Favoritos de mhalsted

Now here's a rare visitor to the backyard. If I'm lucky I may see one stop by once or twice a year. However, it's been going on two years since I last got a shot of one here. There was a second one deeper in the foliage of the pecan tree, but this one posed somewhat openly for a few shots before the two flew off together.

Another juvenile making its first appearance of the spring in the yard (when I was looking.) I think there was a second one as daddy would feed this one suet and then get more suet and take it into the foliage of a nearby crepe myrtle and then repeat the cycle.

Photo 1- Note the Desert Black Swallowtail larvae dropped by the Scrub-Jay, which is about to be eaten.
Photos 2 & 3- Eating the larvae, including banging it against the boulder.
Photo 4- Back with another larvae, tucked under its left foot.
Photo 5- Back a third time to the Turpentine Broom, which is the host plant of the Desert Black Swallowtail.
Photo 6- Gotcha!

The cats were all focused on the same thing, so I knew something was up. Found them all trying to catch this big lizard that was in our living room under a cabinet. I managed to get it to go into this wine gift bag so I could get it out of the house. Once outside, it started to come out of the bag but then decided to go back in. When it finally came out, it then hid under one of my tires.

Continuing- Mr.Cangoos defending his Missus from the other gander,who has decided to move into my bay this year. A mid air fight, Mr. Cangoos returning & in the last frame, the other fellow heading back to his own Missus, (she is still sitting on her own nest in the east bay, they have taken over Mr.Mrs.Cangoos's old nesting site). Mr.Mrs.Cangoos do not appear to have any eggs again this year!

Day 2 of the unveiling was devoted to trying to teach the fledglings to feed themselves. Mom would still feed them some, but would also withhold it for herself or take it to the other two fledglings that hadn't been coaxed to the dried mealworm tray yet. One of the two in this series did eventually pick up a few for itself. What I usually see happen is the parents start teaching them with the easily accessible food, such as dried mealworms and suet, and then move on to how to hunt for live food on the ground and in the trees.