Spring Walks - There Goes Peter Cottontail ...

Pin It

Yikes!!

© Copyright 2006-2010, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

January in the Garden 2010 - Quail Chatting on the Backyard Fence

Pin It

I wouldn't normally have taken this shot because the sun behind the quail was washing out the colors. But how often does a shot like this present itself?

Hardly ever.

Sometimes you gotta go for it.

Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Our Backyard Chickens - Let Us Out!

Pin It

Okay, we've had our breakfast,

we've laid our eggs for cryin' out loud,

you promised we'd be free-range hens,

can we puh-leeze come out now?

And of course I did let them out, but these gals will lay eggs pretty much where ever they want and looking for them around the yard, under bushes, in the forest, is not my idea of fun. So they stay in their pen until egg laying is over for the day. Plus I get a hoot out of the way they "talk" to me when they want out. Such demanding girls.

Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

The Dustbath - A Day in the Lives of Our Backyard Chickens

Pin It

Oooooooooooooh! Dust! They found dust!

Can I get in there too? Please? Please?

C'mon! Lemme in!

Ignore her; she'll go away. Uh oh, here comes trouble.

Hold your ground.
Just remember when feathers fly, we got here first.

Told you it would work. Ameraucanas rock!

Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Spring in My Garden - A Shrew Mole

Pin It

Lily, one of the grey sisters, was keeping a watchful eye on something in the grass. Knowing that it would be some kind of critter, I quickly grabbed my camera and went to investigate.

This is a Shrew Mole, Neurotrichus gibbsii, and although I've seen them laying about the yard, quite dead in the winter, I've never seen one alive and up close until now.

You might have to click on this photo to see the eyes as they are not very pronounced, and judging from the meanderings of this little guy, they don't seem to rely on their eyesight very much. I got the feeling that smell and touch were the more acute senses going on here.

Did Lily hurt it? Of course not. She just likes to play. Claws sheathed. I made sure it got safely to the blackberry brambles, where even the intrepid cats do not go.

Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved

Holding A Hummer

Pin It

This isn't the first time I've held a hummingbird in my hand and even though it's been quite a few years, the thrill doesn't diminish.

This very tiny guy had flown into the greenhouse and couldn't find its way out. Up in the peak of the roof on a sunny afternoon, it kept flying and searching for a way out, hitting its wings on the roof in the heat, getting weaker and weaker. When it finally landed on a rafter to rest, all I had to do was reach up and gently snatch it from its perch. It was that simple.

The poor thing was so worn out that it sat in my hand for 3-4 minutes while I tried to snap a few photos - most of which came out blurry.

It finally flew out of my hand when I brought it close to a dogwood tree with a water barrel below. It's too bad that the photo of it drinking from the water barrel didn't come out. All I can tell you is that it was quite an experience to watch it drink, rest and recover. It sat in the dogwood for a few minutes more then flew away. So awesome!

Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved

Shadow Shot Sunday - Chicken Shadows

Pin It

We and our sha-a-a dows . . .

Check out the rest of the fabulous shadow shots at Hey Harriets Shadow Shot Sunday.

Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved

Autumn in My Garden #17 - Paw Prints in Frost

Pin It

Although officially it's still autumn, it's beginning to look, and feel, a lot like winter around here.

Copyright © 2006-2007, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved

Coastal Giant Salamander

Pin It

This is why we keep the edges of our property wild. In years past we would see many of this type of salamander through out the seasons. Now we come across them only once in a great while.

My son and I gently placed it in this shallow container for photo purposes only. We quickly put it back where it was found and it went on its gentle, merry way. Contrary to what I've read about these critters on line, I've picked them up numerous times and have never been bitten nor had one even posture that it would like to bite me. Still, given the warnings about their aggressive nature, I would not encourage more human interaction than the occasional photograph.

Copyright © 2006-2007, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved

Surfin' At Sunset

Pin It

On our walk to the beach the other night we encountered this charming scene of young people learning how to boogie-board in the surf. See if you can find the black dog who was running into the breakers with a wild abandonment and joy that only slightly surpassed that of the little surfers.

Copyright © 2006-2007, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved

Salamander Crossing . . .

Pin It

Watch yer step!

Copyright © 2006-2007, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved

Scorpion

Pin It

About 2 1/2 inches long, this scorpion, genus Uroctonus mordax, came from the Willow Creek area, about an hour inland from the coast, and is the first one I've ever seen up close and personal. Rather shy and docile, it will live in a young man's terrarium.

Copyright © 2006-2007, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved

Curious Quail...

Pin It

Curious-er cat. The cat never had a chance.



Copyright © 2006-2007, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved

California Cicada

Pin It

Don't believe it if you hear that Cicadas do not occur in California. They do. Taken in the River Park area of Sacramento, CA on June 24, 2007, this photo may have been taken by my son Joshua. We were both delightedly using my camera to get the best shot while this very docile creature didn't move at all. To find out more about cicadas, Google "cicadas in California".

Copyright © 2006-2007, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved

The Swallows Are Back - Spring Has Arrived!

Pin It

Photo above: today
Photo below: yesterday

The beginning of Spring officially may be March 20th or 21st, depending where in the world you live, but here on the north coast of California, it's the return of the swallows that marks the true turning of the season.

Morning opened its eyes at dawn today, looked in its closet, and decided, "Enough gray, already! It's time for some color, some sunshine, some warm air."

And so it was. And is. A warm, sunny, beautiful day with a clear sky so blue it sparkles.

A sky filling with swallows.

I've been marking the return of the swallows for a number of years and have never seen them up here before the 16th of March. As I woke up and saw the beginnings of a beautiful day and later felt the warmth in the air when I stepped outside, I thought of these delightful harbingers of Spring but put off searching the sky for them, thinking it was still too early.

Then I received an email from my neighbor: "The swallows have arrived! There are three of them in the sky!!"

I raced out of my office and there they were: Four, then five, scouts flitting and swooping around the house and shop crying, "Oh, look! There's Ted and Alice's nest!", and, "Look here, George, Bob and Carol's house is still in good shape. They'll be able to use it again!"

Swallows always talk in exclamation mode.

My neighbor, D, and I now declare that Spring has officially arrived today, March 11th. The swallows have made it so.

And boy are we glad.

Copyright 2006-2007, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved. No content of this blog, including text and photos, may be copied, re-located or otherwise reproduced, in full or in part, for personal or monetary gain, without the express permission of the owner/administrator.

'Tis The Lambing Season

Pin It

A few weeks old now, these sweeties live next door in the green pasture of our neighbors. The mama, a sweetheart herself, is human imprinted and will practically knock you down in her curiosity to see what you might have for her. Here she wants to know about the camera. As in, is it edible? At any rate, her exuberance successfully thwarted my attempts to get close enough to her babies to take the perfect photo. Although I think these are pretty good.

Curious Calves

Pin It

Is there any cuter than a curious young animal?

These guys live in the pasture adjacent to the school where I work three days a week.

On seeing me about to get in my car this afternoon, they eagerly trotted over to the fence to see if I had something to feed them. Of course I had to get out my camera. Disgruntled, they moved on.

Hawk

Pin It

You'll have to click on this photo to get a closer look at the hawk. It was flying over the parking lot of our local grocery store yesterday afternoon. We had one of those stunning blue-sky afternoons that slowly faded into a starry then foggy night.

Jack

Pin It

June 21, 1996 - January 21, 2007