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.
31 August 2005
17 August 2005
"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.
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.
12 August 2005
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.
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.