The Cold Wind Blows!

Yup! it's the changing of the seasons. The winds have been blowing strong. The night temps hover in the 30s and even dropped into the teens this week. Still no precip though. Our front yard was a real mess due to the famed "Mulberry Leaf Drop" after the coldest night. It always amazes me how those trees just drop all their leaves at once after a frost. It looks pretty until you have try to walk through it, then it is just a mess to rake up. Oh well.

We worried about our two chickens in the cold and wind because they sleep in the wysteria vines by the front gate. There is no shelter there for them since the leaves all dropped. But they made it through the night, apparently OK.

As for new bird arrivals, we haven't noticed any more yet. They could show up any time though. We have seen the Sandhill Cranes visiting the nearby fields. We see, and hear, them when the come in for a landing and when they take off. Haven't gotten over to a field yet to view them and try to get photos. Hope to do that soon.

Happy December!

"The falling leaves drift past my window..."

The leaves are falling! Our cottonwoods have all turned golden yellow and now their leaves are covering the ground. How beautiful!

Well, the newest bird to show up is a White-crowned Sparrow, seen all puffed up like a balloon after bathing in the bird bath. He was hopping around on the ground under the thistle feeder along with the usual sparrows and finches (known as LBJs or little brown jobs) and the Juncos. Haven't seen the Kinglet lately but I'm sure he's still around. Hope to see a White-breasted Nuthatch soon.

We have also been watching the flights of Sandhill Cranes almost daily. They are on their way to the Bosque del Apache NWR for the annual Festival of the Cranes which runs November 16-21 this year. This is becoming quite a big event with visitors from all over the world coming to see the Cranes and other birds at the refuge. One big photo op! Check out their site for more information: www.friendsofthebosque.org

It's that time again . . .

REMEMBER to turn your clocks BACK 1 HOUR tonight!

Happy Halloween!

Watch out for that frost on the pumpkins. We've come real close to seeing it here. Have a safe and sane Halloween and save some candy for tomorrow.

New sightings. Our first Dark-eyed Junco showed up yesterday. I couldn't hardly believe my eyes. It seems so early but he is a welcome sign of the cooler weather. Also, a male Lesser Goldfinch came to the thistle feeder. I've put out some dried cranberries for the fruit eaters but so far only the House Sparrows and House Finches have been eating them. I'm hoping it will attract the Nuthatches and Flickers. Wait and see.

On the Move . . .

It seems that the migration has finally begun. This week we have seen many flights of migrating Sandhill Cranes and Canada Geese, as well as some ducks. Guess it got cold enough up North to send them our way. What a thrill to hear all that honking noise!

A couple days ago I thought I saw a heron-type bird on a sandbar in the Rio Grande as I drove across the bridge. I only caught a quick glimpse as I was driving. My first thought was a Blue Heron but I don't think it was that big, although it did look kind of bluish-gray. Maybe I will see it again.

We have also spotted our dear little Ruby-crowned Kinglet chattering away in the evergreen bushes. Besides the Downey Woodpecker and the Northern Flickers, we also saw a Hairy Woodpecker.

HUMMINGBIRDS: Well, up through last week we had a few late-migrating hummers at our feeders. They were all Black-chinned Hummingbirds. Each stayed about 2-3 days and then moved on. We haven't seen any this week though. That is why you should leave your feeders up at least two weeks after you think you've seen your last one. There are always a few stragglers who need to rest up and fill up before continuing on South. Glad we left ours up this year.

Empty Nest Syndrome

HUMMINGBIRDS: Well, we thought that maybe they had all left on Sunday, 9/25, but then we spotted one lone bird at the feeder on Monday. We saw the one all week long until Friday morning, 9/30. But since Saturday, 10/1, there has been no sign of any hummers. So, I was right about them leaving before October. We will leave a few feeders up for a couple more weeks in case some stragglers stop by. We really are missing them already.

OTHER BIRDS: The Ladder-backed Woodpecker has been quite active. We see him everyday pecking on the bean pods of the locust tree in the patio. We are waiting for the start of the Sandhill Crane migration. It usually happens once there are heavy snows in northern Colorado, which could happen this week. We have gotten some rain recently with a few snow flurries in the high mountains, so it looks promising.

Later . . . .

Happy Autumn!

WEATHER: It is truly a time of change. Look at all the wild weather, like the number of hurricanes this year. Not just the Atlantic ones that threaten our shores but there also have been a number of Pacific ones (typhoons) off the west coast of Mexico. Then there are the earthquakes and possible volcanic eruptions all around the planet. Mother Nature is not having a good year. Now they say that Mars is experiencing global warming too!

BIRD WATCHING: I’ve noticed a few new birds lately. In addition to the Ladder-backed Woodpecker, we also have Northern Flickers. I have only seen them from the back so I don’t know if they are red or yellow underneath. A few evenings ago, we had an Owl in the patio tree, just after sunset. It was a small one, which we think is a Northern Saw-whet Owl (8”), or may be a Western Screech Owl (9”). Anyway, it sat up there just hooting away for about 5 minutes. We have been hearing the owl in the later hours of night or early morning but we rarely get to see it. They usually spend the summer here. We have also had a Great Horned Owl hang out around our field.

My husband has been spending his evenings sitting outside to watch the Hummingbirds at their final feeding frenzy for the day. He has only counted about 6 or 7 birds. They are all getting a rounder shape now and they will probably leave in the next couple weeks, if not sooner. Maybe they will make it to October after all.


OF NOTE: One week from today, September 30th, begins the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta! A full ten days of hundreds of beautiful hot-air balloons to see. It is one gigantic photo op!

OOOOPS!

It seems that my request for comments generated some anonymous spam instead. I had to block all anonymous comments. I would appreciate your cooperation here. I only want serious comments. Blogger.com has rules about spam so it had better not happen again!

Thanks.

Speak up!

We are just curious if anyone is reading this blog. If so, we would like to hear from you. Just click on the "comments" link at the bottom of the post, and let us know what you think, how often have you visited, and any other thoughts on our blog.

Thank you, in advance, for your interest.
Rancho Colibri

Happy Autum!

The Autumnal Equinox is Tuesday, September 20.

Well, the Hummer numbers are dwindling. The juveniles that are left are getting fatter every day. We only count about 7 birds now. Don't know if they will still be here by October 1st. The last couple nights the temps have been much cooler. Last night was in the 40s! Put an extra blanket on the bed.

A couple days ago I was outside and noticed a bigger bird fly into the tree in the patio. Upon closer inspection (I ran and got my binoculars) I determined that it is a Ladder-backed Woodpecker. He was checking out the loose bark for insects. The tree is a Honey Locust (we believe) that gets these long bean pods. The woodpeckers also peck on them looking for insects. The ones on the ground are eaten by the squirrels.

I'll keep my eyes and ears open for more visitors.

Summer's almost over

Summer is almost over but the high temps are still with us. The monsoon has apparently been cancelled. But soon the nights will get gloriously cooler and then the leaves will turn. Ahh, the change of seasons.

BIRD NEWS: Not a whole lot but some things of interest. My husband noticed a Ferruginous Hawk flying around overhead. We have noticed more hawk activity lately, in the form of feather evidence, but we are not sure which hawk is responsible. We have seen this hawk before, so that is how he recognized it. They are very large (23-24") and the chest is white with brown speckles so it is easy to spot. If interested in more info, go to eNature.com and look it up.

Our Hummingbird babies are really packing on the poundage or, rather, the ounces. Their sillouettes are getting rounder everyday. This seems to indicate that they will be leaving early this year, as I predicted. We still have a couple Rufous among the Black-chinneds but the Calliopes are gone. I hope you enjoy these guys as much as we do. We really hate to see them leave but anxiously await their return in April.

Our Lesser Goldfinches have come back to the thistle feeder again. According to the field guides, they are year-round residents so maybe they will just hang out here for awhile.

CHICKEN NEWS: Well, Chicken Little shed her tail a couple weeks ago and now seems to be moulting all together. She looks so sorry. I've been trying to get her picture but she's the shy one ("The sky is falling, the sky is falling!"). Meanwhile, Mazey has been coming out from her hiding place more often. I hope she is going to give up on that hidden nest soon because she's looking a little skinny. I really wish we could find that nest. It is driving us crazy not knowing where she hides.

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR: The chiles are still coming in and that heavenly roasting smell fills the air. The NM State Fair opens in a couple weeks and the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta follows that around October 1st. It is a grand time of year.

Stay tuned.

"Oh, it's crying time again. You're going to leave me..."

That is a line from an oldie song and it describes how we feel this time of year.

As of last Sunday, all the adult hummers have left us! Just as I predicted. We just have the juveniles now and they really are little delinquents! They fight and screech all day long as they, too, fatten up for the long migration in a few weeks. So it appears that we won't be having any hummers around here by the first of October, like usual.

The Lesser Goldfinches seem to have moved on too. There was a juvenile at the feeder on Monday but not since.

Last summer we had a flock of Sandhill Cranes that would hang out in the fields of some neighbors but not this year. We are in the monsoon now and everything is still pretty green. Maybe they will show up once the crops are harvested. There have been some great photos of them taken here in the past and published in the newspaper, but I am trying to get my own photos to use.


One great thing about this time of year is that its Chile Season! Half a block away is a little produce store and they have a chile roaster in the parking lot. I just love the smell of the green chile roasting. Soon the red chile ristras will be everywhere. That is New Mexico to me!


Stay tuned.

Dog Days of Summer

Finally, it seems that the monsoon has arrived. Now we have a "damp" heat.

Well, the Hummers are busy getting fat for their big trip south. Because they arrived earlier this year it seems that they will be leaving earlier, too. The Rufous seem to be getting the fattest so far. They will probably leave soon. The adult Black-chinneds are also getting fatter. They look like little flying walnuts! We also still have the Calliopes hanging around and I think they may leave first. Today, there was constant commotion around the feeders. I am not sure if it was because of the threat of rain or the fact that the Rufous need to pack on the weight, but it sure was noisy.

We have been going through 3 quarts of sugar water a day now. As I explain on my web site, you can estimate how many birds you are feeding by dividing the total number of ounces consumed by the weight of the birds. Each bird must consume their weight in food each day. Most species weigh between 3 to 5 ounces. We mostly have the Black-chinneds so I use their weight and we seem to be feeding about 27 birds right now. That seems about right.

Not much else is happening but I'll let you know when things change.

Hummer Update

I mentioned that we have a Calliope Hummingbird, male, that showed up on 13 July, well, we have now confirmed that he is still here. Usually these guys only stay a couple days and then move on. But last evening we saw a second male Calliope! We think it might be a younger one because the flare of the neck feathers is not a wide as the other. There may also be a female but they are harder to distinguish since most females and juveniles appear to have the same colorings. Anyway, we will keep trying to determine this so stay tuned. We figure that maybe they are staying here longer because of the heat wave. Also, there is an abundance of food, flowers and insects for them. We feel so honored.

If you don't know what these birds look like and you don't have a bird field guide to look at, click on this link. It takes you to a photo and description on the best wildlife website I've found: eNature.com. This site is fabulous. It covers all wildlife and if you sign up, you can customize the sight to your region and see which species are there. I use this sight as a reference all the time.

Hasta la vista, Colibri!

They're HERE! Rufous Alert!

We got our first Rufous Hummingbird on Sunday, July 10th. He has been creating quite a stir. He arrived about a week earlier than usual. I called the local Wild Birds Unlimited store to report him and they said that they have been getting reports for the last 3 weeks!

(The photo is courtesy of my sister who is a professional photog. She took this in her back yard last year. I think it is a terrific shot.)

Today, we also got to report a first Calliope Hummingbird! This is really unusual - they don't normally show up until August. The bird store people were really surprised too. My husband saw it first and he could'nt believe his eyes. So, I had to verify what he saw.

We have also discovered a pair of White-winged Dove babies. They hang out around the big seed feeder. Apparently, they have learned to land on it to get seed. It is a green metal one designed to be squirrel-proof. It has a pressure sensitive landing bar that adjusts for the size of bird to allow but closes for the squirrels. We have it set so that the Red-winged Blackbirds can use the feeder. I guess the doves are about the same size. And very clever!

Hasta la vista!

The lazy, hazy days of Summer!

WEATHER: Well, here we are in the hottest part of the year. The temps are staying in the 90s – but “it’s a DRY heat” so we are thankful for that. Humidity is below 20% so the swamp cooler works very well. We had to change out the pads yesterday because the first set was clogged with fuzz from the cottonwood trees. We have to do this every year once the cotton stops flying. The poor thing was really struggling to suck air and it just wasn’t very cool. We are also thankful that our cooler is window-mounted instead of on the hot roof! Now we have cooler, cleaner, air to enjoy. The “hazy” days have been due to smoke from the wildfires in Arizona and Utah they tell us. Last weekend we had an “air advisory” because it was so bad. So far this year, NM has been spared the big fires. The weathermen are eagerly looking for signs that our annual monsoon is eminent. We usually get these in July and August. It is so nice to get a little shower in the afternoon because it makes for a cooler night. That’s our life in the high desert, folks.

WILD BIRDS: No new types of birds to report but there are plenty of new babies! The first of the Black-chinned Hummingbird chicks are now fighting for their place at the feeders. Soon enough, though, the dreaded Rufous will be arriving and then things will get very lively around here. Last Saturday we saw a pair of baby Mourning Doves sitting together on a branch in the patio. They were so cute! They were practicing their calls while the parents were bringing them food. Of course we also see the usual House Finch, House Sparrow, and Starling babies following their parents around, fluttering their wings and squawking for food. The Starlings just love to bathe in the birdbath. They will get in there and just splash away. There is always a splash ring on the patio around the bath. (I know, I should have more pictures.) The Kingbirds are busy teaching their chicks how to catch food on the wing. They practice from the powerlines that run along the sides of the property. They also love to visit our Mulberry tree with its fruit and bugs. The Lesser Goldfinches are still showing up at the thistle feeder and have to fight off the baby Finches and Sparrows who also like the seed. The Goldies will sit up in the tops of the trees and sing the most beautiful little songs. What a treat.

Then there is the menace of our feathered friends, the Roadrunners. They have babies to feed too and so they go through the yards looking for anything suitable, like lizards, bugs, grasshoppers, and, Oh Yes, baby birds. Every day we hear alarm calls from the Robins and others whenever there is a Roadrunner in the yard. We often go out and chase them off. If they fly up into a tree or on the roof, the only way to get them is with a good squirt from the hose. The Robins do a good job too. They will dive at them and peck on them as they run across open spaces. I have also seen Crows do this. Crows also chase after hawks and pluck feathers from their wings!

CHICKENS: Well, the girls are back laying eggs again. They were off their nests for about two weeks but now are hiding again. Chicken Little went off first to make a nest under the front Forsythia bush. She laid a dozen eggs and I removed all but one. She hasn’t laid any more. Then Mazey went missing about a week ago. We haven’t found her nest yet but she comes out for food most days. She will come running right up to us when she’s hungry. She is the friendlier one. She even comes when we call her name, except when she’s on her nest. Now we just need to watch her to see where she goes. As I mentioned awhile back, we are no longer going to try eating their eggs because all the info I have found indicates that they are past their prime for egg production and the quality of the last bunch was not too good. These girls have been here for almost three years now. If anyone knows more about chickens, we would like to hear from you, cuz “we don’t know nuthin’ ‘bout raisin’” chickens!

Stay tuned and keep cool!

AAAyyyiiieee! Esta Muy Caliente!!

Well, it is June so the temps naturally move into the 90s! We've had little rain over the past month but on Tuesday, June 21, -- the Summer Solstice -- we had a terrific thunderstorm move through town with pea-sized hail! What a nice way to start the season. We were so happy to see the rain that we ran outside and got soaked until the hail began. We took pictures and video of it. That's the way it is when you live in the desert.

The bird news is really sparse. We have only the six hummer feeders up, we usually have ten. There are three small tubes on the window security bars and three small (3-port) saucer-types, 2 in the patio/carport and one on the front porch. It seems to be enough as our population is smaller this year. I have noticed a couple younger "spot" birds. I expect to see the new babies soon. Of course, July will get exciting when the Rufous birds arrive around mid-month.

Our Lesser Goldfinches are daily visitors to the thistle feeder. Occasionally, we have also seen an American visiting the tube. I think I heard a Mockingbird a couple mornings this week but it's been too hot to go out and look for it.

As for chicken news, we discovered that Chicken Little has another nest. This time it is in the front yard under the forsythia bush. This is a spot that Mazey used last year. She finally got off her nest about a week and a half ago. She's been out scratching around and doesn't seem ready to nest again, yet. Anyway, we are back to collecting eggs. I've done some further research on the 'net and apparently the birds are only good as layers for their first 18-24 months of age. After that the eggs are not as good quality. We found that out this last time. Every one I broke open would be watery and the yolk would not hold shape. So, I guess we won't be giving out our free-range eggs anymore. I wonder just what we will do with the girls. Keep them as pets, I guess. They are good for the yard as pest controllers. Now if we could train them to not start sqawking at 6 a.m.!

That's all for now. Stay tuned . . . .

Summer time...and the cotton is "flying"

Yup! It's that time again. During the weekend of May 20-22 we had a record hot spell of temps in the high 90s. This past weekend we were in the mid-80s. But that spell of hot weather was enough to make the "tatonie" berries on the Cottonwood tree start popping, spreading their lovely cotton contents. If the weather gets cool that will usually slow down the process but then it prolongs the "cotton season" too. So, now the birds will have soft cotton to line their nests. I have seen some House Sparrows or House Finches actually eating the seeds in the cotton fluff on the tree but they can't eat enough of it to make a difference.

Well, we cleaned out the chicken nests about 3 weeks ago to stop their brooding. Chicken Little has be out of hers for a week or so and is back to sleeping in the wisteria vine around the gate. Her nest was in a patch of the weeds in the back yard. A couple days after she left it, we cut down the patch. The whole city/county is fighting a terrible war on an explosion of weeds this year, probably due to all the rain we got earlier. Anyway, Mazey made her nest in a corner of the patio, under the trumpet vine. She is still in there and we can't figure out why. Unless it is just cooler there. She does come out for food in the afternoon. Oh well.

As for bird news, we really don't have anything new to report this time. Maybe next time. Adios!

P.S. -- I got the website working correctly now. Please check it out if you get a chance: Rancho Colibri. I'd like to know what you think of it, too. Make your comments here. Thanks.

Ah, Summertime . . .

The calendar says it is still Spring but our temps are in the 80s and this week even the 90s! We are keeping the water dishes filled so the birds can keep cool. The hens are still brooding even though we've removed all their eggs. Maybe they are cooler in their nests. No new birds to report, just an increase in the number of Hummingbirds. We now have the females and juveniles to feed. The Red-winged Blackbirds are really being pigs at the seed feeder. The females spend a lot of time there.

Last weekend I got to go up to our family's mountain cabin. It is truly a birder goldmine. There were Black-headed Grosbeaks all over and their calls echoed all through the valley. I also saw Yellow-rumped Warblers. I only heard the Mountain Chickadees and Goldfinches. There were other birds that I heard but couldn't ID. Silly me, I forgot to bring my binoculars! My brother-in-law had a small pair of folding ones that I used but they were not as good as mine.

At the lake, we watched Tree Swallows dive to the water to catch bugs. They were so fun to watch. So graceful as they glided just above the surface scooping up bugs. They are so striking to look at with their irridescent dark blue coloring and white underbellies. Also, overhead was a big hawk, maybe an eagle, just gliding lazily over the valley. It was really a great day to watch birds.

So, that's the latest news from the Rancho. Hasta la vista!

The Web Site is Up

I finally got the web site up, so if you want to learn more about Hummingbirds please check it out. There is mucho information about them and more.
Rancho Colibri

And please return here often to see what's happening.
Thanks!

New Sightings!

Well, finally, it is getting interesting around here. On Wed. 5/27, I heard and then spotted the Kingbirds. They have been returning here for about 6 years. They are so beautiful and fun to watch as they are flycatchers. Then this morning, I looked out to the patio and on the bird bath was a White-crowned Sparrow! We have not seen these in a couple years but we are glad they have come back.

I am presently working on the revamped version of our web site. I hope to get it done and running this weekend. It has lots of info on hummingbirds plus other points of interest. Stay tuned for the URL.

This is the "skinny" guy who showed up first. The "fat" guy showed up a few days later. 

Our first hummer of the year is a male Black-chinned.  

Spring News

Well, there's never a dull moment it seems. On Saturday afternoon(4/16) we had a very severe thunderstorm move through the area, but not before a funnel cloud/tornado was spotted. It was seen south of town (ABQ) -- we live in the SOUTH valley -- and it was moving north. Luckily for us it was on the east side of the river. Apparently, it touched down once on vacant land at Kirtland AFB. It was seen passing over the city and eventually disappearing as the storm moved over the mountains. It was truly exciting for us as we don't get these very often. In fact, the NWS (weather service) only has 4 recorded tornados for ABQ since they began records here. The accompanying storm dropped hail ranging from pea-sized to nickle-sized and a lot of rain. No damage reported, but there was some flooding and a couple big power outages due to lines down. The straightline winds were about 50+ mph.

Sunday and today have been just clear and sunny, highs in the mid-70s! So, new to report today is the return of the Red-winged Blackbird. We have been fooled before by a clever Starling imitation but we know this is the real thing! We also have a second male Black-chinned Hummer who showed up on Friday. We have both the American and Lesser Goldfinches at the thistle feeder. I have some photos I will try to get posted here. There are quite a few Robins around now. Last evening we saw a Hummingbird Moth drinking from the Vinca blossoms. Wish I could have gotten his picture but he's just too fast. Hasta la vista!

It's Hummer Time!

At last! Our first hummingbird has arrived. Monday (4/11) just before sunset I saw a male Black-chinned Hummingbird come to the kitchen window feeder. So far, he is the only one. The males come first to stake out their territory before the females arrive. We expect to see another male show up this week or so. That's usually how it happens. We are so excited. After all, this is Rancho Colibri! I am trying to get a picture to post here but he seems to be camera-shy.

Ah, Spring!

We have had the strangest Spring this year. After a week of temps in the high 60s and low 70s, today we get snow, hail and rain. The high temp today was 45!

We have been looking and listening for the Hummingbirds but, so far, none have shown up here. We can't understand this because we always get them shortly after they show up in the Heights. Maybe it's the crazy weather. Meanwhile, we have had a pair of Lesser Goldfinches at the thistle feeder this week. They have most of their color now. TTFN

Bird Watch 2005

Well, the weather has been just beautiful this week! So, I've been outside enjoying all the new things. We seem to have an abundance of Robins scratching around the yard. The American Goldfinches have been hanging around and they are getting more yellow every day. I heard all three kinds of doves in one hour: Mourning, White-winged and the Turtle Doves. We have noticed the Roadrunner out sunning himself. There are still a few Juncos hanging around. I have heard some new bird calls that I don't recognize and have not yet spotted the birds making them. There are also a pair of fat squirrels out trying to get some birdseed treats. I have some dried cranberries out for the Robins and it drives the squirrels crazy because they can't get to them. The chickens are still laying eggs. We've already collected about six dozen. We are giving them away to friend and family.

We are on Hummingbird watch. We actually put our feeders up around St. Patrick's Day in anticipation of their early arrival. I was out getting birdseed last Thursday and the woman there said she had just gotten her first Broadtail hummer the day before (up in the Heights). They had to dig out their feeders in a hurry. So, I expect that there are hummers around here (in the Valley) but I just have not seen or heard them yet. Stay tuned.

Spring Snow in the High Desert

Chickens in the snow

Just when you thought it was Spring! This is from our surprise snow storm last week. The chickens roost at night in these vine branches. On Monday, March 14th, it started to snow in the afternoon and by Tuesday morning we had about 6" to 8" of wet snow. This was taken as the chickens were leaving their roost that morning. It was a beautiful winter wonderland. The snow was gone a few days later, it doesn't last long around here. This is the Land of Enchantment! Just wait a few minutes and the weather will change.

Winter is OVER!

The skies were partly cloudy today but the sound of hundreds or thousands of Sandhill Cranes was so noticeable! What a day. Wave after wave of these big birds flying north. They were actually flying over the western edge of the valley rather than following the river. They were flying so high that they would get lost in the bottoms of the clouds. But the sound was undeniable. This is the day we wait for, the day of the big migration. I expect to see more tomorrow. All week we have been seeing an increase in flights until today's big push. We hate to see them leave but we also know that it is a sign of more excitement to come. More new visitors will be arriving! We even expect to see hummers well before their scheduled April 15th date. Stay tuned. ~~ SDA

Spring visitors, at last.

Well, a few days ago I definitely heard the distinct call of Mountain Chickadees in the yard, but I was not able to spot them. Yesterday, I saw a pair of White-winged Doves in one of our pine trees and have been hearing them ever since. We have had a pair of Mourning Doves here for about three weeks. Things are finally starting to happen. The Robins have also been showing up. I put out some dried cranberries for them. This evening I listened to quite a concert from a flock of Great-tailed Grackles in the top of the ancient elm tree next door. The weather is still trying to be winter but only for short spurts. I think I will go ahead a plant some spring flowers. For the past week my husband has been seeing some flights of Sandhill Cranes starting the migration northward. Suddenly, our thoughts have turned to the expectation of seeing our first hummingbird! Usually, we put out feeders on April 1st but it seems that this year they could be here weeks earlier. Stay tuned.

Where, oh where, are the birdies?

Well, actually, there are birdies here but no sign of any new ones yet. The weather is so crazy. A few days of cold winter then a few days of warm spring! It's no wonder they don't know what to do. The early flowering of some plants, the trees budding and the winter birds are still around. Gotta love the high desert. My friends move up to El Rito in the mountains about 90 minutes north of here and they got 15" of snow last weekend. They've had a ton of rain since. We got nada here. Oh, well, just wanted to check in to let you know I am still around. Hasta luego.

Spring has sprung??!!

Well, it's been a couple weeks since we lost Scruffy and it has been difficult for me. I have hardly gone outside to see what the birds are up to. But when I went out to fill the feeders on Thursday (1/21), I noticed that the forsythia in the patio is blooming!! I was so surprised, I couldn't believe my eyes. We have had a very mild January this year. Usually it is our coldest month but this season it was in December. Our temps have been in the upper 40s and 50s. This week it almost made it to 60! So much for old man Winter. I'll bet the Groundhog will be surprised. Any way, I haven't noticed any new birds yet but I will try to go out more and be more observant. Gee, I hope the hens don't get the idea to start laying again, at least not until we can get them a coop or something. It is very hard to find their nests in the yard until it is almost too late to gather the eggs. They are very sneaky ladies. Ciao for now.

Sad News at the Rancho

Beloved Scruffy Dog 5-January-2005

We have some of sad news to report. Today we had to send our dear little dog Scruffy to be with our other dogs in doggie heaven. He had been experiencing seizures for the last couple months and today it was time to let go. We found Scruffy hanging out around our other property in November 2000. He was a Bichon Frise-Poodle cross with the sweetest disposition. It was six months after the last dog had passed on. He was Sabra's constant companion from the beginning. We saved him from the streets and we loved him dearly. He has been such "a brave little trooper" through all of his troubles with diabetes and loosing his eyes. He never acted sick or let the blindness hinder his progress in life. He had a great positive spirit. He will be greatly missed.