Category: Birds

Look Who Showed Up at The Holler~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life287 Comments

Tiny Scaly Breasted Munias are native to India and Southeast Asia (click/tap to enlarge).

I told you birds,

don’t pay attention,

to where they are ‘supposed’ to be!

They looked as surprised to see me as I was to see them, but we are getting used to each other.

There is a whole flock of them.

It turns out these birds were sold in US pet stores as Nutmeg Mannikins.

Some escaped and have been breeding in Southern California.

I had a dickens of a time identifying them because they are not native.

Cheers to you from the new Holler locals who are fitting in quite nicely with the neighbors~

Bullocks Orioles~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, Wild Life213 Comments

This Bullocks Oriole is not sticking his tongue out at you, or me (click to enlarge).

He is eating grape jelly. Orioles are grape jelly fiends. At The Holler, strawberry, or other fruit jellies won’t do. Only ants and wasps will eat it.

We have two types of orioles at The Holler. Hooded Orioles and Bullocks Orioles.

These are all Bullocks Oriole males.

This is a Hooded Oriole male. He is more elongated, has a larger beak, and is a brighter yellow color.

A mated male and female Bullocks Oriole pair. Bullocks Orioles males have the dramatic black eyeliner at the outside corners of their eyes and are more orange in color.

All orioles are extremely argumentative! This male Bullocks Oriole holds his own in a fierce debate against a more formidable Mocking Bird.

Cheers to you from all the quarrelsome Holler Orioles~

Bickering Birdies~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life210 Comments

Love to argue.

Orioles and mockingbirds are definitely the culprits,

while scrubjays and woodpeckers,

just stand back stunned,

and watch the show!

Cheers to you from The Holler’s bickering birdies~

Toast ~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Tech Marvels, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life286 Comments

(click to enlarge) This blog is burning,

but, unlike California deserts,

there is no rain on the horizon.

The blog continues to be overwhelmed with WP errors. There is the unfollowed followers issue and there are now 26K+ and growing daily, PHP warning in my WP site logs linked to WP installed/managed plug ins.

PHP warnings are caused by unwanted errors in code or script. They are warnings that there are problems that are likely to cause bigger problems in the future.

Additionally, Google has identified 1.26K blog pages not able to be indexed by google due to redirect errors.

I am not hopeful that this will be fixed.

So, unlike the rain in the desert,

making wildflowers, rivers and waterfalls,

this blog continues,

to burn.

Cheers to you from the wet and happy Sonoran Desert~

Note: Desert wildflowers in order are: Bristlebush, Prickly Pear Cactus, Desert Willow and Desert Marrow.

Reys of Feathered Sun~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, GARDENING AT THE HOLLER, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life158 Comments

In black tuxedos (click/tap to enlarge)

are sunbursts,

in the garden.

Hooded Oriole males,

are always dressed,

to impress.

Cheers to you from the flying sunbursts~

Woody Woodpecker~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, GARDENING AT THE HOLLER, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life178 Comments

Loves grape jelly! (tap/click to enlarge)

He is curious,

about the human who puts jelly in palm trees.

The jelly is for orioles.

But forget acorns,

Acorn Woodpeckers,

want jelly,

in their belly!

Cheers to you from The Holler Woody~

Predating Raptor~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life218 Comments

Panics the snow geese (Click/tap to enlarge),

driving them high in the sky,

into protective formation,

over The Salton Sea in Southern California.

When the threat passes,

the geese return,

to feast and float.

Smart Snow Birds,

head south for the winter,

to loaf in the sun,

and play in the sea.

They only fly north when the sun comes out!

Cheers to you from the sun loving snow geese at The Salton Sea~

Note: I am guessing the predating raptor is a Harrier Hawk, but welcome correction if wrong.

Avocets~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life247 Comments

in flight over The Salton Sea in Southern California. (Click/tap to enlarge)

A pair in breeding plumage,

reflecting fragile,

flying beauty.

We continue to be deluged,

by blessed rain and snow,

with still more forecasted.

Salton Sea is cleaner and fuller than I have ever seen,

making the wintering birds happy.

They are ready now,

for the arduous flight north to breed.

Cheers to you from The Salton Sea~

Flight~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Uncategorized, Wild Life264 Comments

Harris Hawks lift off from my glove,

soar straight up in the sky to fly,

and land precisely back with Jim.

Flying hawks is incredible.

Lethal precision hunters,

they are woe to birdies in the sky,

and critters fleeing on the ground.

They are savage beauties,

and magnificent creatures.

Cheers to you from the Harris Hawks~

Harried Heron~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life244 Comments

Doesn’t appreciate the prickly bird guard.

But herons,

are not deterred,

by thorns.

They dance on them!

Other critters,

will shy away,

but herons are here to stay!

Cheers to you from the thorn dancing egrets~

Note: Snowy Egrets are members of the Heron family.