A favorite backyard resident

Here is one of our resident scrub jays. It was amusing watching this bird caching his peanut -- as with most of my backyard "residents," he/she knows I'm watching and apparently didn't want his/her picture taken. I don't have anything planted in those pots -- believe me I tried once or twice. But between the birds burying their treasures in these small pots and my not remembering to water them on a daily basis, nothing would survive.

After Mr. Jay buried his peanut, he then proceeded to "snoop" around on the ground just to the left of the hanging pots. I apologize for not getting better shots, but as I mentioned before it seems that my backyard birds don't like their pictures taken. Mmmm. Maybe I should try wearing fatigues. :)

I need help identifying this bird

Can someone please identify this bird to the left for me? I would really appreciate it. I took this picture when I visited my aunt in Rockport, Texas by a fishing dock. The bird was perched on top of a fishing boat.

At the same time, I also saw a snowy egret, also on top of another fishing vessel.

Killdeer in the city?

My son and I were taking his two dogs for a walk Sunday afternoon. While we were on a well-used, main thoroughfare (2 lanes on each side), across from the hospital where I work, and a few hundred yards from a busy freeway, a couple of birds came out from "nowhere." They ran out to the center of the street, and started flip-flopping. I then realized that this is something killdeer do to lure one away from their nest. I was dumb-founded to say the least, and I didn't have my camera out and ready. But I made sure I had my camera ready when returning from our walk. I found the birds darting back and forth in a cul-de-sac off the main street from where I had seen them previously. At least they didn't do their flip-flopping this time. I will assume it was a mama and papa. Anyway, after trying several times to get a decent picture of one of the adults, I then saw a little "peep." Oh, he was so cute! He looked like a miniature version of his parents, of course. And trying to get a picture of him/her was even more difficult than its parents.

What surprised me most was that there was only one offspring - or at least that is all that I saw. I am curious to see if this should happen again the next time I go walking in that direction. I wonder if I could find the nest. Would killdeer make their nest in a garden of flowers and hedges up against a building? Or would they build their nest on an empty plot of ground that is located just across from this building?

Falcon Cam

For folks interested in newly hatched peregrine falcons, and want to catch some live camera action, here is a link to Jose Fernando and Clara, San Jose City Hall's resident falcons. The camera was placed there and is being maintained by the city of San Jose and the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group. There are three eyasses that hatched the last week of April, and were banded on May 18th. I happened to connect that morning while the birds were being banded. Wow! Quite an experience. I'm sure glad I wasn't the one banding them; Jose and Clara were unhappy parents and stayed away while the eyasses were being banded, but flew by and pecked the guy several times when he was leaving the nest area. Really cool seeing that online.

http://sanjose.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=91/nest

Here is the link for the diary about Jose, Clara, and their 3 eyasses. And it was recently posted that there are two females and one male.

http://www2.ucsc.edu/scpbrg/falconcameraSJ.htm

I try to check in with the camera about two or three times a day, usually in the mornings, and again in the afternoons when I get home from work.

This morning I found Clara (?) feeding her eyasses. Most mornings mama is not seen (probably out looking for food for her youngsters). And there have been times when "the folks in charge" move the camera so one can see the adults (one or the other) keeping guard on the ledge.

How fascinating to be able to watch what is going on -- all from my desktop!