These stained glass windows in Sebalduskirche (St. Sebald’s Church) circa 1250, were shining from the outside,
creating a divine impression!
Archangel Michael (circa 1408) in Lorenzkirche (St Lorenz Church).
Heilig Geist Spital over the River Pegnitz was originally built as a hospice, but is now a home for the elderly.
Cheers to you from the living Medieval town of Nuremberg~
