A domestic day today after an exhausting day yesterday at Joshua Tree National Park, about which I will blog later on. Too tired today!!
So, some time on the computer doing research, some time modelling for artist friend and some time sitting in the garden watching the local wildlife go by.
The local Mockingbird was sitting in his usual place on the top of the chimney of the house over the back wall – singing his heart out for at least three quarters of an hour. Then he was joined by a second and they roamed over the roof before flying away. I love Mockingbirds.
I was most surprised when a Roadrunner flew up on to the garden wall, ran along the top, suddenly flew down through some bushes to one end of the garden, and literally jogged across the garden a couple of feet from my feet. As if I didn’t exist in his scale of things.
No mammals here today, but just in case one comes your way here are some prints along with a measure, to tell what has been in your yard, garden while you were elsewhere.
Then a small, very flat reptile climbed quickly up the wall, looked over the top, and sped over and down into next door’s garden: it looked, at a quick glance, like a soft, scuttling, grey saucer. No books of mine suggest a species, but they are only superficial since I’m not a native and only here for a few weeks: I can only think of some kind of lizard or gecko.
A chirpy Old World House Sparrow flew on to the end of another neighbour’s roof and sat for a few minutes chirping away and made me feel quite sad since so many of our UK House Sparrows have vanished: what was once ‘common as muck’ has become a rarity for us in most places now.
He was followed a little later by a House Finch, glowing in the sun, with his stripey waistcoat looking very posh: rather like a country gent who has had too much to drink.
When a Flame Skimmer, or Big Red Skimmer as they are sometimes known, flew heavily past it gave me quite a start: I was expecting some kind of stinging insect when I first saw his colour, not a Dragonfly!
My very last visitors were two, a pair, of Mourning Doves so called because of their very sad, downward inflecting calls Who -a coo, coo, coo, and the black spots on their wings. These very wings whistle when the bird takes flight.
As to vegetation, I took this photo of a local palm, but from underneath to look at the flowers, and also because I like the pattern of fronds with the light coming through.
It is my turn to cook tonight so I have had lamb marinading in rosemary, honey, garlic and olive oil all day: I shall barbeque lamb kebabs tonight along with garlic, onion, baby bell peppers and mushrooms, all served with a Greek tomato salad, a simple green salad and, crispy bread for the others, a corn tortilla for me.
stopping by woods 