Sunday, March 17…Lady (Styx)

   The Regal Horned Lizard showed up again. It ran from the back of the camper to the middle of the yard…Kim was right, it blends with the sand so well, that it looks like the sand is moving.  It was exciting to see it back, but it also means I need to watch where I walk; although it moves much faster than I do.

--------------------

   Well, the Traveling Sheep weren’t in the same field they were in last night, which was along the highway.  They were still in the area, just farther back in a field diagonally from where they were.  Looked like they may have been across a farm road. Hard to tell if the fences were connected or there was a gate involved, but the sheep, they are a-traveling.

--------------------

   The Lady Cardinal sure likes the seed cakes that Maya and Miley made, which are hanging in the back by the ramp. I would also guess that she appreciates that Mr. Cardinal and the Red-winged Blackbirds haven’t found it yet.  Their presence tends to keep her off the feeder on the tree; she picks up whatever she can scrounge up on the ground and seems okay with that. I wish she was more assertive, but maybe that’s the bird way. I’m glad she’s found something that she doesn’t have to give up…yet. Sparrows also found the back seed cakes, but she didn’t let them push her around; they had to wait until she finished.  

   Earlier today, I was surprised to see the Lady stop by the orange that we put on the picnic table for the Hooded Oriole. I thought cardinals were strictly seed eaters but according to what I read online, they really don’t have a discriminating palate.  We put another orange out for whoever wants to indulge their sweet tooth…it’ll probably be the ants.

   We bought some peanut butter balls today, made especially for birds.  I put one on the seed holder alongside the seed cakes. The sparrows have been pecking at it, but I didn’t see the Lady try it…she was fixed on getting all the seeds she could before the others found out.

   Later, when the coast was clear, she was able to get on the feeder in the tree. I was cheering her on.

--------------------

   All the saguaro nests that I’ve kept track of in the past are either vacant or have been destroyed.  I was happy to find the red-tailed hawk nest on Houser Rd.  It’s on our way to Coolidge so it’s easy to zip in and check on it, which we did today.  Last time we passed by, I got a picture of the hawk glaring at me over its shoulder.  Today I wasn’t sure if the hawk was on the nest or not.  But when I enlarged the picture, there was the head back in the shadows barely visible above the edge of the nest, glaring at me. Don’t know if we’ll be here long enough to see little heads popping up but I’m going to keep checking.

--------------------

   Took a drive over to the burrowing owl project in Marana…wanted to see the tents that were installed yesterday.  Two burrow openings share one large tent.  The entire front field has been tented and I could see some in the back field, also.  I was concerned that the enclosed area would be hot because the tents are black.  But when I took a picture, I could faintly see through the tent, so it’s probably made of a mesh material. Something to keep the birds in, the other critters out, and allow for airflow. I should have known that Greg would have taken the heat into account. When looking at the pictures I took, I was surprised to see an owl visible in the right-hand corner through the mesh. Probably waiting for the frozen mice to be delivered. 

--------------------

   We may or may not have had ice cream for supper.

--------------------

   Sky is clear; tonight’s target is the California Nebula. Kim said he did this one a few years ago but I don’t remember it.