Weekend walk report: Walking on Air

 I would like to make this brief. Sitting is one of my least desirable activities and I've had enough for the day. Besides much of what is being presented here today is largely similar to the past few weekends. Here are photos taken on my walks on Saturday, March 8th and today, Sunday March 9th. Special thanks to Docken for walk and talk company telephonically.

Saturday, March 8th

Hummingbird activity on the Eremophila has become greatly reduced due to flowers dying back and the male Allen's hummingbird (see previous episodes) dominating the territory. Mine, mine, mine!

 The female Calypte anna was looking especially hefty. Easy on the Fairy Floss girl!

 Back to the dude.

 I exited the campus through the arboretum.

This is a Shamel ash tree (Fraxinus uhdei).

This apparently is a Cercis canadensis, the eastern redbud. There used to be a western redbud in the botanical garden. I'm not too sure why it disappeared.

 Sunday, March 9th (today)

I brought a close up lens today. These are the flowers on the Cercis canadensis seen above.

 I had these little butter butts all around me for awhile but they refused to stay still.

 I'm watching the behavior of this male Calypte anna. Is it possible this is an old friend? Time will tell.

 There was a pair of California scrub jays (Aphelocoma californica). I just missed getting a picture of them together. I believe this is the female. Notice the insect in her beak.

Pretty sure this is the male.

Down below was a pair of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura). I just took a picture of the lead bird.

 A southwestern fence lizard on a bench.

 I left through the arboretum again. In fact both walks were basically the same 2 miles. I believe this is an Acacia baileyana shrub (cootamunda wattle).

 That's it! Thanks for looking!

And the worries of the day lie down
under cover of the fading clouds
the secrets of the night
come alive in your eyes
you don’t have to hurry
you don’t have to try
cause you don’t have a care
you’re walking on air 

 

Yesterday's walk report: Three Friends

 They aren't each other's friends they are my friends. There's not a whole lot of camaraderie between hummingbirds, even siblings may stay together until autumn, but once they've fledged they won't have get-togethers. These are three birds that I am starting to get to know (and they are getting to know me) after spending four weekends visiting the shrubbery they compete for at my local botanical garden. Also, I'd like to make a correction regarding said shrubbery. I've been calling it Eremophila racemosa but it's actually a hybrid, Eremophila racemosa x Eremophila maculata, AKA, Eremophila 'Fairy Floss.' Which finally answered my questions regarding the cotton-like fuzz in the flowers. 

The following images are from Saturday, March 1st. The entire walk was just a mere one mile. On Friday morning I was minding my own business making burritos in my kitchen when suddenly, out of nowhere a chair under the kitchen table lunged out and attacked my left foot. It was totally unprovoked. Anyway, while I may have a small, stable fracture near the base of my little toe, I was able to tape it up adequately enough and after icing, etc., I felt reasonably comfortable attempting a short walk. However I decided it might be wise to skip that effort today, Sunday, March 2nd. Can you believe it's March already? It's incredible and they say time flies when you're having fun. Turns out time also flies when you're being engulfed in despair, or enduring agonizing torment.

Saturday, March 1st
See if you too recognize these three hummingbirds. Pictures are displayed in the order in which they were taken.

Male Selasphorus sasin (Allen's) hummingbird.

Female Calypte anna (Anna's) hummingbird.

Back to the dude. Last week he was very difficult to be near and on this day he listened to me talk to him.
 

 

Only one decent shot of the one male Calype anna that I've been able to become acquainted with. There have been up to four male Anna's hummingbirds on the shrub.

I had a rest stop on a bench before heading back to my car. Docken had joined me on the phone shortly before I entered the garden and we continued a pleasant chat. Thank you Docken.

Common raven. I thought an unusually large raven at that.

A young Butter Butt!

Three Friends.