black widow vs lizard

The black widow won

 

I spotted this in my garage beneath the wheelbarrow. 

The black widow was sucking on the lizard's stomach. 

My movement caused the black widow to move above the lizard.  

The lizard was suspended mid-air about 4 inches off the ground. 

 

peak season

empty nest syndrome

And this morning they were both gone.  :(

 

bye bye birdie

 
It won't be long now.  At least one of the twins is about ready to take off. 

another from yesterday

This picture is a little grainy but still interesting.  The twins are about the same height as their parent to the left but the parent's body and chest are much fuller than the babies.  Feathers?  Muscles?   I left for work a little later than usual this morning (the sun was actually up) and I saw the twins jumping up and down and flapping.  Within the next week they should begin taking their first flights. 

today

the white baby feathers are gone

Rise and shine

It feels good to stretch in the warm sun.

Today we were practicing flapping our wings.

One of these days it will be time to take flight. 

We've got about another 3 weeks before the parents tell us to get out.

 

it never gets old

wildflowers covering the hillside

feeding the chicks

 

Today the two baby chicks are 6 days old.  They are getting stronger everyday.  Mom was tearing up some bits of meat and feeding them.  They were eager to eat. 

The chicks have hatched

Today the chicks arrived.  I see two white fuzzy chicks right now, could there be three?
Here are the birth-dates over the past few years, those Red Tail Hawks are very consistent:

2009:  April 1
2010:  April 9
2011:  Unknown
2012:  April 9
2013:  No chicks this year
2014:  April 8

They usually leave the nest the third week of May, we'll see what happens.  Many more pictures to come!

nice day to snap a few pics

gathering 'round the ol' watering hole

So handsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My husband took this picture from our living room window.  How handsome is this fellow?

Red tail hawk is back in the nest

Last year one of my red tail hawks passed away (see Nov 2012 blog).  This year, the surviving spouse has remarried and started a new family!  Yippee!   About two weeks ago I saw them rebuilding the nest.  Today one of them is keeping some eggs warm!   I have a great view and I can't wait to take pictures of the babies! 

Mountain Lion Attack in Perris

PERRIS — The mauling of a man by a mountain lion in Perris, which left him with severe bites and cuts, prompted a wildlife expert today to urge people to take precautions for their kids and pets.
The big cat’s attack was at about 8 a.m. Saturday in a homeless camp near Highway 74 at Navaho Road, close to a shopping center west of Interstate 215. That site is a brushy vacant lot surrounded by subdivisions and businesses.
“We are asking nearby residents to be aware there is a lion in the area and to be careful with their pets and children,” said Lt. Patrick Foy in a statement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The 50-year-old victim suffered puncture wounds and bite marks to the base of his skull, and other injuries that were described as severe lacerations to his neck, arms and back, Foy said.
There were no witnesses to the attack, said Dan Sforza, assistant chief with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Dispatchers received a call at 8:10 a.m. from a resident describing a bloody homeless man, outside the house and asking for help. The victim had managed to walk to the home despite his injuries, Foy said.
Arriving paramedics took the injured man to Menifee Valley Medical Center, Sforza said. The man’s name was not released, but he underwent surgery Saturday night and his condition was not immediately known, officials said.
Fish and wildfire authorities have not interviewed the man, but they think a mountain lion attacked him. Baited traps have been set up to snare the big cat, and DNA samples were collected from the man’s wounds to match with the animal if it is captured, officials said.
If found, the mountain lion will be destroyed “in the interest of public safety,” the state Department of Fish and Wildlife reported.

Great blue heron

 

He stood 6 feet tall, and was amazing to watch.  He walked across an empty field but took flight when he saw my dog.   The wing span is 6.5 feet.  So big and majestic.  What a beauty



Coyote action last night

Two coyotes made their way down the driveway Thursday evening.