Spring in my Garden - Quail

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Some people I know have herds of wild turkeys roam through their yards.  Me, I've got quail. A bevy of them. A covey of them. They stay year-round, chittering and flying away as one unit with a huge whirrr of wings if I get too close.

This small portion of the flock (covey?) was just outside one of my windows yesterday, unaware that I was watching, clicking, hoping they would hold still enough for their 15 seconds of fame.

© Copyright 2006-2011, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Birds in Silhouette

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They stop here on their way further inland where they roost for the night.  From their size and shape they seem to be robins but I never got a better look at them than this.  I just really like the photo.

© Copyright 2006-2011, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Winter in My Garden - Hawks

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I realize that the clarity of these photos is somewhat lacking, but we've been so delighted by the presence of this Sharpshin(?) Hawk in the early mornings that I just had to post them anyway. According to my limited knowledge and my Petersen's bird guide, this is either a Sharpshin or a young red-shouldered hawk, though I certainly could be wrong on both counts.

 He, or she, perches on one particular branch, one foot tucked up, overlooking the pond just beyond our fence, mostly looking down, perhaps hoping to catch breakfast.  The top photo is natural color; I saturated the photo just above hoping to better show the markings on the feathers.  These were taken from inside the house (going outside, no matter how quiet we are, scares him away), through a window, with an EFS 55-250mm lens which was cranked all the way out.  (I've got a better lens and a sturdier tripod on my wish list.)

This morning was a veritable hawk-fest.  This little guy was just outside the kitchen door so of course the photo was taken through the window, plus the flash went off (white light above the hawk) and the bird flew away so I didn't get a second shot.  I haven't been able to identify it, so if anyone out there is a hawk person, please chime in.

We hardly ever see hawks in so close; I wonder what the attraction is this year?

© Copyright 2006-2011, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Summer in my Garden - Baby Swallows

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I took these photos at the beginning of last week, when the parents were frantically feeding these hungry babies as they were getting ready to fledge.
The next day, sure enough, they began to fly, always returning to the nest and demanding to be fed by late afternoon.
The next day they were off again, flying further and further but always returning to a post near their nest to rest for a bit.
The next day they were gone.
Another successful launch.
I was so proud, you'd think I had something to do with it!

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

May in My Garden - Band-tailed Pigeon

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Band-tailed pigeons have discovered the tidbits of grain and corn that my messy chickens leave all over their yard. There were eight of them in the chicken pen this morning getting breakfast.  A rather cool way to keep the mess down, I think.  Band-tails live in our area, but I've not seen near as many as have been here this spring. The word gets out when there's free food. I like their company. They have a soft coo, much like doves, which is very relaxing to listen to.
I took this photo with my new Canon Rebel XSi, using a 55-250 mm telephoto lens, from about 200 feet away. Not bad for a first shot.



Garden Notes:Tomatoes and peppers are finally in the ground in the greenhouse. Today the sun is shining and it's actually warm.

Happy Gardening!

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

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

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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.

Baby Swallows Almost Ready to Fly

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I know it's a grainy photo, taken through both a screen and a window pane. But they're right outside my window! Tucked under the eaves. Showing no fear whatsoever. I could reach out and touch them. But I won't. The feathers lining the nest are from my white chickens.

The Swallows Have Arrived!

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Wednesday afternoon, March 11, 2009, two Cliff Swallows were spotted flying high above our property. These are what I call the "scouts", usually two to four birds at first, followed by the whole contingent several days to a week later.

I start watching for them in early March and I've seen them arrive here as early as March 6th but somehow didn't put up a post about it. Click here for their arrival in 2007 - same date!

The beautiful and delicate Barn Swallows will follow soon.

In case you're wondering, don't try looking for a swallow in the photo above. Try as I might, I've never been able to catch one with my camera. A nice sky though, after our cold, gray, wet winter.

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

Holding A Hummer

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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

Geese Flying Over Clam Beach

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A warm afternoon walk on Clam Beach last weekend garnered lots of photos, many of which will be seen soon. And although it was a lovely day when this photo was taken, it's very cold and stormy now and it looks like it's going to stay around a while. Ah, January - with sunny days and temps in the 70s - where are you?

Want to see the geese up close? Click on the photo for greater detail.

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

Spring In My Garden #1 - First Rose

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On Sunday, March 9th, the first actually warm day of the year, this rose slowly unfurled its petals and two swallows were seen checking out the eaves of the house. And because it's awfully difficult to get a photo of a swallow in flight (they hardly ever sit still), I offer this rose as my first Spring Garden Series post. Because when the swallows return to Trinidad, Spring truly has begun. I hope gardens everywhere are beginning to feel the warmth of longer days and increasing sunlight.

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

Sillywalk

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I would have loved to have been there when the mystery bird was making these tracks on the beach. Still, being able to take the photo is gratification enough.

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

Geese Over Clam Beach

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If you click on the photo you'll get a better look at the geese that were flying over Clam Beach this morning as we were taking a walk along the newly opened "hole in the Hammond" section of the California Coastal Trail, the Hammond Trail. We've been waiting a long time for this section of trail to be completed. It now offers a continuous walking trail along the ocean from Little River near Trinidad, all the way to Arcata, a distance of about 13 miles.

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

Fledglings

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Barn Swallows and Violet-Greens arrive in early spring and spend summers here building nests and raising young. Two days after this photo was taken, these Barn Swallow youngsters fledged. The cats were made to stay inside until I knew the birds would be safely flitting about the sky.

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

The Swallows Are Back - Spring Has Arrived!

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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.

Hawk

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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.