Chickadee Photo Art

Arizona Birds

Sharon — Sun, 06 May 2012 06:38:23 +0000

A few more photos of birds that we don’t get to see in our part of the country. A beautiful Cactus Wren which is much larger and colourful than the wrens I am familiar with.

Below are Peach Faced Lovebirds who flitter about high in the trees. So colourful with a wonderful song. They are thriving in the Phoenix area and fly around in small flocks.

Below is an Inca Dove. Smaller than our Mourning Doves and the Inca doves feathers have a more mottled look to them.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Great-tailed Grackle

Sharon — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:00:18 +0000

Yet another Arizona bird. We have common grackles here but they are smaller and have shorter tails. These great-tailed grackles were everywhere I went in the Phoenix area. Like our local common grackles I found them to be quite a noisy bird with a similar grackle call. The photo above and below is a female. The last two photos are of a male great-tailed grackle.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Gambel’s Quail

Sharon — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:00:18 +0000

These quail were really difficult to photograph – they just don’t sit still AT ALL ! I saw them in a fair number of areas darting in and out of ground cover . They travelled in small groups. I think this Arizona bird should have been called a road runner -

The decorative feather on the head is called a topknot according to my reference book.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Gila Woodpecker

Sharon — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:00:22 +0000

Yet another Arizona bird that I was fortunate to find. This one down the lane from where I was staying . My reference book says it is characteristic of Saguaro woodlands and there are plenty of those areas around Phoenix.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Curve-billed Thrasher

Sharon — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:45:29 +0000

While visiting the Phoenix area I saw many Curve-billed thrashers. Most thrashers I observed were picking away at various cactus plants. They are a fairly large bird with a very distinctive yellow eye. There were many birds in Phoenix that are common to Manitoba but it was great to see some new birds that I do not get to see here at home.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Sedona, Arizona

Sharon — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:00:45 +0000

If you have never been – GO! This picturesque town in the Red Rock area of Arizona is just south of Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon area making it a high tourist area and is home to the Javelinas. I truly enjoyed the sights around Sedona. There are interesting shops and galleries and very good restaurants to choose from. My son and I noted when there that the town was very dark at night with very few street lamps. We overheard a waiter explaining to some other visitors this is intentional so everyone can enjoy the clear starry skies over the magnificant red rocks. Many westerns were filmed here as well featuring stars such as John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart to name a few.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Javelina aka White Collared Peckary

Sharon — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:00:38 +0000

The word Javelina comes from the Spanish word “javelin” meaning spear, a reference to their long, pointed canine teeth. Although they look like wild pigs they are not a member of that family but belong to the peckary family. The Javelina of Arizona are desert-dwellers who migrated up from South America. They forage for food and prefer prickly pear cactus, insects and other vegetation. They live in social groups of 6 to 12. During the heat of the day they seek shade and tend to be active in the morning and evening hours. They can be agressive toward dogs and humans but can be observed quite safely at a distance. In Sedona, Arizona the town has colourful Javelina statues erected in honour of their desert dwelling residents.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Pileated Woodpecker

Sharon — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:35:00 +0000

These large woodpeckers can be found through all seasons in Manitoba. They are capable of making large holes in their favourite trees or hyrdo poles. I have found them to be extremely skittish and will fly at the slightest movement so I am always feeling pretty lucky to get a photo of them.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Sonoran Desert – Arizona

Sharon — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:33:44 +0000

I recently returned from Arizona and was able to spend some time in the Sonoran Desert area and the Red Rock areas surrounding Sedona. What spectacular scenery it is. For the next while I will be sharing photos taken on this trip – birds, the great Saguaro Cactus and of course the Red Rocks of Sedona. I’ll start with some Sonoran desert scenes.

Enjoy!

Sharon

[Video] David Attenborough – Wonderful World – BBC

Sharon — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 11:00:48 +0000

Today I hope you will enjoy this link to a beautiful video about the beauty of our wonderful world.
Enjoy!

~Sharon

David Attenborough – Wonderful World – BBC

via [Video] David Attenborough – Wonderful World – BBC.