Good Morning Jan 30th, 2022- Thanks for the Birthday Wishes, and other News. .

Jan 30th-Good morning. I stepped out front to greet the sun and spied a hawk in a distant tree one street over. I went out back to fill the bird feeders and a flock of starlings stopped in the mulberry tree. As I was walking back, a flicker flew over and landed on one of the palms and quickly tucked behind out of view. I heard the wispy calls of a warbler in the olive tree pecking at the ripe olives and scolding me to move away from its favorite drinking spot. Then at last I saw a hummingbird feasting on the newly opened blue elf yucca blooms just as I’d hoped they would. The air is a chilly 40f, and the coffee is steamy hot. The little birds are starting to arrive now, the white crowns are back in larger numbers, and busily attacking the suet cakes. I’m watching them now through the window and I can see at least 6 of them. I had some lovely birthday talks by phone with family yesterday and other things. A nice weekend so far, made even more special by the hundreds of Birthday wishes from all of you here on Facebook and Instagram. What a delight! 

Happy Sunday my friends! -Michele

Jan 28- I started early

My first birthday was in Thailand, the country where my family

lived at the time and where I was born. So, since it is already

Jan 29 in Thailand, its my birthday already! Yes, this photo was

from a "few" years ago. Thanks for all the good wishes so far,

and Happy Birthday to me!

Jan 30 - Well once again, I'm completely bowled over 

by the many hundreds of birthday greetings 

I received in the last day or so. To everyone who took the time 

out of your busy schedule to wish me Happy Birthday,

 thank you so much. You are all so wonderful & I truly appreciate it.

My Mom and I -Richmond, CA 1994. She was gone 5 years later

I was a birthday present for my mom,

 since her birthday is Jan 31st, just two days after mine.

 I was a late baby, her last one that she had at the age of 42.

 I lost her when I was only 40. She was a wonderful mother, 

and I miss her a lot. - Happy Birthday Mommy!

My mom and I in Thailand when I was a newborn. 

A couple of things were happening in the world yesterday on my birthday that I found very inspiring. 

First this image of the NYC police officers turning out for the memorial of two of their fallen brethren. I support the police dept. There are unethical police of course, but I have spoken with many local police dept officers in my charity work, and find the vast majority of them to be hard working and courageous. God Bless them for being there. God bless the thin blue line. 

And the other thing I found so inspiring is our neighbors to the North, in Canada, 

showing up by the tens of thousands in their freezing temperatures in their 

capitol of Ottawa to support the truckers who were on strike to protest the 

vaccine mandates. Both pro-vax and antivax people protesting mandates 

and supporting one another's right to personal bodily sovereignty and 

the right to medical choice. It was a truly beautiful thing. 

I dearly love those who will openly show their support of 

Freedom, Liberty, and Human Rights. 

A beautiful thing indeed. 

Good Morning Jan 22, 2022-Sunrise and Roses

Good morning. Well I was up in time, and there were a few clouds but few pre sunrise pinks showed up. So here is this morning’s sunrise at 7:51am. The moon was out and I saw the hawk tucked in the mulberry tree waiting patiently. He must have not been that hungry because a few finches were above him on the top most branches. As I moved about filling the feeders, he moved over to one of the big pine trees across the cul de sac where he had more cover. It was 49f and is now 50f. The house smells like pot roast from one I let cook over night in the slow cooker so we’d have it for lunch today. Time to turn it off soon, and for my 2nd cup of coffee. The rose is from my neighbor's yard yesterday afternoon.  Happy Saturday! - Michele

Yesterday I noticed that my neighbor has some pretty winter roses blooming 

in her front yard. She also has some nice looking lemons, and one of her

 Aloe Vera plants is blooming now too.

The pot roast looks great. Made with grass fed beef. In addition to onions,

mushrooms and carrots, I used turnips and red and white radishes

instead of potatoes to make it more keto friendly. I might serve it with

cauliflower mash. I’ll let you know how it tastes at lunchtime today.

Next I want to try a Mississippi roast with pepperoncini

Good Morning Jan 21, 2022- I Missed it Again

Good morning. I’m sure I missed the best of the pre-sunrise color. I just needed that extra rest again. It seems to go with the nutritional regimen I’m doing now. Any way last night the weather service said there would be no clouds this morning, but it seems Mother Nature had different ideas. The sky is full of clouds this morning. Sigh. A pretty sky at any rate. Hopefully others managed to get the colors that I’m sure were there. The sun has now slipped behind the cloud ceiling and the bird feeders have been filled, so now it’s time for coffee. 

Happy Friday! - Michele

Good Morning Jan 20, 2022-Moon Set and Bird Watching

Good morning! It was clear and cool this morning at 50F (10C), and no clouds to give any pre-sunrise color. Just Sol popping above the desert mountains shedding his golden light and a bit of warmth. There were plenty of little birds about too, then the hawk struck and they all flew off. I watched them come back again 3 more times, only to have him strike again. I couldn't tell if he got anything or not, he was so quick and flew off low through the trees. It certainly has become a deterrent to the feeders, as well as the cats. The green eyed kitty came down from the back wall behind the millet feeder then spotted me and took off back over the wall. There was a collared dove calling persistently from his perch on the lamp post. I think he thought that mating season has started and he was calling for a mate. I watched the moonset on the western horizon. Its at 92.8% waning gibbous right now. I walked around the yard to see how the plant are faring. There are 4 lemons left on my little tree, and the bougainvillea leaves are all dead now. They will return in the spring, but I think I need to get it out of its pot and into the ground if I can manage it. The blue elf aloe buds are really showing up strong now, so we will get some of those blooming in a month or so. I've also got volunteer safflower plants and sunflowers all over the place from the seeds that the birds have dropped. Well the birds have been chased off yet again now.
Time for a second cup of coffee and then to get my day under way.
Happy Thursday. - Michele

House Sparrows at the Millet Feeder

House Finches this Morning

Blue Elf Aloe Plants Budding

A Facebook friend of mine writes lovely poetry. Isn't this beautiful? 

Good Morning, Jan 19, 2022- A Golden Sunrise and Rumors of an Asteroid

Good morning. I got up a bit late and just caught Sol’s appearance as he popped above the horizon. There were just a few clouds to cloak him in an orange and golden glow.I had thought there would not be any clouds and needed the extra hour of sleep. The rest of the sky here is clear and the temperature is 42f, so moderately cold for this time of year here. I started a new nutrition regimen yesterday so we shall see how it goes. I know I liked it so far yesterday, and might tell you more about it later. I still don’t see any of the little birds out there yet except a hummingbird at the patio feeder. Perhaps they slept in too. Time for coffee. 

Happy Wednesday! - Michele

Yellow -Rumped Warbler on the Suet Feeder a couple of days ago.

I watched this yellow rumped warbler going after the suet. 

Taken through the window. I’ve not seen that before. 

They are insect eaters so it’s not a total surprise, just had not seen one do it before,

 or ever be on any feeder at all, just the birdbath’s.

In Other News,  This was yesterday, Did you see it? 

You can find out more about it and see a video here at this link

Memory Post:

Out at Red Rock Canyon on this day 10 years ago. 

This is when we lived on that side of town. 

I sometimes got up early and drove over to the lookout 

before heading to work. This may have been one of those days.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan 17 2022-

Today in the USA we acknowledge and remember the courage in both words and deeds of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.. Human and Civil Rights activist who lived from Jan 15, 1929 - until his assassination on April 4, 1968. 

I think his words are as appropriate today as they ever were.- Michele

Good Morning Jan 16, 2022- Another Pretty Pre-Sunrise

Good morning. We had some nice pre-sunrise color again today. Scheduled sunrise was for 6:50 am and the best color happened between 6:30 and 6:35. The visible sunrise from my vantage had the sun peeking over the horizon at 6:59, so we must be a few feet lower than the meteorological center that’s tracking all this. I find this sort of thing interesting. I’ve also noticed some things about the usual local birds. The doves start moving about well before sunrise, as do the hummingbirds, mockingbirds, and of course the hawks. The pigeons and grackles start flying when the sun starts peeking above the horizon, and the little songbirds like house sparrows and finches don’t start arriving till the sun is well above the horizon. I’ve seen very few mockingbirds in our own yard lately, but I see and hear them in the neighbors’ yards. I’ve not seen very many mourning doves lately either, but a couple of collared doves have been nearby regularly making their 2 syllable calls. Right now I have a male hummingbird at the patio feeder sitting very still like he’s in a trance. Ahhhh here come the little songbirds now too, mobbing the feeders, and now it’s time for coffee for me. It’s 38F out there, so a little chilly. Happy Sunday. - Michele

I was wondering what had scared the little birds back up into the

 treetops just now. I think I found the culprit.

The green-eyed kitty was stalking them. 

and then they all came back

A male Costa's Hummingbird at one of the feeders

Good Morning Jan 15, 2022 - Another Fiery Sky

Good morning. 44f and some fire in the sky this morning from my house. I got up for it just in time. No hawk this morning, but the sun just popped up and the little birds are just arriving in a tree top. A kitty just crossed the road at the usual time too, and as I type this one hummingbird has arrived at the patio feeders. I love sharing my mornings with the hummingbirds. Looks like there are clouds predicted for the rest of the day and into the next few days here, so maybe there will be a few more more mornings of color. No rain though which we could really use. 

Enjoy the weekend, and happy Saturday! - Michele

And there's old Sol again. 

House Finches and Lesser Goldfinches at the feeders yesterday

Good Morning Jan 13th. Pretty Sky this Morning

Good morning. Pretty sky this morning, I’m glad I got up for it. It’s 45f now and was 41 when I got up at 6. I can see the hummingbirds out there but none of the other little birds yet. I can now hear the doves cooing, and the squeaks of sparrows. The feeders are full and I’m sure they will arrive soon. Time for me to warm up with some coffee.
Happy Thursday! - Michele

Sunrise was at 6:51 AM, and I shot this video at 6:37AM

I shot this video at 6:34AM

I shot this video at 6:31 AM, 20 minutes before scheduled sunrise.

And there's the Sun! 

Good Morning, Sunday Jan 9, 2021- lots of Birds

Good morning.  

Some of you already know that I have a hobby of taking bird photos in my back yard and in nearby parks and preserves.  Here are a few recent shots of visitors to our yard and trees, or flying by overhead.  Enjoy, and Happy Sunday! -Michele

An adult male Costa's hummingbird at our patio bird batch / fountain. This year we have had many more Costa's in the yard than we've had in years past. We've always had Anna's hummingbirds, and a few black-chinned, and the occasional migrating Rufous, but this winter the Costa's seem to have taken over and in the last few days, I've noticed several juveniles working the feeders. 

One day after Christmas, in late December, I was sitting out back and noticed many large flocks of starlings circling around. We have starlings here, but not usually in such large numbers. As I watched, I noticed a hawk among them, and I couldn't figure out if the Starlings were harassing the hawk or if the hawk was harassing the starlings. They were quite high up and I couldn't tell for certain, but I think it may have been a red-tailed hawk, and they prefer rodents for food, but if it was a Cooper's hawk, 

it could have been hunting them. 

We have had a few hawks around lately stalking the feeders. Most frequently a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. They look very much like Cooper's hawks with very slight differences, and I'm still not very good at telling them apart. On January 3rd, this beautiful hawk visited several times, both in our olive tree, and then in the neighbor's mulberry tree as you see here. It took some time to stretch and do some preening, showing off some of the patterns in its tail and wing feathers. Beautiful raptor.  I believe this is the Sharp-Shinned hawk again. 

One of my favorite winter visitors to the yard are the yellow-rumped warblers, like this one visiting our patio railing. This looks like a Audubon non-breeding adult female, but there are a lot of variations and I'm no expert. Depending on weather, they usually start arriving in early October, and leave in late April. They are shy insect eaters mainly, and travel alone, stopping by to drink from my bird baths, take the occasional bath,

  and hunt for bugs in the trees. Sweet little birds, I look for them 

when I hear their wispy little calls. 

And in one of the chaste trees on a gray day.

Another favorite winter visitor is the dark-eyed junco, this one was 

foraging on on the wall on Dec 28. 

Nearly every morning our feeders are full of house finches, lesser goldfinches and house sparrow. Th finches all seem to prefer the nyjer and sun-chip feeders and the sparrows prefer the mixed millet feeder at the other end of the yard. 

We usually have a lot more white-crowned sparrows in the winter, but this year they've been a bit scarce. I saw more of them in Nov and Dec, but lately very few. This morning however, I went outside while it was still somewhat dark and noticed I'd startled one below the millet feeder. They prefer to forage on the ground, or the wall 

as this juvenile was doing on Dec 28th. 

I'm not a top photographer with the most top end equipment, but I do enjoy it. I have so many more photos, but that is enough for now.