Thursday, June 10, 2010

Baby Quail!

DSC_0015 “I sure am hungry!”

DSC_0019 “Do you think we can eat this whole thing?”

DSC_0021“Perhaps if we start at the top and work our way down!”

More and more quail babies are starting to arrive here in Sycamore Canyon.  I had 3 families here on Thursday when I took these pictures. I couldn’t resist a bit of humor when I saw the photo of the 2 looking up at that large seed block.  Gambel’s Quail are seen in Sycamore Canyon year round and in all locations.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Blue Grosbeak

DSC_0025  Blue Grosbeak outside my window 6-1-10

DSC_0027 DSC_0024

Blue Grosbeak, species 91 for Sycamore Canyon. I woke up this morning and opened the shutters only to see this beauty sitting on the quail block!  I have never seen this species in Sycamore Canyon before and I personally have never had such a close and clear look at this species of bird.  Grosbeaks are in the same family as cardinals and eat insects, seeds and fruit. Their range is from east to west coast in the lower 2/3rds of the continental United States during summer. The female of the species has the same general shape but is much duller with hints of blue in the shoulders and tail and paler chestnut wingbars.