Saturday, February 13, 2016

IS IT SPRINGTIME?

The mercury has been climbing here in the Central Highlands of Arizona.

It got to 75 yesterday and, while early, it is promoting changes in the bird life.

For instance I saw what I think was a goldfinch at the bird bath this morning.

We've had them with their pale yellow breasts all winter.

But this one was brightly colored with a blazing yellow breast and nearly black back feathers.

Unfortunately I didn't get a photo.

But I did catch this red-breasted finch a bit later.


 After several drinks he seemed to be contemplating a bit of a dip.

He wasn't sure how cold that water would be but after a period of thought (do birds think, I wonder) he took the plunge.


He seemed to enjoy his time in the "swimming hole" but was quick to shake off his feathers when he got out.


Ah, spring time.

11 comments:

  1. And all of this watched over by a stone kitty.

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  2. When we lived in Phoenix, the dog was in the pool off and on all day long from late March to the end of November. I always new winter was over when he started swimming again.

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    1. That pool is a welcome respite from August in Phoenix!

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  3. It looks like Spring has come early where you live. Sunny today in Portland but it isn't expected to last.

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    1. Stephen, this could still be a false spring, what with El Nino sitting out there in the Pacific. We have had snowstorms in March, maybe even early April before.

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  4. I just typed out a long comment and then accidentally hit some combination of keys that deleted the comment! WTF, I have a delete key, I don't need some weird backdoor key combination to do the same thing!!! GRRRR! Well at least I have fodder for a new post.

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  5. If our birds thought spring was coming early with our recent warm weather, they're thoroughly disabused of the notion now (it was 3 degrees when I left for work on Thursday).

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  6. Enjoy it while we can! I did yard work all morning in anticipation for the next blizzard!

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  7. I'm heading back to Montana next week, and I don't expect Spring there until late May.

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  8. House Finch, I have hoards of them at my house.

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