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!