Bath Time

Let me start off by apologizing for the POOR picture quality. I was SO excited and the camera was zoomed in LOTS that most of my pics are lacking. :(

Like always, when I got home tonight I turned on the sprinkler in the front yard in a futile attempt to keep my yard from dying in this Texas drought and heat wave. EVERYBODY is feeling it...even all the animals and birds. I keep the bird baths full just for them.

When I went out later to move the sprinkler, I was greeted by several SQUEEEEEEEEEEKY squawks. I look down and WHAM! There's one of the young hawks!!! WAY COOL!! He is just on the edge of the sprinkler range and not one bit phased by the water hitting him. Everytime the water came around, he would stand there and then get a drink from the puddle at his feet.

Hawk getting splashed by the sprinkler.

...Now time for a drink.

I kept hearing squawking. I look up and the WHOLE family is in the tree waiting their turn. I moved to the other side of the car to get a picture when a jogger came by and scared him off. The family flew up to their old nest and fussed. When I moved the sprinkler, they stayed and watched and waited for me to leave.

He has gotten SO big!

MUST get better pictures next time!

It's too dark for pics now. But I know they'll be back and I'll be ready...With BETTER pics next time. LOL

AWESOME!!!!!

Just Add Water

I finally finished my 40-foot flowerbed this morning. Before, I had just made the bed and only planted a couple of daylilies. NOW...it is full of daylilies. Just gotta add water. The bed continues past the faucet and hose in the distance. Can't wait for them to grow and fill up the bed. It will be really nice to pull into the driveway with all the daylilies in full bloom next year.

While I was sweating this morning, the family of hawks came back for a visit. Seems they were on a hunting trip. The kids' voices hadn't changed yet...very high pitched squeals. They were flying up and down the street and back to their old nest...squawking the whole time. Mom just sat and watched with a discerning eye. Next thing I heard was this TERRIBLE squawk and squeals. It seems one of the kids decided to take on a daddy Yellow Crested Night Heron that was proctecting his kids and nest. The hawk lost and flew back to momma. LOL

At 9:00 a.m. I decided it was too damn hot to do anything else outside.

Breakfast Delivery

Lots of activity at the Hawk abode this morning.

This morning I noticed THREE bright eyed and bushy tailed babies as I was leaving. I thought I had seen another head yesterday. :)  One was stretching his wings alot and then FLEW about 10 feet across the tree top. It won't be long now!!!!

As I was snapping pictures, momma showed up. Seems she was watching from a tree across the street. I thought she had ordered breakfast delivered in bed today because an oblivious squirrel came scurrying up the tree. UH OH!! Mom tried to pounce on him but he just fell back and ran up another limb. STUPID SQUIRREL!!! By this time, all the babies were like...FOOD'S HERE!!!!!!! I don't think she was too interested in cooking this morning. She let him get away. But that stupid squirrel was still interested in their nest. Maybe he checking it out for when the hawks move out.

About to Fly the Coup!

My yard is full of trees. My trees are full of nests. Those nests are full of baby birds!!

For the first time, we've had a nest of Red Tailed Hawks. The nest is HUGE!! You can see the clump of leaves and twigs in the bottom right. But check out those "baby" hawks!! Aren't they cute!!! They're almost big enough to fly away. I've been amazed how both mom and dad have helped in the raising of them. Dad has been very protective...and busy.

The nest is over the driveway...which has a lovely fresh coat of abstract art on it right now. We need a good rain to wash away all the white splats of "paint".

This morning I was finally able to see the babies. They were checking me out when I took out the trash. There might have been a third baby in the nest but I'm not sure. The thing is like 30 feet up the tree!

I've seen signs that the Yellow Crested Night Herons have hatched in the trees in the backyard. Several light blue eggshells were scattered all over the back PLUS lots more abstract splat art in the yard. One MUST be careful when going back there...it's a bomb zone.

LOOK OUT BELOW!!!

Who knew hawk droppings could be abstract art?? LOL