Prior to wooing his lady friend, Ravi is on a patio chair back preparing to jet up into our olive tree. I am not sure why and the larger branches and his not sharp toenails are a poor combination, some fluttering occurs as he tries to maneuver up there. 🪶

A closeup of the female roadrunner. There is still a small bump on the end of her beak. This was seen on a bird a week or so ago and speculation was that maybe this was fourth bird and possibly the mom to the kidlets. 🪶

Much tail wagging and gift offering. The target of Ravi’s wooing is a little more interested in snacks than a gift at the moment. I don’t know if my tossing snacks to her was messing up Ravi’s game plan but she was really hungry. 🪶

Ravi on the left with a ‘trinket’ for his lady friend. We have rarely seen the mom of the kidlets. Is this the beginning of brood number two? #birds roadrunners

Cabrillo National Monument here in San Diego. 🌿

BT and Junior, siblings, just hanging out sharing snacks on the grass. Often together, they get along well. A bit earlier, Junior came up to the patio for a snack. Ravi ran up - then chased Jr 3-4 times in a loop around the backyard. ‘Grunting’ by Jr, much clacking by Ravi. Setting boundaries? 🪶

I saw a Gray Catbird on my last outing. It was quite friendly and checking me out from that stick it was perched on. #birds #Catbird

I missed what I thought would have been a cool photo. Junior (big fantail on left) and BT. Seconds earlier Jr was flat in the sand wings fanned out (anting, sunning ie) and BT (caring sibling) poked at Jr’s wing to be sure he was OK. Loud jay squawk scared them both ruining the pic. 🪶 roadrunners

The turtle was a bonus last weekend, but so was seeing this Kingfisher! Not the greatest shot, but I'll take it. He was taking a goldfish from the pond back to his dinner table. #birds #BeltedKingFisher

A rrrrrripe Blueberdy 🪶

Tdumpf just proposed a budget for Fiscal Year 2027 that would gut BLM, the largest public land agency in the country. First the Forest Svc now BLM Take action today to ensure Congress rejects these steep cuts and supports necessary funding for the agency. www.conservationlands.org/tell-congres...

"the bill would reduce monthly fruit and vegetable benefits from $52 to $13 for breastfeeding mothers and from $26 to $10 for young children."

Some Ribbon snakes from today #reptiles

Two years ago today 🌿 Lupinus polyphyllus, our Large-leaved Lupine, blooming between Kremmling & Yampa #nativeplants

It’s a BT visit just before 5pm! 1- just a couple desert friendly buddies hanging out in the not desert. 2- almost 5pm and it’s only 80° f, time to activate solar heating! #birds 1 of 2 a short 🧵

A beautiful pair, Mr and Ms Hoodies Mr: I’m bright already so why not be in the sun? 🤩 He seems to be giving me serious side eye! Ms: I’m more subtle yellow so the dappled shade suits me. 💛 #birds

Where are all the orioles? Not seeing or hearing any!! 😁 ok, maybe there are a couple #birds Hooded orioles

It’s #ThrowbackThursday so here’s Leuci from September 13, 2023 when a leucistic Black-chinned hummingbird came to visit and stayed for a week! 🥰 Those long white flight feathers 😍 San Diego north county #birds

Lizard Thursday! Big male Clark's Spiny Lizard acting all threatening-like towards the other two lizards who want to share the wall to soak up sun Good view of turquoise spots over the back and blue throat and ventrum and black surround the blue on the throat

This makes me furious! 👇🏻🚨🤬

Ravi! (99.9% sure 😄) Good to see you buddy! Showing all the usual Ravi behaviors - up on the small table, drink from water bowl, hangout in the clay seed bowl. Update on bum foot roadrunner: Two kidlets and Ravi seen today, no limping or signs of a sore foot by any of them yay! 🎉 Water=life #birds

Early morning visitors today 1- somewhat young cottontail yard bunny sunning after brekkie 2- Ca Scrub jay 3- an adult yard bunny helping to trim dried strawberry leaves 4- one of a couple crows starting to visit and make sure the seed platform doesn’t overflow 😁 🐇🪶

We had dinner last night with four exceptional friends at the shore of San Diego Bay (C-Level restaurant, highly recommended if you’re in the area). Dessert at two of the friends’ home. From a local bakery, guava, lemon, peach delights were actual size. Blueberry, blackberry were oversized. Yum!!

Yesterday’s adventures of Junior, the young roadrunner patio inspector “Your patio lattice screen seems to be in stable condition”. 1 of 2 or 3

I had a good day birding Saturday! Stayed around town and saw some cranes, but also saw this unit out of the water and most likely looking for a place to lay eggs. Snapping Turtle. If someone knows the exact species. that would be appreciated. #turtles

😢 Oh no.. one of the roadrunners has a bum left foot. A bit of a limp but can walk on it but clearly doesn’t like putting weight on it. Acts more like Ravi, tail looks more like BT. Tail feathers come and go so right now I am unsure. Not really slowing it from chasing Junior, also a Ravi thing 🪶

The ever changing tail feather condition of the visiting roadrunners is making it difficult to tell them apart. That tail wagging though! 🥰 That soft cooing at the end and carrying the snack as a gift might be a Ravi thing. Tail feathers makes me think kidlet 🤷‍♂️ #birds roadrunner

Serious Q for microbiology/food safety specialists: should cans such as these even be offered for sale? I post the pics for funsies, but the thought of consuming the contents gives me the squiggies.

If there exists a 6-month to 1-year PhD level position in synthetic organic chemistry in the Seattle area, please let me know! (Yeah I know the odds are low.) Why this picture? I don’t know - but I can do chemistry! 🧪 #chemsky

If you’re at your local pond, please please please pick up fishing litter, etc., to prevent wildlife from getting entangled, especially think of birds, beavers, and even people and pets getting snagged on jagged sharp fishing hooks. Thank you.

#aussiewines #greedycorporates #supportlocal🍇🍷 #instagram via @vino_champ

New research led by @ucsandiego.bsky.social and @sandiegocounty.bsky.social aims to understand how pollution from the Tijuana River Valley impacts air quality and public health. Led by @kprather.bsky.social, the study will identify and measure harmful chemicals in the air. https://bit.ly/3RJNsAq

Early #birds - from 7:30 this morning. Kidlets

Just before 7pm, what’s that in the middle of our olive tree? Oh, just one of the roadrunners. Roadrunner: What? Other birds fly into this tree all the time! #birds

Morning visit by kidlet BT 1- early bird 7:49am, before the low clouds burned off 2- preparing to enter zoomie mode I was at work today swapping with the usual Monday schedule, these pics were just before I left home. The report from Connie : Many visits by two kidlets, Ravi , towhees #birds

Late afternoon Bun loaf Kidlet loaf 🥰 🐇🪶

This morning, one of the kidlets was watching me from up on the roof. Roofrunner?? #birds

Yay! It’s Happy Rabbit Rabbit Day! One of the wild Desert cottontail rabbit visitors is pausing for a little ear maintenance 🥰 🐇

Spring in our prairie marshes is filled with bird drama! Of all the ducks, the Ruddy Duck probably brings the most drama. Its display is amazing and so are its chases! This male Ruddy Duck had decided another male was too close and needed escorting out of the area! #Birds 🪶

There seems to be a Flat Stanley Bake Off between the two kidlets. Junior wins this one, but that’s more my bad camera angle than effort on BT’s part 😉 They seem to like the additional sand in the dust bath (1st photo) 🪶

4-5 Turkey vultures were flying fairly low over the neighborhood this afternoon, I managed to get a few fair shots. They are way up over the hills to the east now. #birds But I feel fine

Speaking of kids and their toys - BT I think (maybe a view on a big screen would tell) has found the best stick, I mean, toy to play with and zoom around showing it off! (Small jet going over heading to Carlsbad airport at the end making noise) #birds

Last night’s #micromoon 10:30pm, seen at the farthest distance from earth in its elliptical orbit around Earth. I’d be hard pressed to say it looked significantly smaller than average or even than the supermoon 🤷‍♂️ Distance from earth to moon: query - center to center? Edge to edge?What’s the metric

Western fence lizard getting a drink at the water dish. Water = Life ❤️

Her handsome paramour—don't think she minds he draws more attention, so she can keep a low profile and like forage and nest and enjoy being a cool bird 🪶

Quietly beautiful Blue Grosbeak female, I think, just hints of the namesake blue on the lapel 🪶

Just a bird in a small juniper 🪶

Yard bunny is upsetting the sound of silence 😁 I can’t fathom what is so intriguing about that short downspout diverter. Maybe if I put out some bunny food 🙄

Does anyone know, is there an (alt) US Forest Service here?

Hi there, Whippy! I’m glad you’re being careful with the roadrunners around! 😬 Let me get you some mealworms and then you can go hide! #herps Coastal whiptail 🦎