Day 49 Mystery Bird
Ok, you bird experts, can you identify this bird? The little guy has lots of family with him and is here every day. Voracious eater.
Ok, you bird experts, can you identify this bird? The little guy has lots of family with him and is here every day. Voracious eater.
The little thief is caught in the act! We have this feeder and another that is flat that we just spread seeds on. The squirrels have no problem getting on the flat one; they just jump from the tree branch it is hanging from. Not a big task. But this little guy have figured out that he can go up the other tree and jump across to the feeder. The only time he stays away is when the Western Scrub Jay comes and runs him off. I guess I should be calling that squirrel  him/her. Clever little guy, whatever it is. As you can see, the feeder is almost empty again. This has become a daily filling chore.
There are Giant Prickly Pear cacti growing all over the hill in our back yard. Actually it is not a hill, but a cliff that is quite something to climb. Those cacti are not something you want to fall on for sure. They are obviously native and not planted. I love that about the landscaping here. Walter loves the fact that there is no lawn to manicure; just red rocks. We had a coyote right behind the house yesterday and have seen it running down the road in front too. The squirrels have invaded my bird feeders. They like the mixture we are feeding, Â as well as the birds, obviously. I will see if I can get some images of them today.
There are times when one just does not feel like cooking. Tonight was one of those times. For some reason, I have been craving Chicken Salad Sandwiches lately. It seems that is a sandwich that has so many variations. The one tonight had avocado and pumpkin seeds which was a first. I prefer cranberries, golden raisins, celery and apples – guess it is my sweet tooth. Variety is definitely the spice of life when it comes to Chicken Salad Sandwiches. My choice of beverage – root beer, always.
I know it might be stretching it, but to me, this rock formation looks like rather “heart shaped”. What do you think? Anyway, Happy Valentine’s Day. I spent the afternoon at the movie – Winter’s Tale is really good. Nice way to spend the holiday, I think. And a good movie to boot. The patrons all clapped at the end, so that must say something.
How about a little imagination here and can you see the alien? Walter thought it was a terrific likeness. Not sure I see an alien, but it certainly resembles some kind of creature. Pretty neat for a lava formation in Death Valley anyway. He even borrowed a camera from me to get some shots. I think that going past Area 51 might have done something to him.
Why are Ravens and Black Cats considered spooky? We see them both symbolized at Halloween as creepy and scary. Â Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, referred to the raven as “a thing of evil! – prophet still, if bird or devil. Long before Poe’s poem, this bird was associated with death, bad fortune and the underworld. Do they deserve this fearsome reputation? I was told at the Death Valley book store that they are the smartest birds and can be taught to talk. They certainly like hanging out around visitor centers begging for handouts. This one was at Desert View Watchtower. He/she was definitely there for a reason – a handout from some sympathetic tourist.
We stopped at a wonderful old fashioned diner in Kingman, AZ to have lunch on Route 66. Oprah had dined here, so in her honor, the Oprah  special was a cheese burger, onion rings, and homemade root beer. It was yummy! However, after three mugs of root beer and a clean plate, I knew I should have brought the Tums along! Funny thing, the average age of the fellow diners was in the 60’s, I would guess.
I thought the caution elk road signs here in Arizona were unusual, but these from the Nevada roads are even better. You need to watch for burros and some pretty mean looking cattle. Can’t say I saw any such critters.
Regal Saguaro Cacti were in abundance on our way to Death Valley. Some are over 70 feet tall and more than 150 years old. occasionally you will see a little one, but not often. Most have arms and often, many arms. We had no Internet or cell service in Death Valley, so I am doing catch up here.
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