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Post by smokeyoshi on Sept 20, 2015 15:58:07 GMT -5
We're still really missing the turtles, but we do have some other, totally opposite friends. We had a few hummingbirds in FL, but they weren't really friendly. If we were sitting inside the screen patio and they even saw movement, they'd be gone. We've only been here for 3 weeks and these guys are already getting closer and not as skittish. Pics aren't brilliant but the boids are always backlit, I'm playing with exposures, etc. This exercise makes me miss my old SLR a little. 3.5 lb with 70-210mm zoom and winder, lol. We've identified a few individuals. Not going to bother naming them until the spring, as they could take off any day. One of the most fearless ones is a young male, who we can identify by a couple red feathers on his thorat. He was the first to come up when Dar held the feeder, and he drank some, and looked us in the eye while hovering a foot from our faces over the feeder. He will hover a few feet from your head, and he was reallly interested in checking out the camera with the flash.     |
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Post by furballlover on Sept 21, 2015 5:32:56 GMT -5
That's really neat! They are beautiful creatures!
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Post by dee517 on Sept 21, 2015 8:35:12 GMT -5
Beautiful pictures! What kind of a camera do you have?
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Post by huronna on Sept 22, 2015 8:20:33 GMT -5
great shots
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Post by dookcitygang on Sept 22, 2015 10:22:57 GMT -5
I have one that comes tap, tap, tapping at my chamber door. Actually it's a french door. He asks for food if the feeder is empty.
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Post by smokeyoshi on Sept 23, 2015 18:55:54 GMT -5
I have one that comes tap, tap, tapping at my chamber door. Actually it's a french door. He asks for food if the feeder is empty. we aint there yet.  |
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Post by huronna on Sept 23, 2015 22:29:24 GMT -5
I bet it will be soon
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Post by smokeyoshi on Sept 27, 2015 14:33:42 GMT -5
It's actually rained here the last couple days so da boids haven't bee around as much, but at least a couple have shown they are getting used to us. We've also identified a number of migrating birds that I never saw in Florida. We've seen rufous sided towhees, nuthatches, swifts, etc. The only really big, Florida type bird we've seen is a great blue heron at Bay's Mountain Park. Right now we're covered with robins. Dar found a monarch caterpillar which she put in a big jar with some milkweed leaves. You think ferrets poop? This thing pooped 15 times overnight, lol. After it was here for 2 days, overnight it went all pupal. I've never actually seen a monarch chrysalis in person. Last night the zipper appeared, like a string of gold pearls around the top.  The gold bits are all round. This is the best shot I got. Bloody amazing. It should emerge tomorrow or Tuesday |
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Post by smokeyoshi on Oct 3, 2015 16:51:12 GMT -5
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Post by smokeyoshi on Oct 3, 2015 17:53:02 GMT -5
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Post by dee517 on Oct 3, 2015 18:04:37 GMT -5
WOW!!!!! I have never seen a monarch hatch. That was amazing! I watched it over and over again. WOW! Thank you so much for sharing that!!
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Post by huronna on Oct 4, 2015 9:23:46 GMT -5
OMG that is utterly amazing
I am in absolute awe
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Post by smokeyoshi on Oct 5, 2015 9:26:32 GMT -5
Dude turned out to be a dude. After 24 hours the spots denoting male were obvious, but they weren't there when he came out. We took him to a park by the river with lots of wildflowers. These are good-bye pics. Maybe he'll stop in El Mirage on his way to Mexico.   Random bumblee bee sharing the flowers.  |
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Post by dee517 on Oct 5, 2015 13:13:27 GMT -5
AWWWW! It looks like he likes you. Maybe he will stay around for awhile.
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Post by Dar24 on Oct 5, 2015 18:01:31 GMT -5
We let him go in a nearby park a few miles away. We figured there were a lot of choices of flowers there for him to feed on, before making his massive flight south and also a few days ago, we saw other monarchs in this park. Figured if they like this area to feed why wouldn't he?? Miss him already, we hope to raise several more next year. Apparently you can order labeling stickers for them so they can be traced just like tagging birds.. Wish we could have put one on him since he was born the time of year where he will migrate twice in his life time if he makes it. 
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Post by smokeyoshi on Oct 5, 2015 20:31:30 GMT -5
In that second pic I was gonna pick him up but he reached out with one leg and touched my finger for a few seconds so I just let it go at that. I tell ya I got all choked up thinking about that moment later.
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Post by huronna on Oct 6, 2015 9:14:43 GMT -5
what a great story and fantastic photos
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Post by smokeyoshi on Oct 7, 2015 9:36:21 GMT -5
Neighbors living across the street  They're as big as domestic turkeys and much bigger than the wild ones in FL. Gotta get me a bow. |
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Post by huronna on Oct 7, 2015 22:49:09 GMT -5
you definitely are in the country
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Post by smokeyoshi on Oct 31, 2015 17:04:38 GMT -5
3 of the neighbors trespassed in our back yard again tonight. They only started moving toward the woods when they saw us in the door watching them, but not too panicked. I'd like to find some corn for them for when it gets colder, and to get them to hang around longer. These guys are BIG compared to Florida deer. Omg. I wanna feed them by hand so bad. Pics shot thru kitchen door so they aren't too sharp.   short vid. you can se the last one had the flag up, but then dropped it and hung behind to check us out for a minute. After he went into the woods, I went out and he was still lagging behind. I was able to watch him for a minute as he slowly caught up to mom. Then suddenly I saw 3 flags and they bounded of into the brush. But it wasn't like a panic, still.  |
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Post by huronna on Oct 31, 2015 17:11:37 GMT -5
I'm sure it won't be long before you have succeeded in dong that
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