King of the Castle.

One of our fabulous Cactus Wrens reminding everyone within earshot who is the boss around here.

New Kid on the 'Block'

My first sighting of this Bewick's Wren was through the kitchen window when I was busy. Of course by the time I had dried my hands and grabbed my camera, it had disappeared. A couple of weeks later I put out a new seed block and guess which bird was the first to arrive? This time I was ready and waiting with my camera.

The Tyrant in the Bushes

We have lots of Desert Hackberry  on our land and very often when we walk past one of them we get scolded. Usually we don't get to see the source of the noise but if we don't move away promptly this bossy little bundle of feathers pops out. Those fierce little eyebrows just emphasize the Gnatcatchers' displeasure. 'Move along please!'

The Look

Is it the severe eyebrow or the intense glare? Either way you don't forget that look!

Tools of the Trade

It is hard work making a living in the wilderness. It is a constant battle for survival, an arms race. Your weaponry is the only thing that keeps you from starvation.

Golden Eyes

This little beauty seemed to be just as fascinated with me as I was with him as he peered through the kitchen window at me. I wonder what he was thinking.

Our Watchman

He tells me if there is a snake, he tells me if there is a bobcat, he tells me if there is a coyote, he tells me if the feeder is empty, he tells me if the birdbath is empty, he tells me lots of things, very loudly, very frequently and I think he's great.

My Neighbours are Making Me Lazy.

My neighbours really do spoil me. I can sit in my living room and watch a Bobcat and I can stand in my kitchen and look into the eyes of this beautiful Coopers Hawk. Life doesn't get much better than this.

Death Amongst the Branches

The cycle of life is not always pretty. Predator and prey in a constant series of maneuvers. Sometimes the prey escapes and sometimes the predator gets to eat.

On a Date

This pair of House Finches looked so sweet as they shared a drink at the bird bath. I did wonder what was being said............

Simple Beauty

Can't pass over the regular characters in the yard, they are beautiful too. A Gentle Mourning Dove, sitting quietly in a mesquite, so easily overlooked.

Most Popular

We recently purchased a sweet little owl seed block. It was almost too cute to feed out but I am glad I did as the birds really love it.

Perspective

Sometimes when photographing the birds in my yard I like to take a different perspective. The standard shots still have their appeal certainly

But sometimes the details appeal

The imperfections, the missing feather

The different angles

The shots that make a subject real rather than posed

Not that I would ever suggest that this fierce little Costas is anything less than perfection

Open to All

I recently bought a hanging birdbath which I placed near some of my seed feeders outside my kitchen window. I wasn't sure if the birds would take to it but it seemed to meet with their approval rather quickly and has now become the avian equivalent of the water cooler.

One morning I looked out to see the birdbath was a lot fuller than usual but considerably less crowded..................

What a Little Cutie

You know it is going to be a good day when you open the bedroom curtains and are greeted by this beautiful little face peeping back at you. What could be sweeter than a handsome Black-throated Sparrow wishing you good morning?

Sunset Serenade

This Thrasher decided to join me for sundowners. He perched atop the nearby dead saguaro and sang a beautiful song to celebrate the end of the day. I am so lucky to have such lovely neighbours.

Learning The Ropes

This fledgling Verdin was right outside my front door one morning so I sat quietly watching it while I drank my tea. It seemed to have learned well from its parents and was foraging away very industriously in the mesquite tree.

This Hunting Business Is Hot Work!

I felt bad for this young Coopers Hawk, he had had two unsuccessful attempts at grabbing a quail in the yard and was obviously feeling the heat. He sat on the ground, wings half open, panting away in the shade of our carport for a good ten minutes before finally getting his breath back and moving on to continue his hunt for lunch.

Mom! Mom! Mom! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mama! Mama! Mama! Ma! Ma! Ma!

You know the sketch from Family Guy when Stewie is trying to get Louis' attention? Well this young Gila Woodpecker was doing the avian equivalent! He was so vociferous that I actually thought that maybe there was a snake raiding the nest but no, he just wanted to get Mum's attention.

Gotcha!

I don't see Cowbirds in my yard very often which I am not too upset about as they are notorious brood parasites. This species, the Brown-headed Cowbird is known to parasitise at least 220 different species. That being said they are part of the ecosystem so I was happy to finally be able to get a photograph of this disreputable character.